Entry point
The screening value of the test is to “catch” the problem: total cholesterol itself does not distinguish between harmful and beneficial fractions (high HDL in athletes inflates the amount harmlessly). Therefore, the deviation is always specified by the spectrum, and decisions about statins are made based on LDL and the total risk, which the doctor calculates using scales.
When is it appointed?
- assessment of cardiovascular risk from 30–40 years - every 1–5 years;
- hypertension, diabetes, obesity, smoking - mandatory control;
- heredity for heart attacks and strokes at a young age;
- control of statin therapy - achieving target LDL;
- erectile dysfunction - vascular screening.
Cholesterol and blood vessels
Atherosclerosis develops silently for decades - the lipid profile shows the risk in advance: “bad” LDL builds plaques, “good” HDL takes cholesterol from the walls, triglycerides reflect metabolic syndrome. Target levels are individual (the higher the risk, the lower the LDL goal), so the numbers are interpreted with a doctor. For men with erectile dysfunction, a lipid profile is required: the vessels of the penis “age” first.
