High blood cholesterol, or hypercholesterolemia, has an established reputation of increasing heart disease risk. Yet as infamous as it may be, cholesterol is a lipid your body needs to remain healthy. It serves as a component of cell membranes, as well as a precursor of hormones, vitamin D and bile acids. Balance is key, but the right cholesterol level for you also depends on a variety of heart disease risk factors.
Types
Because of its hydrophobic, or water-hating, character, cholesterol requires special carrier proteins in order to circulate in the blood. These carriers, called lipoproteins, include: HDL or high-density lipoprotein; LDL, or low-density lipoprotein; and VLDL, or very low-density lipoprotein. Lipid profiles typically include HDL, LDL and total cholesterol, along with triglycerides, the most common type of fat in your body.
Total Cholesterol
Ideally, your total blood cholesterol level should be lower than 200 mg/dL. The American Heart Association classifies levels ranging from 200 to 239 mg/dL as "borderline high." High blood cholesterol, which the AHA defines as levels above 240 mg/dL, doubles your risk of coronary heart.
Good Cholesterol
High levels of HDL cholesterol are desirable because the HDL particle carries cholesterol away from your arteries. Regardless of gender, an HDL blood concentration of 60 mg/dL protects you against heart disease, says the American Heart Association. In contrast, if you are a man with an HDL cholesterol lower than 40 mg/dL or a woman with a concentration below 50 mg/dL, your levels are too low. Low HDL increases your risk of developing heart disease.
Bad Cholesterol
LDL carries cholesterol to your arteries and organs and contributes to plaque formation in your arteries. Ideally, your LDL cholesterol concentration should be lower than 100 mg/dL. However, according to "Lab Tests Online," levels ranging from 100 to 129 mg/dL are still normal. LDL cholesterol values that fall between 130 and 159 mg/dL are considered borderline high, while high values range from 160 to 189 mg/dL. Your LDL level is very high if it exceeds 190 mg/dL.
Triglycerides
Triglycerides are often tested along with cholesterol levels, since they also speed up plaque formation in your arteries. The AHA indicates that a triglyceride level below 150 mg/dL is ideal, and levels ranging from 150 to 199 mg/dL are borderline high. Your triglyceride levels are elevated if they fall between 200 and 499 mg/dL, and very high if they exceed 500 mg/dL.
Risk Factors
Cholesterol levels alone do not reflect cardiac risk. As the medical director of the North Carolina-based Integrative Cardiology Center, physician Julius Torelli remarks that many patients who suffer from heart attacks have "normal cholesterol levels." You should therefore consider your blood cholesterol values in light of other cardiac risk factors, including cigarette smoking, low HDL cholesterol values, high blood pressure, a family history of premature heart disease, diabetes and advanced age.
Considerations
Torelli remarks that most of the cardiac risk associated with high cholesterol comes from LDL, the most abundant lipoprotein. However, healthy LDL cholesterol ranges vary with existing risk factors. For instance, if you have one or no risk factors with no coronary heart disease or diabetes, the AHA recommends keeping LDL levels below 160 mg/dL. In contrast, If you do have coronary heart disease or diabetes, an LDL value below 100 mg/dL is better. In the presence of two or more risk factors with no coronary heart disease or diabetes, LDL levels below 130 mg/dL are desirable.
References
- National Cholesterol Education Program: Risk Assessment Tool for Estimating Your 10-year Risk of Having a Heart Attack
- Lab Tests Online: Lipid Profile
- American Heart Association: Cholesterol Levels
- "Beyond Cholesterol"; Julius Torelli, M.D.; 2005
