Friday, October 22, 2010

AUGUSTA -- In this "Smart Heart" report, we're talking about cholesterol and what your numbers mean.

Our "Smart Heart" partner University Hospital recently completed more than 600 lipid profiles. A lipid profile measures how much cholesterol is in your body.

Cholesterol is a waxy substance carried by our blood. It's produced by the liver and is also found in the foods we eat.

There are two ways to get tested.

"Your healthcare provider can order a cholesterol panel or if you donate blood on a regular basis, they can also measure your cholesterol for free when you donate blood," said Amber Morris, a certified physician's assistant at University Hospital.

Reading a cholesterol panel involves knowing the numbers.

The first number is your total cholesterol.

In a lipid profile -- you also get the LDL, the bad kind of cholesterol. It can create problems for the blod flow in your body.

You also get your HDL number, the good cholesterol. It helps remove the LDL cholesterol from our blood.

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