Cholesterol is not as simple as it might seem. Your doctor takes all cholesterol types -- LDL, HDL, VLDL and total -- into consideration. Each plays a contributing factor in your risk for developing heart disease. Understanding these types is the first step in lowering your risk and improving your quality of health.
Low-Density Lipoprotein
Low-density lipoprotein -- LDL -- cholesterol, carries lipids to different areas of your body, 60 to 70 percent of which is cholesterol, according to LoweringCholesterol.net. Lipoproteins are a mixture of cholesterol, protein and triglycerides, or fat. LDL transports cholesterol to the cells of your body, where it performs its intended functions of building new cells and producing hormones. Excess amounts of LDL build up along the walls of your arteries, increasing your risk of heart disease. Healthy levels are 129 mg/dL or less. Once your levels reach 160 mg/dL or higher, you are in the danger zone. You can reduce your LDL by losing excess weight, consuming high-fiber foods, reducing your intake of fat from red meat, whole-fat dairy and vegetable oils, consuming healthy fats from fish and nuts and increasing your level of physical activity.
High-Density Lipoprotein
High-density lipoprotein -- HDL -- earned the nickname of "good" cholesterol because it removes excess cholesterol from your bloodstream, arteries and cells and transports it to your liver. The liver either converts it into bile acids or excretes it from your body. While your LDL must be low, your HDL needs to be high -- 60 mg/dL or greater is ideal. In women, an level HDL under 50 mg/dL increases the risk of heart disease, as do levels less than 40 mg/dL in men. Smoking decreases your HDL cholesterol. Quitting can increase your levels as much as 10 percent. Exercising a minimum of 30 minutes each day leads to a positive change, too. A 5 percent increase is possible over two months if you remain consistent.
Total Cholesterol
Your total cholesterol is a composite of all cholesterol types. Ideally this number should be 200 mg/dL or less -- if 240 mg/dL or higher, you may be at risk for heart disease. Before jumping the gun, however, your doctor looks at the results for each type. If your LDL is normal and your HDL is high, this explains your total cholesterol results.
Very-Low-Density Lipoprotein
Very-low-density lipoprotein -- VLDL -- cholesterol is a type of lipoprotein, just like LDL and HDL. It, too, contains triglycerides -- in fact, the highest amount of triglycerides of all the lipoproteins. If your VLDL is high, your risk for developing heart disease is high as well. As Mayo Clinic cardiologist Dr. Thomas Behrenbeck explains, measuring VLDL is difficult, and it is not included in a normal cholesterol test. This value is estimated as a percentage of your triglyceride level. Healthy levels range between 5 and 40 mg/dL.
