Private MD News

Experts recommend cholesterol tests for women

Category: Heart Health and Cholesterol

Most women make sure to get their breast health examined according to the recommendations of health organizations. However, many neglect to have their cholesterol tested, despite the fact that heart disease kills more women each year than all cancers combined.

Rates of diagnosed heart disease are significantly lower in women than they are in men. While this may have to do with genetic differences, some experts have said that awareness of the problem may be low among women and their healthcare providers.

"This is something that goes under-diagnosed in women," Dr. John Dingilian told local ABC affiliate KABC. "It is a very common and important thing to check on just like your pap smears, mammograms and other screening tests."

He added that cholesterol testing should be as common as testing for other conditions, such as breast and cervical cancer.

In addition to being the leading cause of death among women, heart disease is also the most common cause of disability, according to the National Institutes of Health. Age is one of the leading contributing factors to heart disease, making it even more important for older women to get a cholesterol test.