Certain bodily functions require cholesterol, such as hormone production, nerve protection and the growth of cell tissues. Your liver makes cholesterol, but it also enters your body by way of the food you eat. You have two types of cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein or LDL, and high-density lipoprotein or HDL. Your LDL cholesterol, often referred to as "bad" cholesterol, delivers cholesterol to your body. Your HDL or "good" cholesterol transports LDL to your liver for disposal. Maintaining adequate HDL levels can reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke.
Understanding Your Numbers
Your doctor can perform a simple blood test to measure your HDL cholesterol levels. Baseline cholesterol tests are often recommended at age 20 with follow-up screenings performed at the discretion of your doctor. Certain factors, such as family history of heart disease, will determine your cholesterol-monitoring schedule. When it comes to measuring HDL, you want a value of 60 mg/dL and above. If you are a man registering 40 mg/dL or below, or a woman with 50 mg/dL or below, this is considered poor and may be dangerous. If you have a reading of 50-59 mg/dL, this number may be fine, depending on your health history.
Lifestyle Matters
Making a few changes in your lifestyle can improve your HDL. Participating in aerobic exercise for 30 minutes on most days of the week can increase your HDL by 5 percent within two months. Losing weight can also increase your HDL. For every 6 lbs you lose, your HDL can increase by 1 mg/dL, according to MayoClinic.com. Eating healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, such as olive or canola oils, and foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish, can also improve your HDL. Another life-changing improvement you can make is to quit smoking, which can increase your HDL by up to 10 percent.
The Role of Medication
In cases where lifestyle change is not enough to improve your HDL, medication may be necessary. Examples of medication your doctor may suggest include fibrates, statins and niacin. Your doctor can prescribe an appropriate treatment regimen to help you reach a desirable HDL number.
Alcohol Use
There is a link between moderate alcohol use and increased levels of HDL cholesterol, but you should not start drinking for the sole purpose of improving your number. Moderate alcohol use is one drink per day for women, two drinks per day for men, and one drink per day for everyone over the age of 65.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Cholesterol Levels: What Numbers Should You Aim For?; June 17, 2010
- MayoClinic.com: HDL Cholesterol: How to Boost Your Good Cholesterol; June 17, 2010
- FamilyDoctor.org: Cholesterol: Lifestyle Changes to Improve Your Levels; May 2010
- MayoClinic.com: High Cholesterol: Lifestyle and Home Remedies; June 24, 2010
- American Heart Association: About Cholesterol; March 31, 2011
