Until the 1990s, nutrition science recognized only one kind of cholesterol. According to Mehmet Oz and Michael Rozien, authors of "You: The Owner's Manual," they now recognize three vital kinds of serum cholesterol. Of these, LDL and HDL cholesterol directly affect your cardiovascular health. The interaction between these two cholesterols can inform you and your doctor about your risk for heart disease.
Cholesterol Basics
Cholesterol is important to your overall health, report Oz and Rozien. It's a major component in cell construction, vital to tissue health and maintenance. HDLs and LDLs perform the same basic function: carrying cholesterol through the body. However, the structure and subfunction of each plays a drastically different role in heart health.
LDL Cholesterol
LDL stands for low-density lipoproteins. They carry cholesterol to the construction sites, where your body uses it for tissue building and repair. However, the structure of LDLs makes them susceptible to clumping and clotting, blocking the arteries they move through. According to MayoClinic.com, this blocking stresses the heart, ultimately leading to heart disease, heart attack and stroke.
HDL Cholesterol
High-density lipoproteins carry waste material from the body's construction sites for disposal in the liver. Among the things HDLs carry back are pieces of LDL blocking up the arteries. In this way, HDL directly contributes to overall heart health. The American Heart Association advises that a high HDL count can directly counteract the negative effects of an unhealthy level of LDL.
Total Blood Cholesterol
The American Heart Association measures the interaction between HDL and LDL via total blood cholesterol. Calculate your total blood cholesterol by subtracting your HDL count from your LDL count, directly reflecting the healthy influence of HDL. To this you add one-fifth of your trigycerides, a third kind of cholesterol less directly involved in heart health.
Healthy HDL Versus LDL
According to the American Heart Association, healthy total blood cholesterol is any result below 200 mg/dL. A score between 200 and 239 is considered "borderline high." That's not enough for serious, immediate concern but is something you should take steps to reduce. A score of 240 or above reflects a serious risk, more than twice that of somebody at a healthy total blood cholesterol level.
References
- "You: The Owner's Manual"; Mehmet Oz and Michael Rozien; 2005
- MayoClinic.com: High Cholesterol
- American Heart Association: What Your Cholesterol Levels Mean
