Do you know what your cholesterol level is? What you don’t know could kill you! Heart disease is occurring in younger and younger people these days because of the modern sedentary lifestyle which most Americans have adopted. There are four components of a blood lipid panel test: the total cholesterol, the LDL (lousy) cholesterol, the HDL (healthy) cholesterol and the triglycerides. When cholesterol screening is done, this usually checks the total cholesterol. The lipid panel test is more comprehensive and gives you a better indication of whether you are at risk for heart disease. It is generally accepted by medical professionals that a total cholesterol above 200 mg%, a LDL level above 130 mg% or a HDL level below 40 mg% (since HDL is the healthy cholesterol) places you at a higher risk for having a heart attack. Diet and exercise will work wonders at improving your cholesterol levels. If you don’t know what your cholesterol is, why not get it checked next month; it could save your life!