High cholesterol is a serious and widespread problem. There are more than 100 million adults with high cholesterol in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and more than 35 million of these Americans have levels high enough to put them at significant risk for developing heart disease. Increasing your serum HDL levels can reduce your cholesterol and decrease your risk for cardiovascular disease.
Types
Serum HDL plays a role in controlling the level of cholesterol in your body. Cholesterol is made of a waxy, fat-like substance that does not readily dissolve into blood. The body gets around this by packaging cholesterol with lipoproteins, which deliver the cholesterol via the bloodstream, to awaiting cells. Lipoproteins come in several sizes, densities and types. Some cholesterol is packaged with high-density lipoprotein (HDL).
Risks
Cholesterol packaged with low-density lipoprotein (LDL) delivers cholesterol to cells in the body, including those cells that make up arteries and blood vessels. If LDL delivers excess cholesterol, it can build up in the bloodstream and collect along the inside walls of blood vessels, causing heart disease. High levels of LDL increase risk for heart disease.
Function
High levels of HDL lower risk for heart disease. HDLs scrape excess cholesterol from inside arterial walls and transport it to the liver, where it is processed and eliminated along with other body wastes. HDL carries approximately one-fourth to one-third of blood cholesterol, according to the American Heart Association.
Identification
You can eat and drink normally before having your blood drawn for an HDL measurement. A serum HDL level of 60 mg/dL or higher is associated with the best protection against heart disease. Men with HDL levels below 40 mg/dL and women with HDL lower than 50 mg/dL are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease.
Effects
A low-serum HDL level alone may indicate an increased risk for heart disease. Low HDL, coupled with other risk factors for heart disease, raise your chances for cardiovascular disease. Other risk factors include smoking, age and sex, family and personal history of heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.
Treatment
Diet, exercise, lifestyle changes and medication can raise HDL. A low-fat diet with reduced amounts of saturated and trans fat is beneficial to serum HDL levels. Fish like salmon and mackerel contain omega-3 fatty acids which increase HDL. A smoker can increase his HDL 10 percent by quitting. An overweight person could gain one HDL point for every 6 lbs. she loses. Prescription medicine, like niacin and fibrates, increases serum HDL levels.
