High cholesterol levels can lead to heart disease, one of the leading causes of death in the United States. In fact according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 16 percent of U.S. adults have high blood cholesterol levels and 37 percent have cardiovascular disease. Different types of cholesterol exist, and not all are harmful. Average levels of high-density lipoprotein, or HDL, cholesterol vary by gender.
Background
HDL cholesterol is considered the good cholesterol because high levels can help lower your risk for developing heart disease. HDL cholesterol transports excess blood cholesterol to the liver to be excreted from the body. In general, the higher your HDL cholesterol levels, the lower your bad and total cholesterol levels. HDL cholesterol levels are classified as either low or high.
Low HDL
Low HDL cholesterol levels are a major risk factor for developing heart disease. According to the American Heart Association, low HDL levels are less than 40 mg/dL for men and less than 50 mg/dL for women. Low HDL levels can lead to an increase in low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, cholesterol and total cholesterol levels.
High HDL
High levels of HDL cholesterol can help lower your total cholesterol levels. HDL levels of 60 mg/dL and above are considered high levels and protective against heart disease. If your HDL is low, you can help increase your levels by exercising, maintaining a healthy body weight and not smoking. According to the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, choosing dietary mono- and polyunsaturated fats from foods such as olive, canola and peanut oils can help improve the anti-inflammatory abilities of your HDL.
Average Levels
According to the American Heart Association, the average HDL level of an American older than 19 is 54.3 mg/dL; average levels of U.S. adult men are 40 to 50 mg/dL; and HDL averages for adult women range from 50 to 60 mg/dL. Average HDL levels for U.S. men and women border between low and high. In general, adult Americans can benefit from making lifestyle changes to help improve HDL and total cholesterol levels to decrease heart disease risk.
