Abnormal Distribution Of Lipoproteins

Because fats are not soluble in the water in your blood, they must move through your body attached to carrier molecules called lipoproteins. There are three major types of lipoproteins: high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein and very low-density lipoprotein. Each lipoprotein performs a different role in your body, so abnormal distribution can be detrimental to your health.

Physiology

Lipoproteins consist of protein, cholesterol and triglycerides, another type of fat. The outer shell of the lipoprotein contains protein, whereas the inner compartment carries the fat so that the lipoprotein can move through the blood. Lipoproteins are categorized based on their cholesterol to protein ratio. The greater the amount of protein, the higher the density of the lipoprotein.

High-density Lipoprotein

High-density lipoproteins, or HDL, contain a large percentage of protein and only a small amount of cholesterol. HDL picks up excess cholesterol from your bloodstream and carries it to your liver. In your liver, this cholesterol is either used to make bile or removed from your body. Because of this action, HDL is often referred to as good cholesterol.

An HDL level of 60 mg/dL is considered normal. What is considered abnormal differs by sex. An abnormal HDL for a man is less than 40 mg/dL, and an abnormal HDL for a woman is less than 50 mg/dL. Abnormal HDL levels increase your risk of heart disease.

Low-density Lipoprotein

Low-density lipoproteins, or LDL, are made up mostly of cholesterol and contain very small amounts of protein. LDL is responsible for delivering cholesterol to your cells, but because of its high cholesterol content, it also deposits some cholesterol on the walls of your arteries as it moves through your blood. An abnormal distribution of LDL can promote atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, and increase your risk of heart disease. LDL is commonly referred to as bad cholesterol.

An ideal level of LDL is less than 100 mg/dL, but 100 to 129 mg/dL is considered near ideal. LDL levels become abnormal when they reach 130 mg/dL or more.

Very Low-density Lipoprotein

Very low-density lipoproteins, or VLDL, contain the highest percentage of cholesterol and the lowest percentage of protein. The role of VLDL is to deliver fat from your liver to your tissues. After the fat is delivered, the VLDL is converted into LDL. Because of their high cholesterol content, VLDL can also increase your risk of heart disease. Normal VLDL falls between 5 and 40 mg/dL. If your VLDL exceeds this level, it is considered abnormal.