Students who care about their personal cholesterol health level have a rare opportunity to be tested at the Moorpark College Health Center for only $13.
The blood test requires fasting the night before and must be set up by appointment a week before the April 2 test.
Sharon Manakas, Health Center director at Moorpark College, encouraged students to get tested. She wants students to realize that they are not too young to suffer cholesterol-related health problems.
“Students should take advantage of this toevaluate how their eating and exercise (or lack of) may be affecting them, and make change where needed,” Manakas said in an email. “Students who eat balanced meals and exercise do better in college.”
She said that it’s easier to create a healthier lifestyle when people start being prepared at a young age to be able to improve and prolong good health, and decrease risk of heart disease or stroke.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as people age, so do their cholesterol levels. It is common for young people to have lower levels of so-called ‘bad cholesterol’ than people over 40, but that doesn’t mean that all students are where they should be. Cholesterol is an important factor to keep an age-appropriate profile.
Cholesterol is an issue in the would that is becoming more severe due to easy access to junk food and processed food. According to a study by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 71 million American adults have high LDL, or bad cholesterol. People with high total cholesterol have twice the risk of heart disease as people with optimal levels. A desirable level is lower than 200 mg/dL.
According to the Center for Disease Control, there is no way to visibly recognize cholesterol issues. The only way to be sure is to get tested by a doctor with a simple blood test. This test is called a lipoprotein profile. This test measures your triglycerides as well as all aspects of your cholesterol levels. There are many tests that range from HDL cholesterol tests to a more intense blood procedure.
With levels rapidly increasing for young adults, Manakas said by doing these tests the results will help the Health Center provide students with nutrition information and if needed, further assist them in making positive changes for their health. The health center gives this test out twice a semester with about 30-40 students that participate. She expects she will get the same outcome during the testing in April.
Moorpark College student, Laura Rennie, 20, sociology major, said she doesn’t plan to participate in the testing and was doubtful that others would.
“I don’t think any of the students will take advantage of this testing because everyone here is too young and they don’t really care about their cholesterol levels at this age,” said Rennie.
But Manakas said that high cholesterol increases the risk for a heart attack, no matter what age.
“It’s easier to make changes in diet and exercise when you are younger,” she said.
For more information on the cholesterol tests at the Health Center, or to make an appointment, drop by the Health Center in the Administration Building, call 805-378-1413,or go tohttp://www.moorparkcollege.edu/services_for_students/health_center/events_dates.shtml
