Cholesterol: The Good, The Bad, And The Triglycerides
(continued)
Know Your Numbers: The AHA recommendations for "normal" cholesterol levels
A great deal of evidence suggests that reducing high total cholesterol levels
to 160 to 199 mg/dL before having a heart attach may reduce cardiac mortality.
The only way to know if your cholesterol levels are normal or abnormal is to
have a blood test. This no longer requires a physician visit, however: many
public health departments and local hospitals host free cholesterol screening
events either at the hospital or at public venues such as the local mall.
The AHA urges all Americans to have their physicians determine their total
and HDL cholesterol levels. This is particularly important for those people
with a family history of heart disease, high blood pressure or stroke. The
AHA has valid concerns about public
cholesterol screening programs that are not a part of the medical care system.
If you participate in one of these programs, be sure that your results are communicated
to and interpreted by your physician. People who interpret their own cholesterol
test results may become unduly frightened or falsely reassured.
There are even home testing kits to measure total cholesterol now. The AHA
has not taken a position on them. If you use one of these tests, be sure to
discuss the results with your physician.