Understanding Your Heart Disease Risk
If you are following the heart-healthy South Beach Diet lifestyle, you're already taking a proactive step toward improving your cardiovascular health. Another important step involves partnering with your doctor for medical tests that can detect heart disease in its earliest stages — when there is still time to do something about it.

The most basic test to assess cardiac risk is a "lipoprotein profile," which measures your levels of cholesterol and triglycerides (certain fats that circulate in your blood). This is an inexpensive and simple blood test, and it's recommended at least every five years for all adults, starting at 20 years old. (Individuals who are at risk for heart disease, such as those with a family history of heart disease or those who are already on lipid-lowering medications, should be tested more often.) Because February is National Heart Health Month, it's the perfect time to gain an understanding of this profile and learn whether you're at high risk for heart disease.

To get an accurate reading, you'll need to fast (abstain from consuming all food and beverages, except water) for 9 to 12 hours before your blood is drawn. Otherwise, your results may be compromised by the types of food you have eaten. Having your blood drawn first thing in the morning is easiest; you can resume your normal meal plan for the rest of the day.

A lipoprotein profile measures:

Total cholesterol
HDL ("good") cholesterol
LDL ("bad") cholesterol
Triglycerides (blood fats)

Government and health organizations recommend the following cholesterol and triglyceride levels for the general public:

Total cholesterol at or below 200 mg/dl
LDL cholesterol at or near an optimal level of 100 to 129 mg/dl
HDL cholesterol at or above 60 mg/dl

Triglycerides at or below 150 mg/dl Cholesterol and triglycerides that fall outside these levels are considered risk factors for heart disease. For individuals who have a higher risk for heart disease, such as those who have sustained a heart attack, the recommended levels are set lower.
Modifying your lifestyle by reducing the amount of saturated and trans fats you eat and engaging in regular exercise — weight-healthy improvements outlined in the South Beach Diet — can go a long way to improve the results of your lipoprotein profile and therefore lower your risk for heart disease. If you smoke, quitting will help raise your HDL.

Be advised that heredity can be a factor in your test results (and your risk for heart disease), particularly when it comes to LDL and triglyceride levels. Based on your specific circumstances, your doctor can recommend lifestyle changes, medication, or a combination of the two to control your cholesterol and triglyceride levels and lower your risk of heart disease. For more information on the most sophisticated diagnostic tests and the medications available to treat those at risk for heart disease, check out The South Beach Heart Health Revolution. In his latest book, Dr. Arthur Agatston, preventive cardiologist, associate professor of medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and author of The South Beach Diet, lays out a four-step approach to prevent heart attacks and strokes. Order your copy of The South Beach Heart Health Revolution today, or visit us at SouthBeachDiet.com/Heart.