Importance of scheduling regular cholesterol checks
22 Oct 2018
Cholesterol is something we don’t usually think about until we are told that it’s high, but it can become a problem when there is too much of it in your blood.
Too much cholesterol can damage arteries so the higher the total blood cholesterol level, the higher the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD).
There are often no symptoms or signs of high cholesterol so it is important patients have regular cholesterol checks with simple blood tests.
Cardiologist Dr Donald Latchem from HeartCare WA said men should have their levels checked regularly from the age of 35 and women from the age of 45 – sooner if they have a family history of high cholesterol or premature cardiovascular disease.
“Women are often naturally protected against CHD and usually don’t develop it for about a decade after men,” Dr Latchem said.
“If you know you have hypercholesterolaemia in the family, get checked more regularly and pay attention to your diet and exercise.”
Medical practitioners, however, do not only look at cholesterol levels when assessing your risk for CHD as there are other risk factors that come into play.
“Cholesterol is never seen in isolation; we need to look at the whole picture and look at other risk factors such as age, high blood pressure, sex, obesity, smoking, family history and diabetes,” Dr Latchem said.
“All these factors contribute to a person’s overall risk of CHD.”
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