After a more than one-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Health District’s cholesterol testing service is back in business and coming to a convenient community location near you.

The service, part of the Health District of Northern Larimer County’s Heart Health Promotion Program, restarted in July and will ramp up the number of clinics it offers in September for National Cholesterol Education Month.
For more than 20 years, the tests have helped thousands of northern Colorado residents uncover hidden heart disease risks or monitor known risk factors as people work to manage those in conjunction with their health-care provider.

The testing clinics, offered regularly at a variety of community and worksite locations by registered nurses Cheri Nichols and Julie Abramoff, measure total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, triglycerides, blood pressure, and blood glucose levels and include a personalized consultation. The one-on-one appointments provide an opportunity for people to ask questions, and participants come away with a better understanding of their test results, as well as information and resources to take the next steps toward improving heart health.

“Screenings are so important because they help us find people who are at risk and encourage next steps, including treatment discussions with providers and a healthy lifestyle, to avoid complications that can occur when serious progressive illnesses like diabetes and hypertension go untreated,” Cheri Nichols says. “It’s really why the Health District offers cholesterol testing and blood pressure screening as part of our Heart Health Promotion Program.”

In addition to the community cholesterol tests, the Heart Health Promotion Program also has the Improving Blood Pressure Program, a one-on-one consultation service to help people understand, monitor, and manage their blood pressure.

Both programs are free for Health District residents. For more information go to mblayst.com/heart or call 970-224-5209.