Worried about whether your cholesterol numbers will be so high that your primary care provider wants to put you on medication? Based on recommendations from the American Heart Association, your provider will look at not just your cholesterol numbers, but many other factors to determine your long-term likeliness to suffer heart attack or stroke.
By looking at your age, gender, race, total cholesterol, good cholesterol, blood pressure, blood pressure medications you may be on, whether you have diabetes, and whether you smoke, your primary care provider can tell from a simple blood test whether you have more than a 7.5% risk factor for a heart attack or stroke within the next 10 years. Older guidelines developed in 2002 were concerned with those with a 20% risk, but the new standards suggest caution when the risk factor is much lower.
Determining Your Cholesterol Levels
Your provider will gain an overall idea of your cholesterol levels by performing a blood test known as a lipid profile. He or she will likely do these at least once every five years after you have reached the age of 20, but for men over 35 or women over 45, the screening is much more frequent. The blood tests results will usually contain four numbers:
- LDL (low density lipoprotein cholesterol) or bad cholesterol is considered bad because it builds up on the walls of your arteries, limits blood flow, and makes it more likely you will get heart disease. Your LDL figures should be well below 160 mg/dL and is considered very high if it exceeds 190 mg/dL.
- HDL (high density lipoprotein, cholesterol, or good cholesterol) prevents heart disease by removing bad cholesterol from your blood, and should be between 40 and 60 mg/dL or better.
- Triglycerides, which results in body fat from calories the body does not need, appear at elevated levels among smokers, heavy drinkers, obese individuals, and those who do not exercise. The desirable range is under 150.
- Total cholesterol, also known as the serum cholesterol level, measures the danger of cardiovascular illness. You should shoot for a total number of under 200 mg/dL while those with scores between 202 239 are borderline high, while over 240 is high risk.
New Thinking on Heart Attack and Stroke Prevention
The new thinking from the AHA is that obesity should be considered a disease that requires a three-pronged approach of eating fewer calories than your body needs, exercising more, and changing unhealthy behaviors. The emphasis is not on avoiding certain foods or never indulging in a treat, but on having an overall healthy diet. Your diet should include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, poultry, fish and nuts, with only limited amounts of red meats and sugary foods and drinks and reduced sodium. Exercise should be a part of your daily routine.
Aside from cholesterol numbers, primary care providers now also look at body mass index, which indicates obesity based on height and weight. If your body mass is more than 30, you are considered obese and in need of serious weight loss, especially if your triglycerides are high, and if you have other risk factors.
Another new guideline is that primary care providers should consider prescribing statin drugs such as atorvastatin (Lipitor), simvastatin (Zocor), or lovastatin (Mevacor) to those with high risk factors. While in the past, providers prescribed statin drugs for patients with a 20% risk of suffering one of these conditions over the next 10 years. Current recommendations encourage drugs for those with a 7.5% risk of heart attack or stroke over 10 years and:
- Those over 21 with HDL exceeding 190 MG/DL
- Those without cardiovascular disease between 40 and 75 with a 7.5% risk of heart attack or stroke over 10 years.
- Those with a history of heart attack and other heart problems.
- Those with type II diabetes between 50 and 75.
- The long-term benefits of losing weight include reduced risks of having a heart attack or stroke, the No. 1 and 4 killers in the U.S.
Taking a statin drug lowers HDL cholesterol levels and reduces risk.
Raintree Medical and Chiropractic Center Can Help
Wondering what your cholesterol numbers are? Need some help in keeping your weight at healthy levels? Your primary care provider at Raintree Medical and Chiropractic Center is ready to take a blood test, review your general health, offer suggestions for a healthy diet, and if necessary to lower your risk factor, prescribe the necessary statin drugs. For information or scheduling an appointment, contact us at 816-623-3030.