Take Your Cholesterol Levels to Heart with a Cholesterol Test
Many people aren’t aware that they have a heart problem until they suffer a sudden heart attack. But you can reduce your risk of that heart-stopping scenario by getting your cholesterol checked on a regular basis. Having your cholesterol checked can ensure that you have normal cholesterol levels and a healthy heart. Unfortunately, many people don’t want to spend the time or money to see their primary physician for this important test. Luckily, MD Now makes a cholesterol test fast, convenient, and affordable. If you’ve avoided or haven’t recently had one, MD Now urges you to have a change of heart and go to your nearest MD Now location for a cholesterol test. Discover why it’s so important to get your cholesterol checked at least every five years and learn some simple steps to maintain normal cholesterol levels.
Get to the Heart of Cholesterol
Cholesterol has a negative image, but there is both a good and bad kind. Your body actually needs a certain amount of good cholesterol to produce vitamin D, as well as the hormones of testosterone and estrogen. But if there’s too much bad cholesterol in your blood due to eating unhealthy high cholesterol foods and poor lifestyle choices, it starts building up in your arteries and can lead to a heart attack.
The only way to know if your cholesterol level is getting too high is with a cholesterol test on a regular basis. A baseline reading of your cholesterol levels is usually factored in with your age, gender, blood pressure, family history, current medication, and whether you’re a smoker or have diabetes to determine your heart attack risk. The results can provide a wake-up call about whether it’s time to make changes to reduce your risk of a heart problem.
Factors That Raise Your Risk of High Cholesterol
Maintaining normal cholesterol levels is especially important if you’re susceptible to having high cholesterol. Certain factors can make people more inclined to high cholesterol than others, such as:
- A family history of heart disease
- Being overweight
- A diet rich in high cholesterol foods
- An unhealthy lifestyle
- Diabetes
- Smoking
4 Tips for Maintaining Normal Cholesterol Levels
According to medical experts, there are many ways to keep your cholesterol at a healthy level, including:
- Get a cholesterol test every five years, or as directed by your healthcare professional, after the age of 45.
- Eat a diet rich in dietary fiber.
- Limit foods high in saturated fats and stay away from trans fats.
- Exercise between two and five hours per week, aiming to get at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise on most days.
- Stop smoking.
MD Now Is Your Source for the Highest-Quality Care
Discover the caring, convenient, and cost-efficient treatment that can always be found at MD Now. All of our locations operate on a walk-in, no-appointment basis with hours to conveniently suit your schedule. With 31 locations throughout Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade counties, quality care is always within your reach. For the Florida locations nearest you, visit https://www.mymdnow.com/locations.
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MD Now® Urgent Care Walk-In Medical Centers is the leading provider of fast and affordable urgent care to adults and children in Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade counties. Our state-of-the-art, walk-in medical centers are open seven days a week to deliver an affordable and convenient alternative to long emergency room wait times and the limited hours of family physicians. No appointment is necessary and major insurance plans are accepted. In addition to providing a comprehensive range of urgent care services to treat a variety of illnesses and injuries, our multiple locations offer digital x-rays, EKG, lab testing, physicals, immunizations, vaccines, occupational medicine, travel medicine and selected primary care services. Find the medical care you need with the convenience you want at MD Now. Online: www.MDNow.com.