Cholesterol management

If you have high cholesterol, sometimes called lipid disorder, your doctor may refer you to the board-certified specialists at Advocate Lipid Clinic. With our same-day service and convenient access, you don’t have to wait for tests or results. You can get answers – and a sense of relief – right away.

To help manage your high cholesterol and get your numbers in check, our experts are here for you. We’ll partner with you on education, nutrition, exercise strategies and medications when necessary. And we’ll keep your primary care doctor fully informed every step of the way.

About cholesterol

High blood cholesterol can increase your risk for heart disease and stroke and cause other serious health issues. Although quite common, high cholesterol frequently goes undiagnosed. If you have a parent, sibling or grandparent who has high cholesterol, you’re more likely to have it yourself.

Our highly experienced specialists are board-certified and specially trained in diagnosing and managing high cholesterol. We’ll start with an easy blood test called a lipid panel. This screening test measures your total cholesterol, HDL (high-density lipoproteins or “good” cholesterol), LDL (low-density lipoproteins or “bad” cholesterol) and triglycerides.

There are two main types of high cholesterol – inherited (familial hypercholesterolemia) and non-inherited (acquired hypercholesterolemia).

Familial hypercholesterolemia

Inherited high cholesterol, or familial hypercholesterolemia, runs in your family and is passed on by genes from parent to child. If you have an LDL level of more than 190 mg/dL, you may have familial hypercholesterolemia. With this condition, you may not be able to control your high cholesterol through diet and exercise alone, and we may recommend medication to help lower your numbers.

Acquired hypercholesterolemia

Non-inherited high cholesterol, or acquired hypercholesterolemia, is often a result of lifestyle behaviors. The good news is changing these behaviors can help bring your cholesterol numbers in line. Eating a heart-healthy diet, becoming more physically active, losing weight and quitting smoking can help lower your cholesterol.