NON-INVASIVE CHOLESTEROL TEST
High cholesterol levels have a lot to do with getting heart disease. The higher your blood cholesterol, the greater your risk for developing heart disease or having a heart attack.   Since persons with high cholesterol levels in the blood may have no symptoms, the only way to know if your cholesterol is elevated is to have it checked.  Everyone age 20 and older should have his or her cholesterol measured at least once every 5 years.   If your cholesterol is found to be elevated, or if you are taking medication to lower your cholesterol, you will need to have it checked more often.   This test is usually performed by  inserting a needle into a vein (usually in the crook of your arm) and blood is drawn and collected in a tube.   The blood is then sent to a laboratory for analysis. New methods exist that can test cholesterol non-invasively, with no needle or lancet necessary!