Know Your Cholesterol Numbers - Know Your Risk
How do your cholesterol numbers measure up? Your numbers are crucial for knowing your chance of having a heart attack. In September, National Cholesterol Education Month, have your cholesterol checked. Then, find out your risk for heart disease- and how to lower it.
1. Know your cholesterol numbers. A fasting lipoprotein profile measures total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. Everyone age 20 or older should have this blood test at least once every 5 years.
2. Know your risk for coronary heart disease (CHD). How likely are you to develop heart disease or have a heart attack? People with CHD or diabetes are at the greatest risk for a heart attack. Others can look at their LDL ("bad") cholesterol level and other risk factors for CHD to evaluate their CHD risk. Cholesterol-lowering treatment primarily aims to lower the level of LDL, the main source of blockage in the arteries. The higher the CHD risk, the lower the LDL treatment goal. Factors other than LDL that affect this goal are: cigarette smoking, high blood pressure, low HDL ("good") cholesterol, family history of early heart disease, and older age.
If you have two or more of the above risk factors (other than a high LDL), estimating your risk for having a heart attack in the next ten years is recommended, according to the latest national guidelines. A risk score over 20 percent is considered as high a risk as having CHD ("CHD equivalent"). Find out your risk score with an online calculator from the national Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP), a public health initiative of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). Go to the NHLBI ATP III Web page (www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/cholesterol) and look under Information for Patients.
3. Reach your goal. Many people can reach their LDL goal through therapeutic life style changes, such as improving their diet, physical activity level, and weight management. Some, however, will also need medication.
LDL Cholesterol Goals Based on Risk categories
|
Risk Category |
LDL Goal |
|
CHD and CHD Risk Equivalents (10-year risk over 20%) |
Less than 100 mg/dL |
|
2+ risk factors (10-year risk up to 20%) |
Less than 130 mg/dL |
|
0-1 risk factor* |
Less than 160 mg/dL |
* other than LDL
Source: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)