Your Cholesterol Levels Articles | Remedy

By: Richard Bleuze

Your Cholesterol Levels

To determine how your cholesterol levels affect your risk of heart disease, your doctor will order a lab test which will show:
Your total blood (or serum) cholesterol level
Your HDL (good) cholesterol level
Your LDL (bad) cholesterol level
Your triglyceride level
Your Total Blood (or Serum) Cholesterol Level

Chrolestrol levels:

Less than 200 mg/dL: Desirable
200–239 mg/dL: Borderline-High Risk
240 mg/dL and over: High Risk

In addition, your doctor will also take into account other risk factors such as age, family history, smoking and high blood pressure.

Your HDL (Good) Cholesterol Level

With HDL (good) cholesterol, higher levels are better. Low HDL cholesterol (less than 40 mg/dL for men, less than 50 mg/dL for women) puts you at higher risk for heart disease.

Smoking, being overweight and being sedentary can all result in lower HDL cholesterol. To raise your HDL level, avoid tobacco smoke, maintain a healthy weight and get at least 30–60 minutes of physical activity more days than not.

People with high blood triglycerides usually also have lower HDL cholesterol and a higher risk of heart attack and stroke. Progesterone, anabolic steroids and male sex hormones (testosterone) also lower HDL cholesterol levels. Female sex hormones raise HDL cholesterol levels.

Your LDL (Bad) Cholesterol Level

The lower your LDL cholesterol, the lower your risk of heart attack and stroke. In fact, it's a better gauge of risk than total blood cholesterol. In general, LDL levels fall into these categories:

LDL Cholesterol Levels
 
Less than 100 mg/dL - Optimal
 
100 to 129 mg/dL - Near Optimal/ Above Optimal
 
130 to 159 mg/dL - Borderline High
 
160 to 189 mg/dL - High
 
190 mg/dL and above - Very High

Your other risk factors for heart disease and stroke help determine what your LDL level should be, as well as the appropriate treatment for you. A healthy level for you may not be healthy for your friend or neighbor. Discuss your levels and your treatment options with your doctor to get the plan that works for you.

Your Triglyceride Level

Triglyceride is a form of fat. People with high triglycerides often have a high total cholesterol level, including high LDL (bad) cholesterol and low HDL (good) cholesterol levels.

Your triglyceride level will fall into one of these categories:

Normal: less than 150 mg/dL
Borderline-High: 150–199 mg/dL
High: 200–499 mg/dL
Very High: 500 mg/dL

Many people have high triglyceride levels due to being overweight/obese, physical inactivity, cigarette smoking, excess alcohol consumption and/or a diet very high in carbohydrates (60 percent of more of calories). High triglycerides are a lifestyle-related risk factor; however, underlying diseases or genetic disorders can be the cause.

The main therapy to reduce triglyceride levels is to change your lifestyle. This means control your weight, eat a heart-healthy diet, get regular physical activity, avoid tobacco smoke, limit alcohol to one drink per day for women or two drinks per day for men and limit beverages and foods with added sugars.

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