Starting at the age of 20, you should get your cholesterol levels tested after every five years. Most people do not get their cholesterol tested until they are 40 and often by then it is too late. 

If you can get a good idea of your cholesterol numbers earlier in your life, you have more time to do something about it. So, it is important that you should get your cholesterol tested. You can also know more about the best cholesterol lab tests through various online sources.

To test your cholesterol, blood will be drawn and a test called a lipoprotein profile will be taken. In this test, there are three things that will be measured. 

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One is the average LDL cholesterol. LDL stands for low-density lipoprotein and this is often referred to as bad cholesterol. 

Another level is the HDL cholesterol. HDL is high-density lipoprotein levels and is often referred to as good cholesterol. 

The third number is your triglycerides which is a measurement of fat in your bloodstream and is used to determine the overall health of your arteries.

The overall value is broken down like this:

– Less than 200 is optimal

– 200-239 is borderline

– 240 and above is high

LDL numbers are broken down into several different categories. There is no clear pass or fail when it comes to the average level of cholesterol and LDL. Of course, the lower this number is the better your cholesterol will be, but it is not that simple.