1. Bad Blood
LDL cholesterol is the bad cholesterol found in blood tests. LDL cholesterol carries mostly fat and very small amounts of protein from the liver to the rest of the body. That's why abnormally high levels of LDL cholesterol increase a person's risk for heart disease. LDL stands for low density lipoprotein. The test for LDL is a part of a comprehensive cholesterol screening that includes HDL, triglycerides and a total blood cholesterol level.
2. Good Blood
LDL cholesterol is most accurate when done after a 12-hour fast. Most doctors recommend regular testing for increased LDL levels at least once per year. If your total cholesterol is over 200, your doctor will look at your LDL, HDL and triglyceride levels for a better idea of your problem areas. LDL levels less then 129 are the best, 130-159 are borderline high, and anything over 160 is high.
3. The Night Before
The night before a complete lipid profile, be sure not to eat after midnight. It's important to fast for a full 12 hours before you have your blood drawn. Water is OK, but don't eat or drink anything else. Getting the test done in the morning makes it easy to fast since most of the time you'll be asleep. Breakfast is really the only meal you'll need to skip before your cholesterol test.
4. Home Court Advantage
There are lots of advantages to following up with a home cholesterol monitoring system. If your numbers aren't as good as they should be, keeping a check on them after your fasting blood cholesterol screening is a great idea. Home cholesterol testing kits don't require fasting. Most kits recommend testing a few different times over the course of several weeks to get a base line number. Home testing helps you and your doctor determine if your treatment plan and lifestyle changes are working to bring your LDL cholesterol numbers down. It's also a great way to tell if medication is necessary to bring bad cholesterol down and good cholesterol up.
5. Getting Ready
Not only do you need to fast before a complete lipid profile, but choosing the right foods a day or so before can make a difference. Fat laden foods elevate cholesterol quickly, so pigging out on pizza or cheeseburgers at dinner before you test the next day might give falsely high readings. If you know your test is coming, eat a healthy diet and save splurges for later so your doctor gets a true picture of your overall cholesterol health.
