HDL is an acronym for high density lipoprotein--your body's transport system to move cholesterol around your body. HDL is often referred to as "good" cholesterol, as opposed to LDL, or low density lipoprotein that is known as "bad" cholesterol. Cholesterol is essential for the cells in your body to work efficiently and is present in all your cells.
Cholesterol is a Fat
Your body provides a protein casing--called a lipoprotein--to form around each globule of cholesterol, which is a fat of soft waxy consistency made in your liver. Once the cholesterol has been wrapped in its lipoprotein casing, it is released into your blood supply and transported to each cell at the time the cholesterol is required. Once the lipoprotein is attached to the cholesterol, it becomes known as a cholesterol complex.
Relationship between Cholesterol and Lipoproteins
People often refer to good and bad cholesterol. The "bad" cholesterol is the LDLs that carry cholesterol from the liver to the cells. The "good" cholesterol is the HDLs that carry cholesterol from your cells back to your liver. Bupa, a United Kingdom health care company, published a fact sheet for people with high cholesterol levels to better understand their condition. The publication, titled "High Cholesterol," explains that LDLs consist mainly of fats, while HDL consists more of protein, with less fat attached.
Maintaining the Ratio
Doctors have evaluated the amount of HDL and LDL that is considered safe to be circulating through your blood system. This is referred to as the HDL/LDL ratio. The optimal level for this ratio is 40 milligrams per decileter of blood, usually written as 40 mg/dl. Anything above 30 mg/dl is considered acceptable. This ratio is used as a marker that could point toward incipient heart disease, although some in the medical professionals don't consider this ratio as a suitable indicator of future heart disease developing.
Ratio for Health
The healthy median for men is considered to be 45 mg/dl, while for women the level is around 55 mg/dl, according to the American Heart Association. A reading below 30 mg/dl indicates a high risk factor for the future development of heart disease.
Lifestyle Changes
If the HDL readings are too low and you are at potential risk of developing heart disease in the future, you should make some changes to your lifestyle. Some drugs can also raise HDL levels but, before you start to rely on prescription medication to alter your HDL/LDL ratio, you should make certain lifestyle changes, such as quitting smoking if you smoke, lose weight if you are markedly overweight; reduce the amount of alcohol you drink; and exercise regularly, even if that just means walking the dog for an hour each day.
