Diabetes and Cholesterol Screening

Whether or not you have diabetes, cholesterol can play a big role in your health. Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance made in the liver and found in certain foods, such as food from animals, like dairy products, eggs, and meat.

The body needs some cholesterol in order to function properly. The body's cell walls, or membranes, need cholesterol and the body uses cholesterol to produce hormones, vitamin D, and the bile acids that help to digest fat. But, the body needs only a small amount of cholesterol to meet its needs. When too much cholesterol is present health problems such as coronary heart disease may develop.

People with diabetes should have their blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels checked at least once every year. Since having diabetes already puts you at risk for heart disease, it's especially important to keep your cholesterol levels in check.

What Is Coronary Heart Disease?

When too much cholesterol is present, plaque (a thick, hard deposit) may form in the body's arteries narrowing the space for blood to flow to the heart. Over time, this buildup causes atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) which can lead to heart disease.

When not enough oxygen-carrying blood reaches the heart, chest pain -- called angina -- can result. If the blood supply to a portion of the heart is completely cut off by total blockage of a coronary artery, the result is a heart attack. This is usually due to a sudden closure from a blood clot forming on top of a previous narrowing.

Types of Blood Fat

Cholesterol travels through the blood attached to a protein -- this cholesterol-protein package is called a lipoprotein. Lipoproteins are classified as high density, low density, or very low density, depending on how much protein there is in relation to fat. Another blood fat or lipid is called triglyceride.

• Low density lipoproteins (LDL): LDL, also called "bad" cholesterol, can cause buildup of plaque on the walls of arteries. The more LDL there is in the blood, the greater the risk of heart disease.
• High density lipoproteins (HDL): HDL, also called "good" cholesterol, helps the body get rid of bad cholesterol in the blood. The higher the level of HDL cholesterol, the better. If your levels of HDL are low, your risk of heart disease increases.
• Triglycerides/very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL): While triglycerides are not the same as cholesterol, they are another type of fat that increases the risk of heart disease and is carried in the blood by very low density lipoproteins. Only a small amount of triglycerides is normally found in the blood; most are stored in fat tissue. VLDL is similar to LDL cholesterol in that it contains mostly fat and not much protein. A high triglyceride level, along with high LDL cholesterol, can increase the risk of heart attack.