How to Determine My Total Cholesterol

Total cholesterol is the amount of cholesterol in your body. Measured by a blood test called a lipoprotein profile, this number includes LDL or "bad" cholesterol, HDL or "good" cholesterol, triglycerides and other lipids. Your total cholesterol number is used to indicate your cardio health, as people with high cholesterol counts are at a greater risk for heart disease than people with low cholesterol counts. Medical experts recommend that you check your cholesterol level at least every five years after the age of 20. Your physician can perform a lipoprotein profile or you can purchase one for use at home.

Instructions

Testing Your Cholesterol

• 1

  Do not eat or drink any liquids besides water for nine to 12 hours before your test to achieve accurate results. Typically, cholesterol tests are performed in the morning, so you can fast overnight.

• 2

  Your doctor will take a small amount of blood from your arm to perform the test. Generally, results will be available within two to three days.

• 3

  Once you receive your test results, your total cholesterol will be in the form of a number. Measured in milligrams per deciliter of blood, this number indicates the total amount of cholesterol, whether good or bad, in your bloodstream. Results lower than 200 mg/dL are considered optimal. Results more than 240 mg/dL are considered a high risk.

Further Interpreting Your Cholesterol Number

• 4

  Examine the components of your cholesterol test to determine what action, if any, should be taken to lower your cholesterol level. As several types of good and bad cholesterol are measured, it is important to know the makeup of your body's cholesterol to determine what action, if any, should be taken to lower your cholesterol.

• 5

  Look at the LDL cholesterol number, or the measure of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in your body. LDL cholesterol is considered bad cholesterol because, in high amounts, it can clog your arteries and lead to heart disease. An LDL cholesterol number between 40 and 100 is considered optimal, according to the American Heart Association. Anyone with an LDL cholesterol number over 160 mg/dL is at risk for heart disease.

• 6

  Check your HDL cholesterol, or the measure of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in your body. Unlike LDL cholesterol, the higher your the HDL cholesterol is, the better, as HDL helps protect your body from buildup of LDL cholesterol in the arteries. The ideal HDL is 60 mg/dL or above.

• 7

  Consider the level of triglycerides, or cholesterol in chemical form, in your blood. The most common form of cholesterol in the body, a high level of triglycerides indicates a high risk of heart disease. Ideally, your triglycerides should be below 150 mg/dL.