After the age of 20, your doctor may require you to get your cholesterol checked every five years. Cholesterol is an important aspect of your health to monitor because it can directly affect the condition of your cardiovascular system. An excessive amount of blood cholesterol causes chronic arterial disease and may lead to a heart attack or stroke. When you have your cholesterol tested, you will receive information regarding several different types of cholesterols and their levels. Making sense of this can seem overwhelming, but with a little knowledge, you can get a better picture of your cholesterol and health.
Total Cholesterol
Total cholesterol is the accumulation of all your different types of cholesterol levels combined. Your results will put you into one of three categories. An ideal total cholesterol level is less than 200 mg/dL. You may be at risk for high cholesterol if your level falls between 200 to 239 mg/dL. High blood cholesterol is characterized as greater than 240 mg/dL.
Low Density Lipoprotein
Low density lipoprotein cholesterol, or LDL, may be the most important cholesterol reading you get. LDL cholesterol directly affects your risk of heart disease. LDL travels through your bloodstream in order to deliver cholesterol to the cells that need it. However, an excessive amount of LDL cholesterol can build up in your arteries and lead to atherosclerosis. Your LDL cholesterol levels should be kept under 100 mg/dL, but a range between 100 to 129 mg/dL is still considered normal. Levels ranging from 130 to 159 mg/dL put you at risk for high cholesterol. Any reading greater than 160 mg/dL is considered high.
High Density Lipoprotein
High density lipoprotein cholesterol, or HDL, is known as the good type of cholesterol. It is considered so because it is responsible for delivering blood cholesterol to the liver. Once in the liver, cholesterol is used for bile and excreted as waste. High levels of HDL cholesterol can help lower your heart disease risk. Ideally, your HDL levels should be at or greater than 60 mg/dL. Risky levels vary by gender. A woman should maintain her HDL levels above 50 mg/dL, while a man should have an HLD of at least 40 mg/dL.
What Next?
If you've gotten your blood cholesterol checked and you aren't happy with your numbers, your next step is to become proactive. Changing some simple lifestyle behaviors can favorably affect your blood cholesterol. Diet, exercise and weight all contribute to your cholesterol levels. Reducing your intake of saturated fat and cholesterol, increasing your activity level and losing some weight may all help improve your cholesterol.
