Type 2 Cholesterol test question help

[Meggy]

Hi

I've just had my annual review with the practise nurse and she said that a cholesterol test measures the levels over three months. I have never heard of this, and wondered if she had it mixed up in her mind with the HbA1c.

I thought the test measured the cholesterol in your body at the time of testing. Please can someone clear this up for me? I would hate to think the nurse was deliberately lying!

Meggy

 

[4ratbags]

I dont think she was lying as such. If you have high cholesterol they do like to check it every 3 months to see if medication ect has managed to get it lower.

 

[Meggy]

Thank you 4ratbags, My cholesterol is higher than she would like, but I have tried various statins and I can't tolerate them, so I can't take them.

It puzzled me that she said the test measures cholesterol over three months. I didn't think it did, so I was wondering if anyone knew. I think she was thinking of the HbA1c and got mixed up with them.

 

[noblehead]

Does sound like they have the two mixed-up @Meggy.

Here are the target cholesterol levels that they want people with diabetes to be aiming for:

Blood fats (lipids)
Lipids are the cholesterol and triglycerides in your blood. Cholesterol is a type of fat found in all of us. You may be familiar with the term blood cholesterol, but what you may not know is that not all cholesterol is bad. Some of it, HDL (high density lipoprotein), can actually protect against heart disease. Low levels of this protective HDL cholesterol increase your risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, LDL (low density lipoprotein) cholesterol is the bad form of cholesterol in the blood. It is high levels of this type that are linked with an increased risk of heart disease. Triglycerides are another type of fat in the blood. If you have raised cholesterol and raised triglycerides you have an increased risk of CVD.

• Your total cholesterol level should be below 4.0mmol/l.
• LDL levels should be less than 2.0mmol/l.
• HDL levels should be 1.0mmol/l or above in men and 1.2mmol/l or above in women.
• Triglyceride levels should be 1.7mmol/l or less.

If you do not know your lipid levels, ask your healthcare team to arrange a simple blood test for you.

https://www.diabetes.org.uk/Guide-to-diabetes/Monitoring/Testing/

 

[Meggy]

Thank you Noblehead.

My total cholesterol is higher than the nurse would like, but the individual levels are all fine, as I found out at the hospital when I did the Xpert course. I am presuming she did get mixed up, as you say.

 

[noblehead]

Thank you Noblehead.

My total cholesterol is higher than the nurse would like, but the individual levels are all fine, as I found out at the hospital when I did the Xpert course. I am presuming she did get mixed up, as you say.

Good to hear