How Often Should Cholesterol Levels Be Checked

Dr. Lyle shares how often a woman should have her cholesterol levels checked.

How Often Should Cholesterol Levels Be Checked As an adult you should be tested once a year. It’s important to know exactly what your levels are and they can fluctuate on a yearly basis. Your primary care physician may not order them and you should not assume that they are ordered when you have what I believe to be routine blood tests when you go in for an annual physical exam. You should be certain that your physician has ordered it. You should also be certain that if when you go to get your cholesterol test done that you’re fasting, meaning that you have had nothing to eat or drink for about eight hours prior to the test. Why you should fast is very important for your triglyceride level to be as low as possible and that can be altered by your diet. So, avoiding food eight hours prior to the test will allow us to see what your baseline triglyceride level is without being impacted by recent consumption of food. Good cholesterol again is what we call the HDL, high-density lipoprotein. High-density lipoprotein is often lower in men than women, and this often is related to hormone levels and is also the most difficult level to move as far as being able to modify, although it is possible to elevate your HDL level. Your bad cholesterol is what we call your LDL cholesterol or your low-density lipoprotein. The low density lipoprotein, in particular, is responsible for the development of coronary artery disease or atherosclerosis and it is important to lower this level in people that have risks for coronary disease.