By going to the doctor and getting a simple blood test done to check your cholesterol, you can find out what your levels of cholesterol are. When you go to get your cholesterol checked, they’ll check all the levels of your cholesterol. Your test will come back showing the levels of your cholesterol and what they could mean for your health. Your doctor will also take the information about your age, family history, smoking and your blood pressure into account.

The levels of cholesterol checked by the test will be your total blood cholesterol level, your HDL cholesterol level, your LDL cholesterol level and your triglyceride level. These are all very important levels of your cholesterol and each one means something different for you. This information will tell your doctor what your risk of heart disease may be based on your cholesterol levels and family history.

If you have a total blood cholesterol level less then 200 mg this is good level and will put you at a low risk for heart disease. If it’s above 200 mg, you’re considered to be borderline high risk. Your doctor will probably recommend that you change your lifestyle to lower your blood cholesterol level and request that you have your cholesterol checked more often. If it’s over 240 mg, then you are at high risk and your doctor will want to put you on a treatment plan and probably prescribe medication to help you lower it.

If your HDL cholesterol level is higher, then this is good. Low HDL levels can also put you at a high risk for heart disease and other problems. If your LDL cholesterol level is low then that’s good, too, as this will help to reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke.

If your triglyceride level is high, this could mean that you have a high total cholesterol level. People can have a high triglyceride level because they’re overweight, smoke cigarettes, are inactive and drink too much alcohol. These levels can mean different things for you, so you must go to your doctor to get the treatment that is best for your cholesterol levels.

There are several things you can do to help lower your high cholesterol. First thing is to go see a doctor. If you visit your doctor, he can prescribe medication for your high cholesterol, however, you must take it regularly even if you don’t think it’s working for you. Sometimes you may feel like your medicine is not doing anything to help you, but rest assured, it is working. Taking your medicine, following a proper diet and exercise routine will all work together to lower your cholesterol.

It you have trouble maintaining a healthy body weight, talk to your doctor or a dietician to set you up on a weight lose plan to help you take the weight off and keep it off. Eat a variety of fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains to help maintain a healthy weight and lower your high cholesterol. When selecting meat to eat, choose lean meats like chicken and fish. Buying and eating low fat foods help promote a healthier diet.

Cut the intake of high cholesterol foods out of your diet like fast foods and other fatty foods which are not good for you. When you cook foods make sure to remember not to fry your foods. You can bake, broil, steam, roast, grill and even microwave your food.

Daily exercise such as walking, running, jogging, dancing, or other activities will keep you in better shape. Make sure you do activities you enjoy so you don’t get bored. Do your exercise activities for at least twenty minutes a day because this will help you maintain your weight and lower your high cholesterol.

Smoking increases your chances of heart disease, so try to stop smoking. If you’re having a hard time quitting, go see your doctor to get help choosing smoking aids to help you quit.

Get your cholesterol checked regularly for signs of high cholesterol. Make sure your cholesterol level is where it needs to be. If you notice small skin growths or you have certain symptoms such as leg pain, dizziness or being unstable. Contact you doctor at once this could be signs of having heart trouble associated with high cholesterol.