An accurate cholesterol measurement is vital to determining your risk for heart disease. More than 102 million adults in the U.S. have high cholesterol, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC. In 2010, more than 35 million of these Americans had levels high enough to put them at significant risk for cardiovascular disease. High cholesterol can cause other illnesses, such as kidney disease and Alzheimer's. Learn how to get a precise cholesterol reading to pinpoint your risk for heart disease and these other medical conditions.
Fasting
Fasting means you have had nothing but water to eat or drink for 9 to 12 hours before having your blood drawn. Take medications as prescribed unless your doctor tells you otherwise. Some medications do affect cholesterol levels, but are too important to skip.
Function
The fat you eat gets absorbed into the intestines, then goes into the liver. The liver converts fat into cholesterol and triglycerides. Triglycerides are stored in fat cells. Every cell in the body uses cholesterol. Cholesterol and triglycerides move from the gut to the cells of the body via the bloodstream.
Effects
Food affects triglycerides and total cholesterol. Triglycerides rise after a meal, sometimes 5 or 10 times higher than before eating. Alcohol causes a tremendous rise in triglycerides. Do not drink alcohol for at least 24 hours before having your blood drawn. Fast before having triglycerides and total cholesterol tested.
Not Fasting
Food does not immediately affect HDL and LDL. These levels rise and fall more slowly than triglycerides and total cholesterol. A non-fasting person will give accurate HDL and LDL results. LDL is responsible for moving cholesterol from the gut to the cells. A high level of LDL building up on artery walls is associated with heart disease. HDL moves excess cholesterol to the liver, where it is processed and eliminated with other body wastes. High levels of HDL offer protection to the heart because they remove harmful cholesterol from arteries.
Levels
Your doctor may order a lipid panel to measure LDL, HDL, triglycerides and total cholesterol. You will need to fast before having your blood drawn. Normal total cholesterol measures 200 mg/dl or less. Your LDL should be 100 mg/dL or less. Healthy triglycerides are below 150 mg/dL. High HDL levels offer protection against heart disease. Your HDL should be 60 mg/dL or more.
