Several forms of cholesterol circulate in your bloodstream. Some forms of cholesterol are helpful because they help prevent disease, and some are harmful to the body because they can help cause disease. The two forms of cholesterol measured and monitored in routine blood tests are low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) and high-density lipoproteins (HDLs).
Types
HDLs are the "good," or useful, form of cholesterol. LDLs are the "bad," or damaging form. Your goal is to have higher levels of the good HDLs and lower levels of the bad LDLs.
Effects
HDLs help move cholesterol away from the heart to the liver to be sent out of the body. LDLs can build up inside of your arteries as plaque, which can ultimately lead to a heart attack.
Significance
When you have low LDLs, you are at lower risk of developing coronary artery disease. When you have low HDLs, you are at higher risk of developing CAD.
Causes
Obesity in any form, lack of exercise and smoking may be responsible for low HDL levels in the blood. A low-fat diet, healthy weight and regular physical activity help maintain low LDL levels and can help raise HDL levels.
Identification
Low LDL cholesterol level is less than 100mg/dL. An HDL of less than 40mg/dL for men and less than 50mg/dL for women is considered low, according to the American Heart Association.
