Time to talk of other things ...

 Get Your Cholesterol in Check -  By Knvul Sheikh, a New York Times reporter covering chronic and infectious diseases and other aspects of personal health. Credit: Molly Cook Escobar (NY Times) Introduction: High cholesterol, caused mainly by eating high-saturated-fat and high-trans foods, not exercising enough, being overweight, smoking and drinking alcohol, can cause blockage of the arteries, making it more likely to have heart problems or strokes. High cholesterol can also run genetically in some families. To get a risk assessment of cholesterol in your blood you need to take a 12-hour-fasting blood test which reveals levels of HDL, LDL and triglycerides, which combined with other factors, such as your age, blood pressure and health conditions will determine your QRISK score. Getting your cholesterol tested — and under control — is critical to preventing heart disease and other serious health problems. But figuring out when to test and what to make of the numbers can feel daunting.