What Cholesterol Tests Reveal About Your Heart's Health

A cholesterol test is one of the best early warning systems for future heart attacks. If your blood has too much cholesterol, the waxy substance can gum up your arteries and block the flow of blood to the heart. "My cholesterol tested high and the doctors told me to lose weight, but it just went over my head," says Mark Miller, 62, a teacher and football coach from Linden, Calif. Miller weighed 380 pounds five years ago, when he suffered two heart attacks just three days apart.

The American Heart Association recommends that all adults 20 and older have a cholesterol test every five years. Men 45 and older, women 50 and older, and people with risk factors for heart disease, including high cholesterol, should be tested more often, perhaps every one or two years. Your doctor will suggest the best schedule for you.

Know good cholesterol from bad cholesterol
Your blood contains at least three different types of cholesterol that can shape your risk for heart trouble. "No one looks at total cholesterol anymore; we look at good and bad," says Leslie Cho, MD, the director of preventive cardiology and rehabilitation at the Cleveland Clinic. "The level we get concerned about depends on the patient's other risk factors." Other risk factors for heart disease include high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, being overweight, and depression.