High cholesterol levels are considered to be the cause of many heart diseases including heart attacks. Cholesterol test is recommended for those who might be suffering from heart ailment due to high cholesterol. This is done by performing a blood test to determine the amount of triglycerides present in the blood. Triglycerides causes plague in our arteries and block the blood flow by narrowing them, thus resulting in heart malfunction. Read through the article to know more about cholesterol test.
Reason behind cholesterol test
Cholesterol test mainly determines the types of fat content in the patient’s blood. It actually helps in counting the cholesterol content. If high density lipoprotein (HDL) is high, there is no major risk of any heart ailment because HDL is considered to be good cholesterol that helps driving out low density lipoprotein (LDL). If LDL is found to be high, it is not a good sign as LDL blocks the arteries by producing plague and interrupts the blood flow. The cholesterol test also determines the amount of triglyceride, another type of fat, that is available in the blood. This also blocks the blood to flow freely from the arteries. People who have more fat accumulated in their body and do not burn the calories tend to get high triglycerides.
Importance of cholesterol test
People having high cholesterol are recommended to have a regular check up once in every six months. If a person has a family history of heart ailments, or is over weight, then it is advisable to have a regular check up every six months. This would prevent any heart disorders and major heart related diseases and steps can be taken in right time for recovery before it is too late. Even children who are two years or more and have tendency of high cholesterol must have a regular health check up. This includes a blood test recommended by doctor.
Preparation before cholesterol test
Before performing the test you need to follow certain things. If you are performing the test in the morning, you need to complete your previous day dinner by 8 p.m. It is mandatory to fast for 9 to 12 hours before performing the test. You can consume water but after taking doctor’s permission. Do not drink tea, coffee and other sugary drinks. Make sure to consult your doctor for any special requirement. If you are on for some birth control pills tell the doctor before. Birth control pills can increase cholesterol level and if necessary doctor may ask you to stop that pill for a certain period unless you complete your cholesterol test.
Test procedure
This test is generally done in the morning to get the accurate result. This is like the regular blood test. Blood is usually drawn from the arm after it is cleaned by an antiseptic. Before inserting the needle, the nurse ties an elastic band on the upper part of the patient’s arm and locates the vein perfectly. Now a new sterile needle is inserted to the vein and blood is collected into a small syringe. Once the blood starts dipping into the syringe, the elastic band is taken off for the normal blood circulation. For the entire test they collect almost four small syringe of blood. After the blood collection is done, the needle is taken off and the punctured area of the arm is pressed with a cotton ball. Later a band-aid is applied to the area. You can take some healthy snacks after the blood test.
Wait for the test result
Once the blood collection is done, blood is sent to the lab for further testing. After the report is ready, you can meet your doctor to get a complete detail about your cholesterol level and the precautions required thereof.
