Getting your blood checked to learn if your cholesterol is normal or not will usually produce results for more than just one type of cholesterol. Often called lipid profiles or lipid panels, such tests not only measure the total amount of cholesterol in your blood, but also the amount of high-density lipoprotein, or HDL, cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, cholesterol.
Significance
Cholesterol is one kind of fat, or lipid, found in your bloodstream, along with another kind called triglycerides. Although sufficient amounts of HDL cholesterol can improve your health, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides can damage your health if your blood contains too much. Monitoring your cholesterol -- with your health-care provider's assistance -- is an important step in avoiding dangerous cardiovascular conditions associated with excess blood fat, such as atherosclerosis, in which your blood vessels become thickened with fat, coronary artery disease, chest pain, heart disease and stroke.
LDL Level
The lower your LDL cholesterol level, the better the outlook for your cardiovascular health, explains the National Institutes of Health. LDL cholesterol is harmful because it carries fatty substances in the blood to arteries, which makes it easier for the sticky material to collect inside and slowly clog them. If you are at high risk of developing heart disease, the best LDL cholesterol level is less than 70 milligrams per deciliter, or mg/dL. If you are not at high risk, a healthy level of LDL cholesterol is about 100 to 129 mg/dL or lower. People with higher levels are more likely to develop heart disease.
HDL Level
HDL cholesterol protects your health because it carries artery-clogging LDL cholesterol away from blood vessels. A healthy HDL cholesterol level is 50 mg/dL or higher, notes MayoClinic.com, but a level at or above 60 mg/dL can actually help prevent heart disease, clarifies the National Institutes of Health. However, your likelihood of having a heart attack or developing other health problems associated with risky cholesterol levels is greater if your level of HDL cholesterol is lower than 40 mg/dL.
Testing
Your health-care provider can schedule a blood test to measure your HDL and LDL cholesterol levels. You will need to avoid eating or drinking anything besides water for approximately nine to 12 hours before taking the test to obtain accurate results. The National Institutes of Health cautions you may need to stop using certain medications, too. During the simple procedure, a health-care worker such as a nurse will use a needle to draw blood from your vein into a vial for processing.
Children and Cholesterol
Adults are not the only people who may need to monitor their HDL and LDL cholesterol levels, notes MayoClinic.com. Children can also have high cholesterol and risk factors for heart disease, including a family history and obesity. As a result, parents of children age 2 years old and up should have their child's blood cholesterol measured when such risk factors are present.
