Cholesterol Facts
There is both good and bad cholesterol which means that it is crucial to be able to make a distinction between each type and knows how it affects your health and knows the ways and means to lower it in case such is required.
The different types of cholesterol are LDL and HDL and the former is a bad type because when there is excess of it in your blood it will build up in the inner walls of your arteries which can end up causing the blocking of the arteries and thus causes atherosclerosis that is not a desirable condition.
However, the good form of cholesterol is HDL, which when present in high quantities will actually help in preventing heart attacks, though when the level of HDL is low, it can put you at risk of experiencing a heart attack.
There is another aspect to cholesterol and that is triglyceride, which is a type of fat that is obtained from the food that you eat and which is also produced in the body, and when there is a high level of triglycerides, you are at risk of having high total cholesterol in which you can get high LDL as well as low HDL, which is bad for your health.
In order to test your cholesterol level, you may need to take a test that is aimed at measuring your lipoproteins which are sorted according to their density. In case of high density, the ratio of proteins compared to fat will be high and high density lipoproteins or HDL is the good cholesterol which does the work required to help unblock your arteries and which also helps in getting rid of unwanted fat from the body.
On the other hand, low density lipoproteins or LDL which along with very low density lipoproteins or VLDL and triglycerides make up the bad cholesterol, which in high numbers will cause your arteries to be clogged and results in a heart attack as well as other diseases related to the heart.
Of course, bad as well as good cholesterol will vary from one person to another and the main factors that affect how much of it you may have are being overweight, diets with plenty of saturated fats as well as cholesterol and absence of sufficient exercises as well as hereditary conditions. Also, cholesterol will also go up as a person becomes older and to control the level of it in your body it is advised to eat healthy foods and take plenty of exercises.
What Cholesterol Numbers Mean?
Your complete lipoprotein profile consists of cholesterol numbers including total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein (LDL), high density lipoprotein (HDL) and triglyceride (TG) levels. These numbers are very crucial to every human being. In fact, every individual after their 20 years of age should check their cholesterol level in a five years interval, if not otherwise recommended by doctors. The blood test signifying the cholesterol numbers is known as lipoprotein profile. This blood test is arranged by following a 10-12 hours of fasting.
Significance of Cholesterol Numbers
Cholesterol numbers are beneficial because they encode the level of different types of cholesterol in a quantifiable fashion. If it is not possible for you to find out the complete lipoprotein profile, understanding these numbers concerning total cholesterol level and HDL cholesterol level can offer you the essential idea about the status of the cholesterol content in your body. If your total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol numbers are more than 200mg/dL and less than 40mg/dL respectively, you should consult your doctor for a lipoprotein profile to be done.
Cholesterol numbers imply whether the individual is at risk for developing coronary complications in recent days or not. In fact, it helps in understanding the intensity and probability of the risk. For example, total cholesterol level less than 200mg/dL is desirable while 240mg/dL or higher is absolutely non-desirable and may pose a serious threat on health condition. On the other hand, the borderline condition is identified with cholesterol numbers lying between 200-239mg/dL.
For low density lipoprotein, the cholesterol numbers are assigned into 5 categories – optimal, near optimal or above optimal, borderline high, high and very high. The categories are identified with <100mg/dL, 100-129mg/dL, 130-159mg/dL, 160-189mg/dL and 190mg/dL respectively. Higher HDL is good for health, whereas higher LDL can lead to serious health complications. High HDL number may often balance high LDL number.
Factors Influencing Cholesterol Numbers
There are quite a few factors that can affect the cholesterol level in the body, hence the numbers. These are diet, age, gender, heredity, weight and physical activity. Among all these factors you can not simply do anything with age, gender and heredity. But of course you can manage the other factors by simply maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Apart from that, there are few other environmental factors such as smoking and excessive amount of alcohol consumption may pose a serious threat.
For women, the LDL level continues to rise in the post menopause phase. High blood cholesterol can be a familial characteristic. In such a case, the genetic structuring may lead to increasing amount of cholesterol production than normal. A healthy fat-free and cholesterol-free diet and regular exercise can benefit for not developing such complications.
Understanding Cholesterol Level
In the human body, cholesterol is produced by our liver. It is a fatty and waxy substance which is required to protect nerves, construct cell tissues and make certain hormones. Cholesterol is very important to our health, although excess amount of cholesterol level brings negative impact to our overall system.
It is estimated in milligram per deciliter of blood (mg/dL). While determining whether you are at high risk with your cholesterol level, the doctor may take into account other factors such as family history, age, sex, high blood pressure, and smoking habits.
During the diagnosis, a complete lipoprotein profile will reveal the details regarding total blood cholesterol level, HDL (good) cholesterol level, LDL (bad) cholesterol level, and triglyceride level.
Total Blood Cholesterol Level
If your HDL, LDL and triglyceride level are within the desirable limit and you have your total blood cholesterol level less than 200mg/dL, this means you are at low risk for developing coronary heart diseases. If you are diagnosed between 200-239mg/dL for your total cholesterol level, you are at borderline-high risk condition.
At this time, doctors will thoroughly examine the LDL, HDL and triglyceride level and ratio. It may happen that your LDL can be balanced by the HDL count. If you have your total cholesterol level of 240mg/dL or more, you are at higher risk for developing coronary heart disease twice more likely than people having cholesterol at their desirable level.
HDL (good) Cholesterol Level
HDL is good and higher level of HDL is better for health. Men having HDL less than 40mg/dL and women 50mg/dL are at risk for developing heart disease. HDL level more than 60mg/dL offers safeguard against developing cardiac complications. On average, men and women have HDL of 40-50mg/dL and 50-60mg/dL respectively.
Smoking and obesity may result in low level of HDL. In order to increase and maintain a perfect HDL level, one should strictly avoid tobacco smoking, must maintain healthy diet and practice exercise on regular basis. If someone has higher triglyceride level, he typically has a lower level of HDL and consequently is at higher risk for heart attack and stroke.
LDL (bad) Cholesterol Level
If you have a lower LDL level, that means you have at lower risk for developing heart problems. Typically less than 100mg/dL implies an optimal level of LDL while 190mg/dL may pose a serious threat on health. While determining appropriate treatment plan for someone having higher level of LDL, doctors first take into account the other risk factors as well. It greatly varies person to person. If a healthy level of LDL is applicable to you; that does not mean it will be suitable in a same way for your neighbor. So it is highly recommended adhere the treatment plan as suggested by your doctor so that it can work for you in the best suitable fashion.
Triglyceride Level
Triglyceride is a kind of fat that is produced within our system. Typically people with higher triglyceride level have a higher level of total cholesterol in addition to high LDL and low HDL. Normally, your triglyceride level should fall below 150mg/dL. If you are having your triglyceride level higher than 500mg/dL, you are certainly at risk. The risk factors identified for developing higher triglyceride level are obesity, physical inactivity, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption and high carbohydrate diet. Additionally, genetic disorders may pose a threat.
High Cholesterol Levels Can Put You
At Greater Risk Of Heart Diseases
Most people have heard about how much cholesterol they have, and been rather worried when they hear that they might be having high cholesterol levels, and the reasons for these fears are sound and worth taking seriously, because if you have high cholesterol, you would be at greater risk of suffering from heart attacks, heart diseases as well as from strokes. It thus behooves you to maintain proper cholesterol levels, so that you are less at risk with regard to your overall health.
Cholesterol can be measured in milligrams, and there are several factors on which the cholesterol levels can be based upon such as your race, gender, health, age as well as family history and even on the fact that you are a smoker or have high blood pressure, or are obese or overweight and even when you are diabetic, and the type of exercises that you perform.
You need to worry about two different types of cholesterol that are LDL (low density lipoprotein) or bad cholesterol, and HDL (high density lipoprotein) or good cholesterol, and to ascertain the different cholesterol levels, your doctor would test you so that information is obtained with regard to LDL and HDL cholesterol levels.
Some people may have cholesterol levels that are not more than two hundred milligrams, and they will not be at much risk of developing heart diseases, though when the levels rise above two hundred milligrams, it is considered as being a borderline high case provided it does not exceed two hundred and thirty-nine milligrams.
A level above two hundred and forty milligrams is considered as high cholesterol and at these levels you would be twice more at risk of contracting heart diseases as compared to the lower cholesterol levels. Other determinants with regard to risk factors for your medical health include the level of HDL in your body, and low HDL levels are nothing to be concerned about, while high HDL levels are a reason for concern.
Normal levels are dependent on a number of factors including genes, culture and even age and of course, the level should be below two hundred milligrams to not have anything to worry about.
As far as LDL cholesterol levels go, the normal range is below one hundred and thirty, while if it rises to above one hundred and sixty, it is considered as being high. In the case of HDL cholesterol levels, normal is about thirty-five while optimum level is anything over sixty milligrams.
Healthy Cholesterol Levels for Good Health
If you are an adult over twenty years old it is important to have your cholesterol level checked about every five years to make sure you have what is considered to be a healthy cholesterol level. High cholesterol can cause heart disease and is a primary factor in people acquiring hardening of the arteries and causing heart attacks. It is very common these days for people to have their cholesterol levels checked. Doctors usually have their patients take a lipid profile test which checks the LDL (bad cholesterol), the HDL (good cholesterol) and the triglyceride level.
Healthy Cholesterol Level
Experts believe that if your overall cholesterol level is below 200mg/dl than you have a healthy cholesterol level and are considered to be at low risk for acquiring heart disease. It is difficult for people to achieve a healthy cholesterol level or keep an acceptable cholesterol level if they eat an unhealthy diet loaded with saturated fats or if they do not get enough exercise.
If your cholesterol test reveals a cholesterol level between 200 and 240 mg/dl you are placed in the category of people who are considered to have a moderate risk of getting heart disease. If your cholesterol test shows a cholesterol level over 240 mg/dl you are placed in the high risk category. People in the high risk category are thought to have about twice the risk of acquiring heart disease than those that have a healthy cholesterol level which is under 200 mg/dl.
If due to your high cholesterol level you are considered a high risk patient you should have an exercise plan created for you by an expert, reduce the saturated fat in your diet, eat healthy foods and if you still have a high cholesterol level your doctor might recommend drugs designed to lower cholesterol such as statins.
HDL the Good Cholesterol
To increase your HDL (good cholesterol) level, avoid smoking, get plenty of exercise and obtain a healthy bodyweight and avoid saturated fats. In the average size male, the HDL cholesterol level is between 40 and 50 mg/dl while in women the HDL range is from 50 to 60 mg/dl.
Your LDL (bad cholesterol) level is the best source for determining your risk of having a heart attack or having a stroke. It provides a better indication of your risk for heart disease than a total cholesterol level can provide. A LDL level under 100 mg/dl is preferred. A level of 130 to 159 is considered borderline high and 160 to 189 mg/dl is considered to be a high LDL level. A level at 190 or higher is considered by experts to be very high. In order to avoid heart disease, heart attacks and strokes you should have your cholesterol checked to find out if you have a healthy cholesterol level.
Cholesterol Ratios Explained
While considering your cholesterol level, in majority of the cases you are provided with your total blood cholesterol level, however, something more is required to understand the clear picture of your health. You should know about LDL, HDL and most importantly about cholesterol ratio. As common practice suggests, the diagnostic tests take into account four factors, namely, total blood cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and triglycerides.
Now, in majority of the cases, cholesterol ratio is defined as the value retrieved from the total cholesterol level divided by the HDL level. Additionally, few researchers and doctors also consider cholesterol ratio as per dividing LDL by HDL. American Heart Association (AHA) considers 3.5:1 as the optimum ratio for total blood cholesterol to HDL and always recommends keeping this ratio lower than 5:1. For LDL to HDL the ratio should be lower than 3:1.
Calculate Cholesterol Ratio
Cholesterol ratio is also referred to as cardiac risk ratio. If it is greater than 7:1, it is assumed as a warning. Now we look at it in more details. Say, your total cholesterol level and HDL level are 200mg/dL and 50mg/dL respectively. Then your ratio is 4:1. You can get this ratio by simply dividing the former value by the later one. Ideally, your cholesterol ratio may be within 3:1, however, below 5:1 ratio is good for maintaining a healthy balance.
Higher ratio difference implies higher risk for developing heart problem, whereas lower difference ensures lower risk for the same. Quite obviously, high level of total cholesterol and low level of HDL heightens the ratio, which is absolutely undesirable. On the other hand, higher HDL and lower total cholesterol lower the ratio value, which is truly desirable.
Blood Cholesterol Ratio and Cardiovascular Risk
The HDL to LDL ratio and total cholesterol to HDL ratio are more relevant compared to total blood cholesterol level in terms of diagnosing the potential risk for coronary heart disease, heart attack, arteriosclerosis, and other cardiovascular disorder. For example, if someone has LDL to HDL ratio less than 2.5, that implies he is in safe condition. But if the ratio becomes higher than 3, it may turn out to be an indicator for possible complications.
On the other hand, total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol ratio is beneficial in analyzing probable risk for atherosclerosis. The best defined ratio is lower than 4:1. In fact, some health practitioners recommend using total cholesterol to HDL ratio instead of total cholesterol level. The LDL to HDL ratio is considered as a pure ratio and perfect. This LDL to HDL cholesterol ratio is thought to be a better marker for cardiovascular complications.
Cholesterol Test
Doctors recommend their patients take a cholesterol test in order to evaluate the risk their patients have of developing a disease such as heart disease. High cholesterol is also known to cause hardening of the arteries and heart attacks. It is now very common for people to have their cholesterol level checked as part of a preventive approach to healthcare.
Most experts suggest that all adults over twenty years of age take a cholesterol test about every five years. People who are utilizing a special diet or are taking cholesterol lowering drugs often have their cholesterol tested several times during a year to find out if the diet or drugs are effective in lowering cholesterol. Usually people have a lipid profile done which tests for LDL (bad cholesterol), HDL (good cholesterol) and triglycerides.
Interpreting the Cholesterol Test Results
Experts have different thoughts on what is considered a desirable cholesterol level but below 200 mg/dl seems to be considered an acceptable level and suggests a small risk of a person acquiring heart disease. If your cholesterol level is from 200 to 240 mg/dl you are considered to have a moderate risk of getting heart disease. Your doctor might order a lipid profile to determine if your high cholesterol level is due to the LDL, bad cholesterol or the HDL, good cholesterol.
If your cholesterol test shows a level over 240 mg/dl you are considered to be a high risk patient for acquiring heart disease. Your doctor will probably order a lipid profile test to determine the causes of your high level of cholesterol. After reviewing the cholesterol test results your doctor will probably design some type of treatment for you.
It is preferred to measure a person’s cholesterol level when they are considered to be healthy since blood cholesterol levels can be reduced due to an acute illness, due to very recently having a heart attack, from having serious stress due to a recent surgery or serious stress due to an accident. Also, if a woman is pregnant she will often have an increase in her cholesterol level.
Causes of High Cholesterol
Researchers and doctors believe that high cholesterol levels can be causes by an inherited disease or due to a person having a diet which is too high in saturated fats or a combination of a hereditary disease and unhealthy diet. If the cholesterol test results show that your cholesterol level is too high your doctor will usually recommend you eliminate unhealthy fats from your diet. If an improved diet does not lower your cholesterol to acceptable levels, your doctor might prescribe drugs to reduce your cholesterol levels such as statins. It is a good idea to check with your doctor and find out how often you should take a cholesterol test.