How often should I get my cholesterol checked?

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The standard cholesterol screening rhythm, per NHLBI and prevention guidelines: healthy adults get a lipid panel every 4 to 6 years, starting in young adulthood - guidelines support a first check by the early twenties, since early numbers predict later risk. The cadence shortens when the numbers or the risk change: annually, or as your provider directs, once you are on cholesterol treatment - the recheck confirms the medication is doing its job - and more often with diabetes, high blood pressure, smoking, obesity, or a strong family history of early heart disease.

The family-history exception deserves emphasis: familial hypercholesterolemia - inherited very high cholesterol - affects about 1 in 250 people and causes heart attacks decades early if missed. Anyone with a parent or sibling who had a heart attack or stent young - under 55 in men, under 65 in women - should be tested earlier and more often, and should say the history out loud at the appointment.

Practical notes: fasting is still commonly requested for the panel, though non-fasting is acceptable in many guidelines; pregnancy and acute illness skew results, so screening waits for normal weeks; and a single high reading usually earns a repeat rather than an instant prescription. Children with strong family histories get screened too - a conversation for the pediatrician.

Pymander is a free AI doctor, 24/7 by text. Share your age and family history, and it can help you set the cadence.

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