Unlike our other quizzes, there’s so much information out there about cholesterol. This quiz should probably be easy-peasy. We expect to hear about a lot of perfect scores out there.
Let’s jump right in!
Cholesterol Quiz
1. In 2014, 73.5 million people have high cholesterol. What percentage of those people are getting treatment to lower those levels?
Is it a) about 70% b) about 60% c) about 50% or d) about 40%?
According to the CDC, just a little less than half (48.1%) of adults with high LDL cholesterol are getting treatment. So, the correct answer is C. This is not good because people with high cholesterol are twice the risk for developing heart disease as those with ideal levels.
2. Which of the following are NOT true of cholesterol?
Do you think it’s a) food is our body’s only source of cholesterol b) our bodies need cholesterol c) the liver plays a crucial role in our body’s cholesterol levels d) there is both “good” & “bad types of cholesterol?
Did you guess C because the liver’s job is to clean impurities from our body? Well, sorry, but another job of the liver is to make all the cholesterol our bodies need. We need cholesterol, but we don’t need to eat any foods with cholesterol to fill that need. The correct answer is therefore A.
3. If a person isn’t overweight then he/she can’t have high cholesterol?
Is it a) true or b) false?
This is very much false. Indeed, skinny people tend to think they can “eat anything they want” without repercussions. Consequently, they are less likely to be aware of how much saturated and trans fat they are eating.
Everyone still has a perfect score, right?
4. According to the American Heart Association, at what age should you start getting your cholesterol levels tested?
Is it a) 20 b) 30 c) 40 d) 50?
A lot of people think high cholesterol isn’t really a concern until middle age, so maybe you guessed C 40, but the real answer, believe it or not, is A. Testing should start as young as 20 years old! Poor diet and lack of regular physical activity are two of the major factors in high cholesterol. Even young people are susceptible to those.
5. Which of these foods will NOT lower your cholesterol levels?
Do you think it’s a) dark chocolate b) coconut oil c) avocados d) red wine?
The correct answer is B. Tropical oils like coconut oil can trigger the liver to make more cholesterol. Also, be on the lookout for palm oil too. The really bad news is that these oils are often found in baked goods, so check those muffin ingredients!
6. More women have high cholesterol than men.
Is that a) true or b) false?
According to healthywomen.org, this is true. Indeed, heart disease is the number one killer of women. But you already knew that because you read our blog on the top killers of women, right?
Okay, last question.
7. Which of the following are symptoms of high cholesterol?
a) Being overweight b) fatigue c) diabetes or d) there are no symptoms
Being overweight raises the likelihood that you have high cholesterol, but it’s not a symptom. The correct answer is D. There are no symptoms. The only way to detect high cholesterol is with a blood test. Know of a good place to get one of those?
So, that’s it! How did you do? Let us know in the comments or on our Facebook & Twitter pages. Until next time.
*Sources: Mayo Clinic, CDC, WebMD, American Heart Association, HealthyWomen.org
