Although cholesterol has a negative image, it's actually a vital substance that allows your body to build cell membranes and produce steroid hormones that regulate sexual growth and development, fluid and salt retention and stress levels. While you need a certain level of cholesterol in your blood to carry out these functions, high blood cholesterol increases your risk of coronary heart disease, or CHD.
Sources
Your liver makes about 75 percent of the total cholesterol in your body, while you take in the remaining 25 percent from the foods you eat. Family history is important, since you may inherit genes that cause elevated blood cholesterol, says MayoClinic.com. However, you can make healthy lifestyle choices that reduce your blood cholesterol to a healthy level.
Types
Since cholesterol is a fatty substance that doesn't dissolve in your blood, it binds to carriers known as lipoproteins to hitch a ride where it's needed in your body. Low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, is called "bad" cholesterol, while high-density lipoprotein, or HDL, is nicknamed "good" cholesterol. Total cholesterol refers to the combination of HDL, LDL, triglyceride fats and Lp(a) cholesterol, a genetic variation of LDL, according to the American Heart Association.
Effects
When your LDL cholesterol levels are high, these lipoproteins build up on the inside of your arterial walls and cause a narrowing known as atherosclerosis that leads to CHD. If a plaque breaks off and travels to your heart, it can cause a heart attack. Although the role of HDL cholesterol still isn't fully understood, many experts believe it carries excess cholesterol to the liver so it can be excreted from the body. Some medical experts think HDL cholesterol can take cholesterol out of the plaques lining your arteries, says the American Heart Association.
Normal Values
The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, or NHLBI, has established standards for various types of cholesterol. A desirable total cholesterol is less than 200 mg/dL, 200 to 239 mg/dL is borderline high and values 240 mg/dL and above are considered high. An optimal LDL cholesterol level is less than 100 mg/dL, near/above optimal is 100 to 129 mg/dL and borderline high is between 130 and 159 mg/dL. If your LDL is 160 to 189 mg/dL, that's considered high and a value of 190 mg/dL or greater is very high.
When it comes to HDL cholesterol, high values are better than low numbers. HDL readings of 60 mg/dL or greater help lower your risk of heart disease, but values less than 40 mg/dL are considered major risk factors for heart disease.
Prevention/Solution
As you age, your cholesterol levels rise naturally, and post-menopausal women typically have higher LDL cholesterol values. While you can't change your age, heredity or gender, you can adopt lifestyle habits that reduce your cholesterol. NHLBI recommends a therapeutic lifestyle changes, or TLC, diet low in saturated fats and cholesterol. Regular physical activity, weight management, smoking cessation and prescription medications are also powerful tools to maintain a healthy blood cholesterol.
