Cholesterol and lipids Assessment Questionnaire

Questions Your Doctor May Ask - and Why!

During a consultation, your doctor will use various techniques to assess the symptom: Cholesterol and lipids. These will include a physical examination and possibly diagnostic tests. (Note: A physical exam is always done, diagnostic tests may or may not be performed depending on the suspected condition) Your doctor will ask several questions when assessing your condition. It is important to openly share any pertinent information to help your doctor make an accurate diagnosis.

It is also very important to bring an up-to-date list of all of your all medical conditions, medications including dosages, and names of numbers of any specialist you see.

Create your printable checklist by answering questions that your doctor may ask below:

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When was your high cholesterol and lipids first diagnosed?
Why: to determine if acute or chronic.
What was the level of your cholesterol?
Was a reading of your HDL (good cholesterol), LDL (bad cholesterol) and triglycerides performed?
Why: there is a strong association between total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels and coronary heart risk. HDL appears to have a protective effect against coronary heart disease.
Have you ever been on medication for cholesterol in the past?
Other risk factors for coronary heart disease?
Why: e.g. smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, family history of early heart attacks, past personal medical history of heart attack.
Recent heart attack?
Why: heart attack can derange lipid levels for up to 3 months thus should only be measured within 48hrs of a heart attack or 3 months later.
Past medical history?
Why: e.g. diabetes, hypothyroidism, cholestasis, renal failure, nephrosis and polycystic ovarian syndrome can cause elevated cholesterol levels; pancreatitis and retinal vein thrombosis in elevated triglycerides.
Medications?
Why: e.g. estrogen medication, retinoids, thiazide diuretics and corticosteroids can increase cholesterol.
Dietary history?
Why: assess intake of saturated fats, calories and fiber.
Daily exercise type and amount?
Why: exercise has been shown to increase HDL levels.
Alcohol history?
Why: excess alcohol is an important cause of elevated cholesterol.
Family history?
Why: e.g. heart attack before age 60; primary hyperlipidemia (e.g. familial hypercholesterolemia, familial combined hypercholesterolemia, familial hypertriglyceridemia, lipoprotein lipase deficiency, apo-C11 deficiency); pancreatitis may suggest possible elevated triglycerides.
Symptoms of pancreatitis?
Why: E.g. severe central abdominal pain radiating to the back, vomiting- can occur with significantly elevated triglycerides.
Symptoms of retinal vein thrombosis?
Why: e.g. sudden vision loss - can occur with significantly elevated triglycerides.
Symptoms of disease as a consequence of elevated lipids?
Why: E.g. stroke, heart attack, intermittent claudication, gangrene of lower extremities.

Conditions listing medical symptoms: Cholesterol and lipids:

The following list of conditions have 'Cholesterol and lipids' or similar listed as a symptom in our database. This computer-generated list may be inaccurate or incomplete. Always seek prompt professional medical advice about the cause of any symptom.

Select from the following alphabetical view of conditions which include a symptom of Cholesterol and lipids or choose View All.

View All A B C D E F H I K L M N O P R S T

Conditions listing medical complications: Cholesterol and lipids:

The following list of medical conditions have 'Cholesterol and lipids' or similar listed as a medical complication in our database.

» Next page: Types of Cholesterol and lipids

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