The relationship with your doctor is very important. Any health issues you have should be flagged with your doctor, including concerns about your cholesterol and risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
Asking relevant questions is an important part of going to the doctor. Sometimes during the actual consultation with your doctor, it can be difficult to remember all the questions you may have thought about before your visit. This is where a checklist can come in handy.
Here are a few questions you may want to ask your doctor:
- What is my level of risk for cardiovascular disease?
- Should I have my cholesterol levels tested?
- What does this test involve?
- When will I get the results?
- What can I do if my cholesterol levels are high?
If your doctor decides to start you on a cholesterol-lowering medication you will have many more questions. Here are a few to get you started:
- What is the brand name of the medication?
- What is the chemical name of the medication?
- What is the medication supposed to do?
- What kind of results can I expect?
- How and when do I take it?
- What foods, drinks, other medicines or activities should I avoid while taking this medicine?
- What are the possible side effects? What do I do if they occur?
- How often will you follow up with a blood test to check my cholesterol levels?
- What else can I do to help lower my cholesterol?
Checklist
Click here to go through to our heart health profiler where you will be able to better understand your risk factors and find a printable checklist to take to your doctor. For interesting cholesterol stories click here to find more.