Cholesterol testing plays important role in treatment of heart

A prescription to buy Lipitor can be a powerful tool to help individuals lower their cholesterol levels, but not if a person is unaware that they have high cholesterol. For this reason, experts recommend regular testing to make sure indicators of cardiovascular disease are within acceptable ranges.

"The science behind prevention and significantly reducing heart disease risk has been established. It just takes some understanding and a perhaps a little tweaking of important lifestyle choices to become 'heart smart' and the key is to know your numbers," Amanda Zaleski, an exercise physiologist at Hartford Hospital, wrote in the Middletown Patch.

She recommended that individuals get their blood pressure tested in addition to cholesterol. These are two of the most important indicators of heart disease risk. Getting both numbers can help an individual know if they would benefit from medications to treat their condition.

About 13 percent of men and 16 percent of women have high cholesterol, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Therefore, an individual has a good chance of developing the cardiovascular risk factor. Diagnosing the problem early is the key to finding an effective treatment for it.