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Published July 16, 2008 07:47 pm - One factor that makes high cholesterol so dangerous is that there are virtually no symptoms that are noticeable without proper screenings. Know your numbers: Screenings, diet can help improve cholesterol reading By Dustin Shipman
dshipman@joplinglobe.com If you suffer from high cholesterol, you are not alone — more then 36.6 million Americans have cholesterol levels high enough to be considered at risk of heart disease, according to statistics from the American Heart Association. One factor that makes high cholesterol so dangerous is that there are virtually no symptoms that are noticeable without proper screenings. However, there are simple tests that can be performed to check cholesterol levels in the body, diets to help control your cholesterol and even medications that can help to lower it. The good, the bad and the ugly Blood carries oxygen to the brain and other parts of the body, so a high concentration of low density lipoproteins (LDL) in the blood stream can cause a blockage and lack of oxygen, resulting in a heart attack or stroke. High density lipoproteins (HDL) can actually remove LDLs from the blood stream. “We have a machine that will breakdown the HDL and the LDL to find the total cholesterol in the body,” said Coeta Ogle, a registered nurse and community outreach coordinator for St. John’s Regional Medical Center. “We look for a total cholesterol level to be below 200 (Mg/dL),” she said. “You want your HDL to be greater than 35, the LDL to be under 100 and the triglycerides to be under 145. If you are higher on one number but lower on another then you might have a little bit of a cushion depending on where you fall, but a screening can break it all down to let you know.” A desirable cholesterol level is less than 200 Mg/dL; 200 to 230 Mg/dL is considered borderline high cholesterol; and 240 Mg/dL is generally considered high. Screenings Small amounts of blood can be drawn by your doctor or at cholesterol screenings that are usually sponsored by hospitals to give you an idea of your cholesterol count. According to Ogle, certain types of cholesterol are good for the body, and finding the right balance between the good and the bad is what the screenings are used for. “People come in and we take blood from their finger or their arm and we check for the total cholesterol, which means the triglycerides, the HDL which is the good, and the LDL, which is the bad, and we also check blood sugar,” Ogle said. “Basically, we are checking the fat in the blood stream.” She said the screening process is simple, usually takes only a few moments and is relatively painless. It is important to have regular screenings, in most cases once a year, she said. However, it does vary from person to person and people should check with their doctors as to what they feel is best for them. “We have to have the good and the bad cholesterol in the body. The good will filter out of the body through the liver but the bad will stay in the blood stream, so you really don’t want to get too much of the bad,” Ogle said. “Cholesterol is needed to keep important hormones in the body. Too much of it will be like building up plaque and can lead you into a heart attack or a stroke.” 
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