First, let's start by defining the different types of cholesterol:

LDL - this is sometimes called the 'bad' cholesterol. It raises your risk of cardiovascular disease. We want this as low as possible.

HDL - 'good' cholesterol, high HDL tends to lower your risk of cardiovascular disease.

Non-HDL - this is total cholesterol minus your HDL.

Triglycerides - not cholesterol, but another type of lipid we measure. It can also increase your risk of heart attack and stroke.

Total Cholesterol - includes LDL, HDL, and a small amount of triglycerides.

Who should get screened for cholesterol:

-Anyone over 40 years of age (men and women)

-ALSO anyone (all ages) who has any of the following:

*Diabetes

*Hypertension

*Current cigarette smoker

*Family history of dyslipidemia

*Family history of Cardiovascular Disease (discuss with your healthcare provider)

*Chronic kidney disease (discuss with your healthcare provider)

*Inflammatory disease (ie RA, IBD, SLE, etc)

*Obesity (BMI of 30 or higher)

*HIV infection

*Erectile Dysfunction

*History of hypertensive disorder of pregnancy

* clinical signs of dyslipidemia (fat deposits under the skin appearing as small yellow bumps, also fat deposits in or around the eye)

*Abdominal aortic aneurysm

*COPD

*Clinical signs of atherosclerosis (plaque buildup in your arteries) - examples include angina, TIA, peripheral artery disease.

Your healthcare provider will then use your lab results and clinical history to calculate a FRS score. This score tells us your 10 year cardiovascular risk and helps decide on management. If any of the information discussed here applies to you and you have not yet been screened for dyslipidemia, be sure to have a discussion with your heathcare provider about it!