Primary Care

Cholesterol Management

Dealing with the good, the bad, and the hidden concerns of cholesterol

The first step toward managing your cholesterol is a visit to an IntraCare Health Center near you for an evaluation.

Your doctor will have you take a lipid profile test. A small sample of blood will be taken, usually from your arm, and sent to a lab for analysis (or it may be done in-house if there are lab facilities on the premises). The lipid profile measures your good and bad cholesterol, and triglycerides.

Cholesterol disorders are a chronic health condition, managed best by making lifestyle changes. Your doctor will advise you on a nutritious diet that emphasizes fresh produce and lean meats while cutting out saturated fats, junk, overly-processed, and fast foods.

At least 150 minutes of aerobic exercise, such as walking, is of the utmost importance. If you smoke, your doctor may guide you to quit-smoking programs and counseling that are free under Medicare.

In certain cases, your doctor may feel it necessary to prescribe statins. These are medications that keep cholesterol in check.

Preparing for Lipid Profile

Lipid profile tests are done while fasting. This means you should not eat or drink anything for at least 9-12 hours before the test. Plain water is allowed.

Age, Weight, and Genetics

Older people, those who are overweight or obese, don’t exercise, or have a family history of cholesterol, should get their blood cholesterol checked annually.

Risk of Occlusion

A piece of cholesterol build-up in an artery can break off, float down the bloodstream and get stuck, creating a blockage or occlusion. This can cause organ failure.

Frequently asked questions

What is cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a waxy substance in your blood. Some of it comes from the food you eat, some of it is produced by your liver. It is essential to your body’s functioning, but too much can build up in your arteries, leading to heart attack and stroke.

What is the difference between good and bad cholesterol?

Good cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein, or HDL) carries cholesterol to the liver, where it can be filtered out of your blood. Bad cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein, or LDL) takes cholesterol directly to the arteries where it builds into aterty-hardening plaque.

How dangerous is cholesterol?

Arteries carry blood to your heart. When deposits of cholesterol plaque in your arteries grow too thick, the space through which oxygenated blood can flow becomes narrow. Your heart struggles to get the oxygen it needs, putting you at risk of heart failure.

I’m thin, so how can I have high cholesterol?

Thin does not always mean healthy, especially if you eat overly processed foods, drink alcohol, or smoke. Also, cholesterol has genetic tendencies and around 1 in 250 people have it because someone in their family tree had it.

What are safe levels of cholesterol?

Cholesterol is measured in milligrams per deciliter, or mg/dL. Your total cholesterol (good and bad together) should be 200 mg/dL or less. Your LDL, or bad cholesterol, should be less than 190 mg/dL.

IntraCare Health Center provider

Cody Mihills, MD

Family Physician