High Cholesterol Management in Loxahatchee, West Palm Beach & Belle Glade, FL

What it involves

Cholesterol management is an ongoing part of primary care. Your provider looks at a blood test of your cholesterol levels alongside your age, family history, blood pressure, and other conditions, then talks through what, if anything, should change and when to test again. Which numbers matter most for you is a decision you make together.

Who this is for

• Adults who were told a cholesterol or triglyceride result was high and want a provider to follow it
• Patients with diabetes, high blood pressure, or a family history of early heart disease who want cholesterol reviewed in context
• Patients new to the practice who have lab results from another provider to bring in
• Anyone who has never had a cholesterol test and wants to know when one makes sense

What to expect

• A review of your eating habits, activity, family history, and the medicines you take
• A blood test of your cholesterol, ordered when your provider decides it is due
• A plain-language explanation of what each number means and what to recheck later
• A follow-up schedule set at whatever cadence your provider recommends for you

What a lipid panel actually measures

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute describes the standard cholesterol blood test as a lipid panel, and says your provider may ask you to fast for 8 to 12 hours beforehand. It reports several numbers, and each answers a different question: For a number-by-number walkthrough of a report, including the healthy ranges MedlinePlus lists for adults, see the lipid panel numbers explained guide.

• Total cholesterol, the overall amount in your blood
• LDL, often called bad cholesterol, which NHLBI names as the main source of buildup and blockages in the arteries
• HDL, often called good cholesterol, which helps decrease those blockages
• Triglycerides, another type of fat in the blood
• Non-HDL cholesterol, which is total cholesterol minus HDL

Why there is no symptom to wait for

MedlinePlus says there are usually no signs or symptoms of high cholesterol, which is why it is found on a blood test and not by how you feel. Extra cholesterol can combine with other substances in the blood to form plaque on artery walls, and MedlinePlus warns that undiagnosed or untreated high cholesterol can lead to serious problems, including chest pain, heart attack, and stroke. Feeling fine is not evidence that the numbers are fine.

How often adults are usually tested

NHLBI gives a general guide for healthy people, and your own schedule may be shorter if you have risk factors or a family history of high cholesterol, heart attack, or stroke:

• Younger adults starting at age 20: about every 5 years
• Men 45 to 65 and women 55 to 65: every 1 to 2 years
• Adults older than 65: every year

What can raise cholesterol besides food

MedlinePlus lists eating a lot of saturated fat, too little physical activity, smoking, stress, and heavy drinking among the common causes, but the list does not stop at habits. Cholesterol tends to rise with age, runs in some families, and is more common with diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and being overweight. Certain medicines can also push LDL up or HDL down, including steroids and some medicines taken after an organ transplant, so bring your full medicine list to the visit.

Lp(a), the number most panels leave out

NHLBI notes that a lipoprotein(a) test is not usually part of a routine lipid panel. Lp(a) is set by the genes you inherit, it barely changes over a lifetime, and a high level can raise heart risk even when your other cholesterol numbers look healthy. A provider may order it if you have a family history of stroke or early heart disease, or if you do not know your family history. It is a fair question to raise if that describes you.

Cholesterol next to the rest of your care

Cholesterol rarely travels alone. It is reviewed alongside blood pressure management and diabetes follow-up, because the same patient often has all three, and a yearly wellness visit is where a test is usually ordered. Dr. Sebastian at Belle Glade lists cholesterol disorders among his areas of experience, and the West Palm Beach office has in-house lab services for the blood draw itself. Cholesterol is only one piece of the picture, so many patients also read the guide to heart disease risk factors to see how it combines with blood pressure, smoking, and diabetes.

Sources

• MedlinePlus — Cholesterol
• NHLBI — Blood Cholesterol Diagnosis