Your cholesterol level is defined as the total amount of both good and bad forms of cholesterol in your blood. This is a significant health factor, because high levels of blood cholesterol can lead to chronic illness such as heart disease. A cholesterol test is a blood test that checks four types of cholesterol factors and these levels are compared to ideal levels.
Cholesterol Test
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a cholesterol test checks four factors, which include total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoproteins and high-density lipoproteins. A desirable cholesterol test will have less than 200 mg/dL of total cholesterol, less than 150 mg/dL of triglycerides, less than 100 mg/dL of LDL and 40 mg/dL of HDL or higher. These results are desirable because low total cholesterol, LDL and triglycerides decrease your risk for developing plaque in your arteries.
HDL and LDL
HDL and LDL are the two most well known factors in cholesterol testing, and they are known as good and bad cholesterol, respectively. HDL is considered a good form of cholesterol because it is responsible for carrying cholesterol molecules to your liver for excretion from you body. Higher HDL helps to lower your risk of heart disease. LDL is bad because it carries cholesterol molecules to your cells and increases the plaque formation in your arteries, which can lead to heart attack or stroke.
Causes of High Cholesterol
Your cholesterol levels are related to your genetics, level of fitness, your weight and your diet. Your diet is the main cause of high cholesterol. Your cholesterol levels will increase if you eat foods high in dietary cholesterol and if you eat foods high in saturated or trans fat. These types of food include animal products such as meat and dairy as well as processed and fast foods. These foods also contribute to an unhealthy body weight if you do not exercise. You can lower your cholesterol by exercising and eating fruits, vegetables and healthy forms of fats from nuts, seeds and fish.
Prevention
A baseline cholesterol test can help you track and compare the changes in your cholesterol levels as you improve your diet and exercise habits. To get started, talk with your health-care provider to set up a cholesterol test. To decrease your cholesterol, you need to limit saturated and trans fats. Instead, eat healthy sources from fish, nuts, vegetables and seeds. These fats are unsaturated and are much healthier for you. You also need to start exercising daily to help you maintain a healthy weight. Start with something easy, such as walking 10 minutes per day and increase your intensity and duration as you become more accustomed to the activity.
