Test your
Cholesterol
Looking for an easy way to test and monitor your Cholesterol?
It's included in the HealthieOne Complete test.
Cholesterol
Explanation: Cholesterol is a fat-like substance found in every cell of the body. It is essential for hormone production, vitamin D synthesis, and cell membrane structure. While the body produces cholesterol, it is also obtained from animal-based foods. Cholesterol is carried in the blood by lipoproteins, including LDL (“bad” cholesterol) and HDL (“good” cholesterol). LDL cholesterol can build up in artery walls, potentially leading to blockages while HDL cholesterol picks up excess cholesterol from arteries and taking it back to liver for disposal.
Test purpose: High cholesterol may indicate increased risk of heart disease, atherosclerosis, or metabolic disorders. A cholesterol blood test (part of a lipid panel) helps assess:
- Heart disease and stroke risk, by measuring LDL, HDL, and total cholesterol.
- Lipid metabolism disorders, which affect how the body processes fats.
- Effectiveness of diet, lifestyle, or cholesterol-lowering treatments (e.g., statins).
- Liver and metabolic health, since cholesterol is processed by the liver.
Desirable values are less than 200 mg/dL, as they indicate a lower risk of heart disease.
Values between 200 mg/dL to 239 mg/dL are borderline high, and they indicate a moderate risk requiring lifestyle changes.
Values greater than 240 mg/dL are high and indicate increased risk of heart disease possibly requiring treatment.
Other information about this test: Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Mount Sinai, UCSF Health, ARUP Laboratories, Johns Hopkins, MedlinePlus
An aspect of Cholesterol, Fatty Acids and Ketone Bodies .