"Good" cholesterol, or HDL, works to remove excess "bad" cholesterol, or LDL, from your bloodstream. Healthy good cholesterol levels are at or above 60 mg/dL, and desirable bad cholesterol levels fall around 100mg/dL. According to "The New York Times," half of the people in the adult population in the United States have unhealthy cholesterol levels. A number of factors play a role in your cholesterol levels and what you can do to change them.
Contrbuting Factors
Factors such as your diet, smoking, your activity level and your weight can all contribute to both your good and bad cholesterol levels. However, these factors affect your cholesterol levels differently. Eating an unhealthy diet, smoking, being overweight and living a sedentary lifestyle all can raise your bad cholesterol levels, while also lowering your good cholesterol levels.
Reasons to Improve Your Cholesterol Levels
High levels of LDL cholesterol can increase your risk of heart disease and stroke by raising your blood cholesterol levels and increasing your blood pressure. In addition, low levels of HDL cholesterol can also contribute to an increased risk of heart disease. Generally, when LDL cholesterol levels are high, your HDL cholesterol levels will be low. However, in some people, LDL cholesterol levels can be normal and HDL cholesterol levels can still remain low. If you experience only low levels of HDL cholesterol and normal levels of LDL cholesterol, you are still at an increased risk for heart disease.
Improving Cholesterol Levels
Diet and lifestyle changes can improve your cholesterol levels. Limiting the amount of saturated fat in your diet and consuming the majority of your fat in the form of unsaturated fats can help lower your LDL cholesterol. Including 25 g to 35 g fiber in your daily diet can reduce the amount of bad cholesterol that is absorbed through your intestines. Quitting smoking will lower your LDL cholesterol levels and raise your HDL cholesterol levels. Getting regular exercise, about 30 minutes for at least six days out of each week, can improve both your good and bad cholesterol levels. Also, eating a lower-calorie diet that helps you achieve a healthy weight can improve your overall cholesterol levels.
Medications
Most cholesterol medications focus on improving LDL cholesterol levels. Statins, cholesterol absorption inhibitors, and combination cholesterol absorption inhibitors and statin can all help to lower your LDL cholesterol levels, and they also help to improve your HDL cholesterol levels, but only slightly. Niacin is a common cholesterol medication used to treat HDL cholesterol levels. Niacin, a B vitamin, can be taken in high-dose prescription form to raise your HDL cholesterol levels. To both lower your LDL cholesterol and raise your HDL cholesterol, your doctor may prescribe both a statin and niacin in combination. Talk with your doctor about your health concerns and what medications are right for you.
