The Moorpark College Health Center is offering a low-cost cholesterol screening, which includes a lipid panel and glucose test.

Sharron Manakas, the Moorpark College Student Health Services Coordinator, encourages students to check up on their health to see how they can improve it. Students and staff are encouraged to attend the testing due to the higher rates of Americans having high cholesterol.

“It would be good to get the test to begin with to see where the students are at,” Manakas said. “From there we can follow up and see if we need to make changes in their diet.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 95 million U.S. adults age 20 or older have total cholesterol levels higher than 200 mg/dL.

Health Educator Allison Barton wants students to become aware of what cholesterol does to one’s health and understand LDL (low-density lipoprotein).

“You’ve probably heard about “good” and “bad” cholesterol,” Barton said. “Good cholesterol transports the LDL from the blood stream, reducing its build-up in blood vessels. Bad low-density lipoprotein builds up in the blood vessels resulting in high blood pressure and other conditions that can result in heart attack and stroke.”

Moorpark College offers cholesterol testing twice a semester and the testing is the last one of the spring semester.

The testing will be scheduled to take place on April 9 from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. at the Student Health Center in the Administration building room A111. There is a lab fee of $12 and there will be a requirement of a 12 hour fasting period before the test is taken to improve test accuracy.

Students are encouraged to sign up by April 4 at the health office and there are no walk-ins available the day of the test.

To sign up for the event you may visit the Moorpark College Health Center or reach them at (805) 378-1413.

Go to the Student Health Center website for more information.