Cholesterol, cholesterol standards, HDL and LDL are all terms you might have heard more than once. Your doctor might have used these terms, or maybe a member of your family has talked about his cholesterol results. Regardless of all the talk, you might still wonder what all these words mean. They tie together for the greater good of your health if -- and only if -- you care enough to make your health a priority.
Types
Doctors focus on two major types of cholesterol -- LDL, low-density lipoprotein, and HDL, high-density lipoprotein. Your LDL is called "bad cholesterol" because it can clog your arteries and increase your risk for heart disease, heart attack and stroke. Your LDL level needs to be low. Your HDL, known as "good cholesterol," rids your body of excess LDL and reduces your risk of these health conditions. Your HDL level needs to be high. Doctors use cholesterol guidelines to determine if your current levels of LDL and HDL are a within healthy range.
National Cholesterol Education Program
In 1985, the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute developed the National Cholesterol Education Program, or NCEP. Its goal was, and still is, "reducing illness and death from coronary heart disease in the United States by reducing the percentage of Americans with high blood cholesterol." NCEP works to accomplish this by educating health professionals and the public in an effort to raise awareness about high cholesterol as a risk factor for heart disease, and the benefits of lowering it as a means of prevention. NCEP bases its cholesterol standards on national surveys known as the Cholesterol Awareness Survey. Since implementing diet and drug therapy based on the standards set forth by NCEP, physicians report much lower cholesterol levels in their patients.
Cholesterol Guidelines
NCEP periodically updates the cholesterol standards based on results from new research. The third version, Adult Treatment Panel III, or ATPIII, was published in 2001 and updated in 2004 based on results from clinical studies of statins, cholesterol-lowering drugs. NCEP's Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults regularly updates the clinical guidelines for the testing and management of cholesterol, resulting in updates of cholesterol level standards as well.
Significance
Cholesterol level standards enable your doctor to determine your risk for developing heart disease or suffering from heart attack or stroke. If you undergo cholesterol testing and your results fall below or above the healthy standards, your doctor can then begin a treatment program to improve your health and reduce your risk of health complications. Any updates NCEP makes to the standards may reflect on your treatment.
Testing
Cholesterol standards are useless without results from cholesterol testing. Known as a lipid profile, this blood test detects the amount of cholesterol in your blood. Healthy LDL levels are 129 mg/dL or below, while 160 mg/dL or higher may require treatment. Healthy HDL levels are 60 mg/dL or more, while 50 mg/dL or less is too low, according to the American Heart Association. Everyone age 20 or older should have a lipid profile at least every five years, notes the Cleveland Clinic.
Warning
If your cholesterol levels fall outside the healthy ranges set by the cholesterol standards, follow any treatment plan your doctor sets for you. Lifestyle and dietary changes may be enough; however, in some cases, you may need to add medications. Combining the two increases your chances of living a happier, healthier life.
