fbpx

Cholesterol can be both healthy and detrimental to your health – even fatal. Here’s why it’s important to get your cholesterol checked regularly.

Cholesterol is naturally present in the blood and the body makes it to help with fatty food digestion and hormone production. However, if too much cholesterol builds up in the blood vessels, it can block circulation and result in heart disease.

If you don’t want to experience a heart attack or stroke by surprise, it’s important to check your cholesterol on a regular basis. Your doctor can easily check your cholesterol and make sure you are maintaining healthy levels.

Moreover, if your levels are too high, your doctor can recommend the steps you need to take to lower them.

Checking Cholesterol

If you are relatively healthy and young, the recommendation is to check your cholesterol every four to six years. However, depending on age, health condition, and genetics, you may need to check them more often. Talk with your doctor about how often you should get checked.

Testing for Cholesterol

Unfortunately, most people will not experience any signs or symptoms of high cholesterol. The only way to accurately know your numbers is to visit your doctor for a check-up.

Doctors use the lipid profile blood test, in which they take a small sample of your blood from a finger or arm. Other tests can also indicate your cholesterol levels, but the lipid profile test provides the most information.

Why It's Important to Get Your Cholesterol Checked RegularlyKnow Your Risk

There are two types of cholesterols: LDL cholesterol (the bad type) and HDL cholesterol (the good type). Various factors affect the increase of LDL cholesterol and decrease of HDL cholesterol.

Some of these factors are under our control and some are not. For example, factors such as aging and family history can increase LDL levels.

On the other hand, we can adopt healthy habits and greatly promote healthy levels.

Things that increase LDL and decrease HDL levels include smoking, physical inactivity, eating too much trans and saturated fats, and being overweight. Furthermore, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and certain medicines can also negatively affect cholesterol levels.

As LDL levels increase, so does the risk of cardiovascular disease. To decrease the risk, start eating heart-healthy foods, exercise regularly, and reach a healthy weight. Moreover, you should quit if you smoke and learn to manage type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure if you have it.

Additional Tips for Improving Cholesterol

The CDC Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention provides a list of heart-healthy food recipes that can help maintain healthy cholesterol levels. Besides exercising and eating healthy, you can add health supplements to your routine.

One of the best heart supplements is L-arginine Plus, as it works to increase nitric oxide in the body, resulting in better circulation. The powder supplement is available in multiple flavors and combines l-arginine, l-citrulline, and key vitamins and minerals that help promote blood flow.

If you want an effective and safe way to promote your heart health, blood pressure, circulation, cholesterol, and more, try L-arginine Plus.