Cholesterol has an integral role in building your body's cells as well as an essential function in transporting fats around your body. It comes in a few major types, though the most often discussed types are LDL and HDL. According to MayoClinic.com, healthy adults are recommended to aim for an HDL level above 60 mg/dL when measured by a standard blood test. The most important benefit of raising HDL cholesterol level to this target level and above is to help prevent development of cardiovascular disease.
Significance
Since cholesterol is often discussed in the context of heart disease, many patients can forget that it actually has a necessary role in building and maintaining your body. Essentially, you need some cholesterol, but not too much. When you have too much cholesterol in your bloodstream, it can build up on the walls of your arteries, leading to atherosclerosis. This puts you at major risk for heart disease or a heart attack.
Types
Though there are three major types of cholesterol, LDL and HDL are the most often tested and analyzed levels in your body. Low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, is known as the bad cholesterol, as it is the type that can build up on the walls of your arteries. High-density lipoprotein, or HDL, is called the good cholesterol as it is the type that can transport extra LDL back to the liver for excretion. According to the American Heart Association, this is the reason that higher HDL levels are desirable.
Normal Levels
A good target HDL level for both adult men and women is greater than 60 mg/dL of blood. HDL is tested by a simple blood test and is almost always tested with LDL levels at the same time. Total cholesterol will be reported on your lab analysis along with a breakdown of LDL and HDL. In a healthy adult, total cholesterol (LDL combined with HDL) will be below 200 mg/dL.
Warning
When HDL levels begin to drop, there is an associated increase in risk of heart disease. According to MayoClinic.com, adult men are at increased risk when their HDL drops below 40 mg/dL, and women are at increased risk when HDL is under 50 mg/dL. If your HDL cholesterol level is low, you should consider consulting with your physician to discuss potential ways to increase it.
Prevention/Solution
There are a few simple ways to increase your HDL levels. One of the most effective methods is to quit smoking if you are a smoker, though this is often quite difficult. This one change, however, can lead to a 10% increase in HDL levels, according to MayoClinic.com. Additionally, losing weight, increasing aerobic exercise and minimizing bad fats in your diet will all have beneficial effects on your HDL cholesterol level.
