Bad family history.. when to start testing? - High Cholesterol Message Board

cantdoitanymore · 11-04-2005, 11:31 AM

I'm only 25 years old and of normal body weight, but I have a terrible family history. My paternal great grandmother, grandmother, and great uncle have all died of sudden cardiac arrest or other heart related problems under the age of 60. My grandmother was only 55. My Dad is 54 and so far seems exempt, his cholesterol was fine last time he was checked. He has two sisters and one brother, (2 of them are under 50) however, who have high cholesterol. One of them is only 52, an RN, active, physically fit, non-smoker, and health concious. She's always been a healthy eater too. But her bad cholesterol is through the roof, along with her triclycerides. She's had some success with Lipitor.

I suppose I'm just wondering when I should be starting routine cholesterol testing. I've mentioned it do GP's before who have looked at me like I was crazy and said "You're only 25." However, I smoke (terrible, I KNOW I have to quit. I don't need a lecture. LOL.) and I just worry sometimes.

What do you think?

Crystal66 · 11-04-2005, 01:01 PM

If you are concerned then why not have it checked? If only for your piece of mind, and providing all is well you'll at least have base-line figures for future checks.

Do quit smoking though <insert lecture here>!

Uff-Da! · 11-04-2005, 01:58 PM

This is a quote from the National Institutes of Health

Quote:

Everyone age 20 and older should have their cholesterol measured at least once every 5 years. It is best to have a blood test called a "lipoprotein profile" to find out your cholesterol numbers. This blood test is done after a 9- to 12-hour fast and gives information about your:

Total cholesterol
LDL (bad) cholesterol--the main source of cholesterol buildup and blockage in the arteries
HDL (good) cholesterol--helps keep cholesterol from building up in the arteries
Triglycerides--another form of fat in your blood

If it is not possible to get a lipoprotein profile done, knowing your total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol can give you a general idea about your cholesterol levels. If your total cholesterol is 200 mg/dL* or more or if your HDL is less than 40 mg/dL, you will need to have a lipoprotein profile done.

You'll find the quote on this page:

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/chol/wyntk.htm#risk

If it were me, I'd tell the doctor next time that, although I don't have high risk for heart disease among first degree relatives, that the amount of it from second degree relatives makes me very nervous about it. Therefore, I'd really at least want a baseline check. If that doesn't get the desired result, I'd give him a printed copy of something from an "official" source, such as a government agency, Heart Association, one of the well known physicians' associations, etc. which gave a recommendation of testing at age 20 or 25. I'd make sure the name of the agency or organization was included on the print-out, so the doctor knows the recommendation is coming from a legitimate source.

I found the quote above by doing a search for all of the words age, check and cholesterol, then limiting my search to .edu sites. You might find a quote you like better by doing likewise.