Heart disease kills one in four American women. The disease includes conditions such as heart failure, heart attack and coronary heart disease, according to the National Women's Health Information Center. High cholesterol levels are a risk factor, so it is important to have your cholesterol checked regularly. Ask your doctor how often you should have yours tested.
Recommended Cholesterol Levels
Two types of cholesterol are important in determining your total cholesterol level. Bad cholesterol, or low-density lipoprotein, is the type of cholesterol that can clog your arteries. Good cholesterol, or high-density lipoprotein, is the type that can remove LDL cholesterol from your blood. The lower your LDL and the higher your HDL, the better. Your total levels should be under 200 mg/dL. Ideally, your LDL should be under 100 mg/dL, but a reading under 130 mg/dL is considered normal. A borderline high level is 130 mg/dL to 159 mg/dL. A high level is 160 mg/dL to 189 mg/dL. Anything over 190 mg/dL is very high. Your HDL level should be above 60 mg/dL, and the higher, the better.
Dangers of High Cholesterol
Cholesterol builds up in your blood and begins to stick to the inner walls of your arteries. As time goes by, your arteries can begin to narrow. Because your blood has to squeeze through a narrower opening, your blood pressure may rise, causing hypertension. Narrow blood vessels can cause heart pain, called angina. They can also cause a heart attack. High cholesterol is especially dangerous because it often has no symptoms, so you may not even know that you are at risk.
Other Risk Factors
High cholesterol, along with other risk factors, can make developing heart disease, heart failure or a heart attack more likely. These other risk factors include obesity, diabetes, high-blood pressure, smoking and taking oral contraceptives. Having a sedentary lifestyle and drinking a lot of alcohol may also put you at increased risk. See your doctor regularly to have your cholesterol and blood pressure tested and to be evaluated for diabetes. If you are overweight or obese, ask your doctor about ways to lose weight.
How You Can Lower Your Cholesterol
If you have high cholesterol, talk to your doctor about how you can lower your risk of heart disease. A nutritionist can help you make changes to your diet to reduce the amount of cholesterol you consume. Cutting back on your consumption of eggs, fatty meats, full-fat dairy products and lard can help lower your cholesterol. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Exercise regularly, preferably for at least 30 minutes per day. Ask your doctor if you should take medications to help you lower your cholesterol, and continue to have your cholesterol checked regularly.
