Low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, is also known as bad cholesterol. It is transported from the blood to the liver. When the amount of LDL cholesterol in the blood is high, it can slowly build up in the inner walls of the arteries that feed the heart and brain. This increases the risk of cardiac disease and stroke.
Healthy Cholesterol Levels
According to the 2001 Adult Treatment Panel III published by the National Heart Lung & Blood Institute, the optimal LDL levels in healthy adults are less than or equal to 100 mg/dL. Levels from 100 to 129 mg/dL are considered near optimal, and those greater than 190 mg/dL are considered very high.
Risk Factors
The ATP III has set different LDL goals for people with risk factors for coronary heart disease. The presence of one or more risk factors determines what your ideal LDL cholesterol levels should be. Your LDL goals are modified if you smoke cigarettes, have high blood pressure, have a family history of coronary heart disease, have a low HDL cholesterol, or are older than 45 if you are a man and older than 55 if you are a woman.
Your Optimal LDL Goals
The ATP III report defines your optimal LDL goals as the LDL cholesterol levels that minimize the risk of you suffering from a heart attack or stroke. If you have existing coronary heart disease, your LDL cholesterol levels should not be more than 100mg/dL. If you have two or more of the risk factors, you need to keep your LDL levels less than 130 mg/dL. If you have zero to one of the risk factors, an LDL level of less than 160 will decrease your risk of getting a heart attack or a stroke. If you are a diabetic, you must maintain your LDL levels below 100mg/dL.
LDL-lowering Therapy
Your physician will initiate an LDL-lowering regime, according to your current LDL levels, if they are higher than the optimal levels set by the APT III. Therapy includes therapeutic lifestyle changes, which are comprised of a diet low in saturated fats and cholesterol and high in fiber; weight loss and an increase in physical activity.
If therapeutic lifestyle changes alone are inadequate or ineffective in lowering your LDL cholesterol levels, your physician will prescribe cholesterol-lowering drugs such as statins.
References
- What Your Cholesterol Levels Mean:American Heart Association
- National Heart Lung & Blood Institute: Third Report of the Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of the High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (Adult Treatment Panel III): Executive Summary
- Good vs Bad Cholesterol : American Heart Association
