If low-density lipoprotein starred in a western, it would wear the black hat. This little particle, proliferated by fatty foods and inactivity, is the major culprit behind hardening your arteries and increasing your risk for heart attack and stroke, earning its oft-used moniker "bad cholesterol." Your LDL level is one of several numbers you receive when you get blood work, so check it and make sure it's within healthy levels recommended by medical professionals.
Identification
LDL is one of several lipoproteins, combinations of lipids and proteins, that transport fats in your body. It is the major carrier of cholesterol in your bloodstream. When you have too much of it in your bloodstream, it builds up on the walls of your arteries, becoming a thick, hard substance called plaque. As your arteries become more clogged, your blood will clot and block the flow the the heart, causing a heart attack, or to the brain, causing a stroke.
Recommendations
In the United States, doctors measure your cholesterol in milligrams per deciliter of blood. In general, doctors recommend you keep your LDL levels below 130 mg/dL and your overall cholesterol below 200 mg/dL to keep your risk of heart disease and stroke low, according to the Mayo Clinic. If your LDL levels are between 130 mg/dL and 159 mg/dL, you have borderline high LDL levels. Doctors consider LDL levels between 160 mg/dL and 189 mg/dL high, and levels above that are dangerously high.
Considerations
Depending on your risk level for heart disease, you might need to get your LDL level lower than the standard recommendation. Besides cholesterol, other risks for heart disease include high blood pressure, smoking and a family history of heart disease. Your risk also increases with age, particularly for men older than 45 and women older than 55. If you fit one or two of those risk factors, you might need to keep your LDL level below 100 mg/dL. If you fit several of them, you are at high risk for heart disease and might need to aim for an LDL level below 70 mg/dL, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Potential
If you need to lower your LDL level, the U.S. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute recommends you first try to lower it with a combination of diet and exercise. Do some form of moderate physical activity, which could include housework or yard work, for at least 30 minutes per day. Cut back on processed foods, fried foods and large servings of red meat. Add foods to your diet that can help lower LDL: oatmeal, nuts, olive oil, fatty fish and foods fortified with plant sterols. If a lifestyle change does not significantly lower your LDL level after three months, your doctor might prescribe medication to lower it.
Warning
Maintaining a healthy LDL level is critical for heart health, but don't ignore your other cholesterol numbers. High-density lipoproteins, or HDL, help carry cholesterol to your liver to be processed, so having a low HDL level can pose just as much risk to your health as a high LDL level, according to the American Heart Association. In general, doctors recommend you keep your HDL level at least about 50 mg/dL. You also need to monitor the level of your triglycerides, a fat made in the body, and keep those levels below 150 mg/dL.
