The Student Health Center and Employee Wellness Center are offering lipid profiles Nov. 10-14 for students, faculty, staff and anyone else interested in checking their cholesterol level.

The screening is available Tuesday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 8 to 11 a.m. The cost is $7.50.

Randy Mayer, interim supervisor at the Prevention and Education Outreach Center, said students don’t often think their cholesterol levels are a problem.

In a study he conducted in the spring of 1997, however, Mayer said 10 percent of the 422 students polled had been diagnosed with a cholesterol problem at some point in their lives. Of those students, 5 percent had been diagnosed within the last year.

“Potential problems can be determined now as you set your eating pattern,” Mayer said. “If you get checked now, you can do something about it in terms of prevention.”

Mayer said the process is quick and simple. Interested persons can stop at the Student Health Center and go to the cashier’s window on the first floor to pay the fee.

The person receives a voucher to take to the lab where they draw the blood. The person’s name is written on an envelope, which is used to send the results.

The blood is sent to Mary Greeley Medical Center, 1111 Duff Ave., for the test, and results come back within a week. Mayer said a 10-hour fast is required prior to the test, but drinking water during this period is acceptable.

Heidi Petersen, registered dietitian at the Employee Wellness Center, said the lipid screening measures several different types of cholesterol values. She said they will break down the figures into total cholesterol, low density lipoproteins (LDLs), high density lipoproteins (HDLs) and triglycerides.

Petersen said total cholesterol values indicate an overall risk assessment. LDLs are the mostly undesirable lipoproteins, while the HDLs are highly desirable and act as scavengers for the extra LDLs.

By looking at the assessment of these values, Petersen said the Wellness Center can help establish a program to help lower cholesterol values.

“Cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer in the U.S., and this is one way to measure that risk factor,” Petersen said.

She said if the problem is caught early, people can make necessary corrections in their lifestyles.

Petersen said there are controllable and uncontrollable factors that lead to cholesterol levels. Uncontrollable factors include AIDS, genetics and family history. Controllable factors include exercise, diet, smoking habits and managing stress levels.

Mayer said the screenings are offered once per semester and will probably be done again in the spring.