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First of all, it's best to understand how a doctor determines if you have a cholesterol problem or not and what his observation is based on.

He will have you fast for 12 hours and then send you for simple blood tests. You will be notified if your cholesterol levels are a bit on the high side.

Most doctors don't base their decision on 'total cholesterol,' because in the murky world of cholesterol, there are good guys and bad guys.

First of all, there are two types of cholesterol that most of us should be concerned with.

LOW DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN(LDL):

This is the bad guy in the cholesterol family. If you are high in this one, it is a more accurate reading(or warning)of possible heart problems down the road as opposed to your total cholesterol levels. Studies have shown that people with unnaturally high levels of LDL have a higher incidence of any number of heart diseases. Once a person knows high LDL cholesterol levels are present, the next step is to learn what level is ideal for them. Part of determining this might be the history of congenital heart disease in their family.

HDL CHOLESTEROL:

As mentioned, not all cholesterol is bad, and this is the good one. It's actually good news if the level of HDL is quite high. If this level is low, doctors might try treatments to actually 'raise' the HDL level.

DETERMINING TREATMENT:

There are several factors a doctor may consider before deciding what approach to take if tests indicate higher than normal LDL levels.

My doctor asked me questions like, "was there a history of heart problems in my family background?" He also considered age, fitness level, body weight, and diet.

With me, he felt there was no need to resort to prescription drugs, and recommended several changes to my diet. Something as simple as eating a handful of almonds per day or a bowl of oatmeal at each breakfast, can help lower LDL cholesterol levels. So can excluding saturated fats(hydrogenated oil)from your diet and replacing it with high quality fats like 'virgin olive oil' and fish high in Omega 3 and 6.

In a nutshell, your doctor might suggest these lifestyle changes before medication is introduced, or he may try a combination of the two depending on your present lifestyle and state of health.

Personally, I've always believed that if possible, non-medical treatments should be tried first and the time for medication is as a last resort when all else fails.

Learn more about this author, Ray Fauteux.
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