Screening for dyslipidemia and coronary heart disease should began at the age of 20 and continue every five years, a doctor said Thursday.

Tests will look for cardiovascular risk problems as well as cholesterol counts between LDL-C, or “bad cholesterol,” and HDL-C, or “good cholesterol” Triglyceride, said Dr. Taing Tek Hong, as a guest on “Hello VOA.”

Dyslipidemia is a disruption in the amount of fats, cholesterol, and other molecules in the blood, which can come from poor diet and an unhealthy lifestyle.

Major risk factors for coronary heart disease in people with high bad cholesterol include cigarette smoking, hypertension, a family history of premature coronary heart disease, and men over the age of 45 and women over the age of 55 are also at greater risk, Taing Tek Hong said.

“Treatment should include a diet low in animal fat, high in fish, high in fruit, vegetables and nuts and exercise,” he said. “Sometimes medications might be necessary.”