5 Medical Tests Every Latina Should Have Done Now

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Cholesterol Screening with blood pressure check up

Why? Heart disease is the number one killer of Latina women.  Latina women between the ages of 35 and 64 are 1.3 times more likely to suffer from a stroke than any other ethnic group.  

How is the test done? Your doctor will usually tell you to fast 9 to 12 hours beforehand. A small blood sample is drawn and sent to a lab for analysis. There are two types of cholesterol that make up your total cholesterol; LDL (think L for low) -- you want this number to be low because it can clog the arteries that carry blood to your heart. HDL (think H for high) is the other type. A higher number for this is better because it takes the bad cholesterol out of your body and keeps it from clogging up your arteries.

Total cholesterol: less than 200 md/dl is ideal

Borderline high: 200-239 md/dl

Dangerously high: 240md/dl or higher

Also ask your doctor what your triglycerides are. Triglycerides are like a bad ex-boyfriend you can’t get rid of, and is a blood fat that travels with cholesterol. Anything greater than 150 mg/dl is considered to be high.

Find out what your blood pressure is also. Having a high blood pressure can also damage your heart and organs. Having a high cholesterol level and high blood pressure increases your risk significantly for developing heart disease.  You want to maintain a blood pressure lower than 120/80. High blood pressure is 140-159/90-99. Your doctor will check your blood pressure during annual wellness visits, and may recommend for you to monitor it at home regularly. If you have high cholesterol, you will probably have high blood pressure also.

How often should I get this test done? Check your cholesterol once every five years starting at 20 years of age. Your doctor may want you to get a test before that if you have certain risk factors. Blood pressure is checked annually during a physical, or can also be checked more frequently at home depending on what your doctor recommends.

You should know that instead of getting on a temporary diet, looking at this as a lifestyle change is a better approach. Small modifications in the types of food you eat and how much exercise you do, is always better and healthier than crash dieting. If your doctor puts you on medications to help lower your cholesterol – take them.  Many people will gradually decrease or even stop taking medications with weight loss and lifestyle modifications. Don’t smoke, make healthier eating choices and maintain a healthy weight. Do we have to give up our arroz blanco or mofongo completely for the rest of our lives? No, and you probably wouldn’t do it if even if I told you to anyway. But – you can’t eat it every day! By the way – healthy does not necessarily mean skinny!