Cardiovascular diseases are the No. 1 killer in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Having high levels of cholesterol in your bloodstream can increase your risk of heart disease and stroke. But cholesterol is not all bad; in fact, it's necessary for forming cell membranes, synthesizing hormones and producing vitamin D. Two different types of protein, called high-density lipoprotein, or HDL, and low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, carry cholesterol in your blood.
LDL Cholesterol
LDL is "bad" cholesterol because it circulates in your blood, sometimes coating the blood vessel walls with deposits that restrict the movement of blood by narrowing arterial passageways. The deposits formed by low-density lipoproteins are called plaques, and they can cause coronary heart disease.
HDL Cholesterol
HDL, the "good" cholesterol, carries excess cholesterol out of your blood and brings it to your liver, which breaks it down and excretes it. By increasing your HDL level and decreasing your LDL level you can reduce your risk of heart disease.
Desirable Levels
A healthy HDL level for both men and women is 60 mg or more of HDL per deciliter of blood, according to Penn State Hershey's Health Information Library. Men who have less than 37 mg of HDL cholesterol per deciliter are considered at risk of heart disease, and women who have less than 47 mg per deciliter are also at risk. For LDL, aim for less than 100 mg per deciliter for optimal heart benefits. If your LDL cholesterol is between 130 and 159 mg/dL, you are considered on the borderline of high cholesterol. A level of 10 mg/dL is considered high and puts you at risk of heart disease.
HDL/LDL Ratio
According to Harvard Health Publications, your total cholesterol should have 20 to 30 percent HDL, 60 to 70 percent LDL and 10 to 15 percent VLDL, or very-low-density-lipoproteins -- the precursors to LDL. Comparing HDL to total cholesterol calculates another measurement of heart risk. If you divide your total cholesterol in mg/dL by your HDL cholesterol, you will obtain your total cholesterol-to-HDL ratio. For the purpose of evaluating risk of heart disease, this result should be as low as possible. For women, a total cholesterol-to-HDL ratio of about 4.4 signifies average risk. For men an average risk is determined by a total cholesterol-to-HDL ratio of 5.
References
- Harvard Health Publications: Which Cholesterol Test Should You Get?
- MayoClinic.com: HDL Cholesterol: How to Boost Your 'Good' Cholesterol
- Penn State Hershey Milton S. Hershey Medical Center: LDL Test
- Penn State Hershey Milton S. Hershey Medical Center: HDL Test
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: February is American Heart Month
