Low-density lipoprotein, or LDL cholesterol, which is more commonly known as "bad" cholesterol, contributes to heart disease and stroke. Your doctor can determine your LDL cholesterol level by a simple blood test, the results of which will let you know what level of disease risk you are facing. If your LDL cholesterol is high, you can make lifestyle changes to try to lower it. A low LDL cholesterol in the absence of healthy lifestyle choices may not protect you from disease.
What LDL Cholesterol Is
Cholesterol is a molecule that is produced by your body and found in animal-derived foods, and is essential for maintaining the function of cell membranes in every cell in your body. Cholesterol, in and of itself, is not bad for you; rather, to much of the wrong kind of cholesterol is bad. Essentially, there are two kinds of cholesterol: Bad cholesterol, or low-density-lipoprotein, LDL, cholesterol, and good cholesterol, or high-density-lipoprotein, or HDL, cholesterol. Fatty foods, especially those derived from animal sources, tend to be high in cholesterol, and should form only a minimal part of your daily diet.
Benefits of Low LDL Cholesterol
LDL cholesterol does one important, unhealthy thing in your body: It lodges in the walls of your arteries in accumulations called atherosclerotic plaques, and causes your arteries to become clogged. Two general categories of disease can result. First, an atherosclerotic plaque might break open, causing a clot to form, and, in a very short time, block all blood flow from that artery. This is generally what happens when a person has a heart attack. Second, as your blood passes by an atherosclerotic plaque, it might cause pieces of that plaque to break off. These pieces flow downstream of the plaque and get stuck farther along the course of the artery, again blocking blood flow from that artery. This is frequently what happens when people have strokes. Having low levels of LDL cholesterol generally means you are at a lower risk of developing atherosclerosis, and at a lower risk of heart attacks and stroke.
Determining LDL Levels
Cholesterol levels are measured by a blood test that yields four important numbers. The first is total cholesterol. In general, doctors like to see the concentration of total cholesterol at less than 200mg/dL. The second is the LDL value, which doctors like to see at less than 130mg/dL. The third, HDL, should be higher than 40mg/dL if you are a man, and higher than 50mg/dL if you are a woman. Finally, doctors look at the ratio of LDL to HDL cholesterol as a measure of whether or not the amount of HDL in circulation is adequate for the amount of LDL in circulation. This number should be greater than 4.
Lowering LDL Cholesterol
The best way to lower LDL cholesterol, and the method doctors will choose first, before prescribing medication, is through diet and exercise. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables and low in fatty meats, saturated or trans fats, can help lower your LDL cholesterol. Physical activity is also important, and the American Heart Association recommends at least 30 minutes of physical activity on most days of the week.
Considerations
Keeping LDL cholesterol low is important, but it is just one of the many things you should be doing to stay healthy. Others include a healthy diet and physical activity, as mentioned above, and avoidance of cigarette smoking, which causes lung cancer and cardiovascular disease. In other words, a low LDL level won't protect you from disease if you make unhealthy choices in the rest of your life. That's why simply putting someone on medication for high cholesterol is never undertaken without also encouraging significant lifestyle modification. If you have questions about your LDL cholesterol, speak to your doctor.
