The National Cholesterol Education Program, developed by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, recommends that all adults age 20 and older complete a fasting lipid profile, which provides results for total cholesterol, LDL, HDL and triglyceride levels, every five years. Adhering to this recommendation makes you aware of your cholesterol levels and helps you proactively make changes to reduce your risk for heart disease. In the United States, the American Heart Association reports the average LDL cholesterol level as 115 mg/dL, which provides hope for reducing deaths due to heart disease.
LDL Function
LDL refers to the type of cholesterol carried by low-density lipoprotein. Low-density lipoprotein binds the majority of cholesterol in the body and carries it from the liver, where it originates, to the cells throughout the body. At normal levels, the body uses cholesterol to produce hormones and build cell membranes. Too much cholesterol, however, increases the level of LDL, which helps the cholesterol stay in the blood vessels.
Impact
Cholesterol that stays in blood vessels can build up along the walls of the vessels in areas that sustain damage from conditions like high blood pressure or diabetes. The cholesterol, along with minerals and waste products in the blood, accumulate together to form plaque. Over time, plaque causes blood vessel walls to become thick and hard, which interferes with the flow of blood. The process, known as atherosclerosis, leads to coronary artery disease, the most common type of heart disease. Coronary artery disease, known as CAD, is a leading cause of death, accounting for one of every six deaths in the United States in 2006, according to the American Heart Association. For this reason, it is important to keep your LDL cholesterol level at or below the average.
Healthy People
Doctors encourage patients to keep their LDL cholesterol levels at the optimal level, set at less than 100 mg/dL. The national average is slightly higher than this, but for healthy people, 115 mg/dL remains acceptable within the near optimal category. Doctors do not consider a patent's LDL cholesterol levels high until they reach 160 mg/dL or more if the patient exhibits no other heart disease risk factors, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, use of tobacco products or family history of heart disease.
High Risk Patients
The heart disease risk factors all increase the damage to the blood vessel walls, which enhance the effects of high cholesterol. Patients with two or more risk factors should keep their LDL cholesterol levels at less than 130 mg/dL. The fact that the average LDL cholesterol level falls below that is encouraging because it shows that the incidence of high cholesterol and heart disease continues to decline. In fact, the National Cholesterol Education Program reports that the number of people with high cholesterol has declined since the initiation of the program in 1985, and the number of deaths due to heart disease also continues to decline.
