Interpreting your cholesterol levels is easy when you have a reference point. For most healthy adults, LDL cholesterol, the so-called bad cholesterol should be less than 130 milligrams per decilitre, whereas HDL cholesterol the so-called good cholesterol should ideally be above 60 mg/dL. Always ask your physician if you have questions about your blood cholesterol level.
Recommended HDL Levels
High density lipoprotein, also known as the "good" kind of cholesterol, helps protect against heart disease by transporting free, circulating fatty acids out of the bloodstream. In general, the higher your HDL cholesterol the more protection you have. For protection against heart disease, the NIH Adult Treatment Panel II guidelines suggest individuals should have at least 60 mg/dL of HDL cholesterol. An HDL cholesterol of less than 40 mg/dL is a risk factor for heart disease. Of note, however, is the fact that extremely high HDL levels or those above 100 mg/dL are suggested to be atherogenic and harmful to your health.
Optimal LDL Levels
Low-density lipoprotein, the so-called "bad" cholesterol, owes its reputation to the fact that an LDL level greater than 160 mg/dl is major risk-factor for heart disease. The National Cholesterol Education Program advises that healthy people maintain an LDL level of less than 130 mg/dL. Your optimal LDL may be less than or greater than 130 mg/dL, depending on what other risk factors you may have.
Testing Intervals
The U.S. National Institutes of Health recommends that all adults aged 20 years or older obtain every five years a fasting lipoprotein profile that measures total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, high HDL cholesterol and triglyceride. The NIH recommends earlier and more frequent testing if you have additional risk factors for heart disease.
Additional Risk Factors
Other major risk factors for heart disease include: cigarette smoking; hypertension; family history of premature coronary heart disease and age, specifically men older than 45 years and women older than 55 years.
