Cholesterol testing

[Newtothis]

Just been reading the NHS website and they suggest if you have a blood cholesterol test then you shouldn't eat anything 10hrs prior but drink plenty of fluids? I had a test on Friday morning and wasn't told any of this - what do you think?

Just did a very stupid thing of googling cholesterol...now got myself worried I might have FCH??, that my son might have FCH??...😱

My current cholesterol level is 5.1 raised from 4.8 6 months ago

I didn't have a 2nd HbA1c test - GP cancelled it until June (feel's I only need it every 6 months)...

 

[Steff]

Amanda,
People get told diffirent things ive even seen it happen in here, personally I did fast as I was told to, but then again I was told to fast before my hbA and alot in here were not told to do that.Personally If you were told nothing then it would suggest you did not need to fast
You already said it was a stupid thing so please dont get yourself in a spin hun about reading things on the net, your not the only one to have ever done it ive done it plenty myself and scared myself rigid but really its unessecery and ive not done it in a while

 

[Newtothis]

Amanda,
People get told diffirent things ive even seen it happen in here, personally I did fast as I was told to, but then again I was told to fast before my hbA and alot in here were not told to do that.Personally If you were told nothing then it would suggest you did not need to fast
You already said it was a stupid thing so please dont get yourself in a spin hun about reading things on the net, your not the only one to have ever done it ive done it plenty myself and scared myself rigid but really its unessecery and ive not done it in a while

Thanks Steff; why can't life be simple...🙂

 

[macabee]

As I have FH [Familial hypercholesterolemia] I have been cholesterol tested now for about 20 years, it has always been a fasting test, the same as the glucose tolerance test.

I have read that some studies 'suggest' that fasting does not really make that much of a difference. However you will have to be governed by your GP/Surgery, they will advise as to whether you should fast or not prior to any blood test.

If in doubt check with your GP/Surgery.

 

[Newtothis]

As I have FH [Familial hypercholesterolemia] I have been cholesterol tested now for about 20 years, it has always been a fasting test, the same as the glucose tolerance test.

I have read that some studies 'suggest' that fasting does not really make that much of a difference. However you will have to be governed by your GP/Surgery, they will advise as to whether you should fast or not prior to any blood test.

If in doubt check with your GP/Surgery.

What family syptoms we're there for you to be tested for FH?

 

[cherrypie]

Hi Amanda,
When your Dr. asks you about other close family members and if they have heart related problems or have died because of them it is usually enough for them to decide that your cholesterol readings need to be lower. There are genetic tests that can be done but they are very expensive and rarely carried out.
My father died relatively young after three heart attacks and so I am considered at risk.
Dietary and lifestyle changes are usually tried first and then followed by statins if there is no improvement.
If you watched that exercise programme on Horizon you would have seen that exercising the night before reduced the fat content of the blood test the following morning so exercise plays a part in lifestyle changes.

 

[Vicsetter]

These days most cholesterol tests are just for a number and no details of hdl/ldl trig numbers because the cost of the test goes up for these tests. For a straight total cholesterol number test there is no need to fast.

 

[macabee]

What family syptoms we're there for you to be tested for FH?

It was a routine blood test, my GP at the time asked me if I have had my cholesterol tested, to be honest I was not sure at the time what cholesterol really was!, that test led to my eventual diagnosis.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

These days most cholesterol tests are just for a number and no details of hdl/ldl trig numbers because the cost of the test goes up for these tests. For a straight total cholesterol number test there is no need to fast.

The difficulty there, though is that a total chol test is about as much use as a chocolate teapot when it comes to evaluating CVD risk. A bit like 'speed' in a car. In general highe speed might indicate more risk, but there's a lot more to it than that (try driving at 30 on a motorway!)

 

[trophywench]

Hear hear Mike !

To gauge whether there is a CVD risk (assuming it's not in the family, you haven't already had a prob etc etc) firstly the 3 elements have to be within a certain range, then by comparing the relationship of each to the others they can guesstimate your situation.

However the real tests for heart disease indicators are either too expensive or your GP hasn't heard of them (thinking here scans, the thing where they inject the dye to see if your arteries are blocked, ultrasound scan on leg pulses for intermittent claudication, or Apolipopotein A & B blood tests)

If all you get is a TOTAL cholesterol test it's about as much use as saying someone is too heavy without taking into consideration the person's name is Hagrid and he's about 8ft tall ......

 

[novorapidboi26]

The difficulty there, though is that a total chol test is about as much use as a chocolate teapot when it comes to evaluating CVD risk. A bit like 'speed' in a car. In general high speed might indicate more risk, but there's a lot more to it than that (try driving at 30 on a motorway!)

You truly are gifted Mike...........

 

[mcdonagh47]

The difficulty there, though is that a total chol test is about as much use as a chocolate teapot when it comes to evaluating CVD risk. )

Not quite ... LDL ( the atherogenic Lipid and the main target of therapy ) typically constitutes between 60% and 70% of Total Cholesterol. So elevated TC in effect is a substitute measure of elevated LDL ("Bad Cholesterol").

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Not quite ... LDL ( the atherogenic Lipid and the main target of therapy ) typically constitutes between 60% and 70% of Total Cholesterol. So elevated TC in effect is a substitute measure of elevated LDL ("Bad Cholesterol").

But... Some argue that LDL is way less important than other indicators (HDL:Trigs ratio for example). Without the breakdown there's a *lot* of guesswork and there seem to be 101 different ways of guessing breakdowns from a total figure. Knowing, or even guessing the LDL figure does not distinguish between 'fluffy' or 'dense' LDL particles either which is a whole other area.

Incidentally my last 'full lipid' panel indicated my LDL at 49% of total CHOL - my HDL is high and my trigs are low. All reasons my team are happy to leave things alone despite the total figure being above the target.

 

[trophywench]

Wish I had your team LOL.

Mind you, statins are sposed to be kidney protective, aren't they? OTOH - how can they be if they raise your BG though?

Bit the same as ACE inhibitor cause they are sposed to be kidney protective too, whereas ARB's are not - but then ACEs do cause some people to cough that much they can't sleep and neither can their nearest and dearest and that's surely gotta be worse all round than one of you having a bit of utterly unquantifiable kidney protection when that person hasn't got any signs of any kidney damage otherwise? Grrrrrrrrrr