Monitoring and management of your cholesterol levels is key to protecting yourself from heart diseases and complications. Cholesterol is contained in every cell. It plays an important role in the normal functioning of your body. The various functions that utilize cholesterol include the digestion of food, the synthesis of vitamin D, hormone production, as well as in maintaining the structures of body cells.

Being an essential component of the body, it is produced in the liver in the required amounts. The foods that you consume also contain cholesterol. The food that you eat therefore contributes to a great extent to the total cholesterol in your body.

How to know your cholesterol levels

The conventional method used to know the amount of cholesterol contained in your blood is the fasting blood test. The measurements obtained are expressed in terms of milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) of blood. The desirable cholesterol level is about 200 mg/dL. If your levels are between 200 and 240 mg/dL, this is considered borderline.

Should your levels exceed the 240 mg/dl mark, you are considered to have high cholesterol levels and are required to work towards reducing them. The best way to reduce your high cholesterol levels is by adopting a healthier and less fatty diet. Both LDL and HDL levels are evaluated separately in determining whether you have high cholesterol levels. Pre-existing health conditions determine your cholesterol levels to a great extent.

Why should you have a cholesterol test done?

Normally, high cholesterol does not cause any symptoms. It is only when this build- up of fatty acids in your arterial walls results in other serious conditions that brings to attention your high cholesterol levels. Undergoing a complete cholesterol test is therefore important as it helps you to know whether you have high cholesterol. It also helps in estimating your risk of suffering from heart-related diseases. The total cholesterol in your blood is usually a summation of the four types of fats that are present in your blood. These include:

• LDL cholesterol is responsible for the buildup of fatty deposits on the walls of your arteries, reducing the smooth flow of your blood.
• The HDL cholesterol helps to transport the LDL cholesterol back to the liver for excretion. It therefore helps to keep the arteries open, allowing the blood to flow more smoothly.
• Triglycerides are the extra fats stored in fat cells. High levels of triglycerides are associated with issues of obesity.

The recommended frequency of getting the cholesterol test done is every five years. However, for people over the age of 45 years, they should undergo a cholesterol test every two years. Those over 65, should undergo a cholesterol test annually. People with abnormal cholesterol levels. Those with pre-existing heart-related conditions and those on cholesterol-lowering medications are advised to have these tests done more frequently.

The availability of cholesterol monitoring applications allows you to monitor your cholesterol levels in the comfort of your home. DOCSUN’s daily+ cholesterol monitor is a great app that can help you keep track of your cholesterol levels. The fasting blood test has the limitations of being invasive, causing pain, discomfort, and inconvenience.

The daily+ cholesterol monitor responds to these challenges. It allows you to monitor your cholesterol levels several times a day. It is non-invasive, reliable, accurate, affordable to use, and easily accessible from any device. It has many public health benefits and saves you from making expensive trips to the hospital to get your cholesterol levels checked.