Cholesterol Blood Tests

The body needs cholesterol for essential bodily functions. For instance, it is crucial for the structure and function of cells. However, there is a particular type of cholesterol (LDL) which, if elevated, is bad for you. Preventing complications as a result is important and a cholesterol blood test will find out your particular levels of cholesterol.

Traditional cholesterol testing would only provide the total cholesterol level. It does no t serve as a helpful indicator if you are at risk for diseases associated with hypercholesterolemia. (If you have an inherited form of high cholesterol it does merit treatment and lifestyle changes). With high levels of LDL cholesterol, you can be vulnerable to health conditions such as stroke and heart disease.

At our clinic, we can provide a full cholesterol profile test. This profile will serve as a practical indicator if there is a need to adjust your cholesterol level through diet, medication or exercise. This can be discussed it with our doctor, who will provide you with insight and guidance on what you should do.

Cholesterol Levels

The body's total cholesterol is made up of HDL or high-density lipoprotein' and LDL or 'low-density lipoproteins.' If the test shows your LDL cholesterol is high level, it increases your risk factors for high blood pressure, heart disease and potential strokes. Other contributing risk factors are your age diabetes and smoking. Your GP may choose to prescribe statins, a group of medicines that help lower your LDL in the blood, particularly if you have risk factors. HDL cholesterol in higher levels shows a positive result as it means you are protected against heart disease.

Cholesterol testing does help calculate your risks for cardio vascular disease accurately. If it is high, then you have a higher risk of developing CVD. Your doctor may prescribe a statin but will recommend you follow healthy lifestyle advice too, along with losing weight and stopping smoking. Exercise is very helpful too; a study in 2014, found that exercise helped raise HDL levels significantly, particularly resistance training.

TC: HDL ratio

High-density lipoprotein is helpful due to its role in scouring the walls of blood vessels. This process helps to clean out the cholesterol that could be clogging the blood vessels. In addition to HDL and LDL cholesterol levels, important elements to test are the triglycerides. These are the chemical form of fats which exist in the body. (Triglycerides are a certain type of fat believed to be involved in heart disease) The body uses them for energy, as well as several other functions.

However, a high level of triglycerides means you may soon have life-threatening diseases such as stroke or heart disease. On that note, it helps to get a cholesterol test to determine your health regarding this substance. By conducting a cholesterol test, we can figure out what is wrong with your body and work to correct it.

Causes of High Cholesterol

Several factors contribute to your high cholesterol level. These factors include diet, family history, and exercise. Your doctor will consider all these things to give you a comprehensive explanation of your risk and health.

Cholesterol Test Procedure

Our procedure is simple. First, the preparation involves a period of fasting. After a consultation with our doctor he/she will likely ask you to fast the night before the test to enable an accurate result. The test requires we will draw blood from you. We will then analyse the blood for anything that we believe has contributed to an increase in your cholesterol level.

Test Results

Once the test is complete and we received the results, we will email them to you the same day. A further appointment can be made with our walk in clinic doctor who will discuss the results together with you; help you understand what they mean, and what, if anything, needs to be done now. If you need medications or a follow up with one of our Specialist Consultants this can be booked over the telephone with us on 0207 096885. Alternatively talk to your family GP with the results, what they mean, and what the implications are for your health and well being.