High-density lipoprotein, or HDL, cholesterol is commonly referred to as "good" cholesterol. This is mainly due to HDL's protective role in heart disease prevention and its ability to help lower total cholesterol levels. HDL works to help carry blood cholesterol in the body to the liver to be excreted. Low blood HDL cholesterol levels in the body can be problematic for your health.
Low HDL
What is considered a low HDL cholesterol level is dependent on whether you're a man or women. According to the American Heart Association, a low HDL level for a man is less than 40 mg/dL, and low HDL levels for women are less than 50 mg/dL. A low level of HDL cholesterol can significantly increase your risk for developing heart disease.
Optimal HDL
In order to obtain the health benefits of HDL cholesterol and reduce your heart disease risk, it's important to maintain optimal levels of HDL. According to the American Heart Association, HDL levels of 60 or above are considered high levels and protective against heart disease.
Risk Factors
Certain factors can actually lower your HDL cholesterol levels and increase your disease risk. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, risk factors that can reduce HDL levels include being overweight, maintaining a sedentary lifestyle and smoking tobacco products. If you have one or more of these HDL-lowering and heart disease risk factors, making lifestyle changes and having your cholesterol levels checked on a regular basis are important.
Increase Your HDL
Avoiding tobacco smoke, participating in regular physical activity and maintaining a healthy body weight are all ways to help boost low HDL cholesterol levels. Consuming soluble fiber and plant sterols or stanols can help lower your LDL, or "bad," cholesterol levels without negatively affecting your HDL cholesterol levels, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research notes that taking higher-than-recommended doses of supplemental or prescription niacin, an essential B vitamin, can affectively increase your HDL levels by 15 to 35 percent and lower your LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels. However, if you take high doses of niacin you should only do so under the supervision of a qualified medical professional.
