Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a fat-like substance that occurs naturally in the body. If too much cholesterol accumulates in the bloodstream the excess is deposited in the arteries. When this occurs in the coronary arteries it leads to the blockages that contribute to heart disease. High cholesterol, like high blood pressure, often goes undetected because most people with elevated cholesterol show no symptoms. Testing is the only way to determine if there is a problem.

If left unchecked, high levels of so-called "bad" cholesterol (LDL) can significantly increase the risk of potentially fatal heart disease. Fortunately dietary changes, exercise, weight reduction and medication can help reduce the risk.

Heart Disease

Heart disease is the single biggest killer of American men and women with one person dying every minute. According to the American Heart Association this year alone an estimated 700,000 Americans will have a new coronary attack and about 500,000 will have a recurrent attack. The average age of a person having their first heart attack is 65.8 for men and 70.4 for women. These sobering statistics support the need for ongoing screening and management of those individuals with high cholesterol and multiple risk factors.

The Risk Factors

The Risk factors for heart disease include:

• Family history/genetics
• Low HDL "good" cholesterol
• High blood pressure (above 140/90 mmHg)
• High blood glucose
• Obesity
• Smoking
• Stress
• Menopause
• Age (over 45 years old in men and over 55 years old in women)

The Link to Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic syndrome is a condition defined as a cluster (3 or more) of the following risk factors: obesity (especially abdominal obesity), elevated triglycerides, high blood pressure, insulin resistance (with or without glucose intolerance), and inflammation. Having metabolic syndrome greatly increases the risk for coronary heart disease. The first line of defense is regular screening to identify those patients with metabolic syndrome.

Learn more about metabolic syndrome

Benefits of Periodic Testing

Testing with the Cholestech LDX^® Systems is an easy and cost effective way to adhere to the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) recommendations for screening the general public every 5 years. This is why the LDX System has found favor in the medical community. Testing is simple, convenient and the test takes just five minutes so the results are available immediately.

Monitoring Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes

Total, HDL, and LDL cholesterol levels may be improved through diet, exercise and weight reduction.

The therapeutic lifestyle changes (TLC) recommended by NCEP suggests consuming more foods high in fiber (grains, cereals, fruit, vegetables, and beans) and lower intake of foods high in saturated fat (such as high-fat meat, whole milk, cheese, high-fat commercial products such as pastries or cookies). Foods that contain plant stanols or sterols (cholesterol-lowering margarines and dressings) can also help lower your LDL levels.

Checking the response to lifestyle changes is recommended by NCEP after six weeks, then every four to six months to evaluate LDL levels and monitor adherence to lifestyle changes

Monitoring Drug Therapy

Lowering LDL cholesterol is the primary goal of drug therapy. Raising HDL cholesterol and lowering triglycerides are secondary goals. Periodic testing will determine whether goals are being met or more intensive treatment is needed.

Certain medications used to lower cholesterol, control diabetes or treat other medical conditions may cause damage to your liver. ALT and/or AST levels should be monitored periodically to determine if any damage has occurred.

The Cholestech Advantage

Whether used for regular screening for the detection heart disease, assessing risk, detecting metabolic syndrome or monitoring the effects of lifestyle of drug therapies, Cholestech LDX and GDX Systems are ideal tools for healthcare professionals around the world.