Video:How to Interpret a Cholesterol Test

Transcript:How to Interpret a Cholesterol Test

Hi, I'm Page Love. I'm a registered dietitian with Nutrifit sport therapy in Georgia and I'm here on behalf of About.com to help you learn how to interpret your cholesterol test.

High Levels of Cholesterol

So let's say you've had your cholesterol test results done and your total cholesterol is above 240 milligrams or your LDL cholesterol is above 100 milligrams. Then we want to start looking at reasons in your diet why that might be elevated, and often saturated fats and animal fats are the cause and the culprit in the situation.

Foods That May Raise Cholesterol

So take a look at your diet and start to look at how much red meat you're consuming, if it's fattier red meat like rib cuts of meat and particularly beef and pork. How much cheese, whole dairy cheese, or ice cream you're consuming; how much egg product, egg yolk you're consuming; these are the most common culprits in the American diet for raising cholesterol. These are the things that tend to elevate that number if you're eating these things frequently.

How Fat Affects the Bloodstream

For example, with my little lipo visuals here, the cheeseburger visual, the yellow fat in this tube is really what the fat looks like in your bloodstream. When you eat a loaded burger like this, the little fat globules are in the bloodstream almost thickening the blood and that cholesterol, over time, if you continue to eat that way, raises your cholesterol level and builds up a plaque against your artery wall that makes it harder for the heart to work appropriately, and raises your risk for heart disease.

Thanks for watching, and visit About.com for more information.