High total cholesterol levels in the blood can lead to the buildup of plaque on the insides of arteries. Excessive amounts of this plaque can lead to circulation problems and may create blockages in your arteries. While high cholesterol levels may lead to such issues, high proportions of high-density lipoprotein, or HDL, cholesterol may help to counteract these negative effects.
LDL and HDL Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a fat, or lipid, that is composed of a variety of different fats and lipoproteins, the protein-fat bundles that are moved through your body by your blood. Of these lipoproteins, the major constituents of cholesterol are high-density lipoproteins, or HDLs, and low-density lipoproteins, or LDLs. At normal levels, LDLs are needed for cell growth and repair. However, excessive amounts of LDL cholesterol can lead to the buildup of plaque and blocked arteries, potentially leading to heart attack and stroke. HDL cholesterol helps to destroy the binds between LDL cholesterol and the cells that line your blood vessels, forcing this cholesterol back into your blood stream and eventually to your liver before being removed from your body.
Total Cholesterol-to-HDL Ratio
Due to the multiple factors leading to high cholesterol levels, your total cholesterol level should not be used, on its own, as a marker of poor cardiovascular health. Instead, doctors use a ratio of your total cholesterol to your HDL cholesterol. By dividing your total cholesterol count by your HDL cholesterol, doctors arrive at a value that reflects the relative proportions of "good" and "bad" cholesterol in your blood stream. Because your total cholesterol is divided by your HDL cholesterol, lower cholesterol-to-HDL ratios are associated with fewer health risks.
Ideal Values
Using milligrams per deciliter, the American Heart Association, or AHA, recommends that you keep your total cholesterol levels under 200 mg/dL. Values between 200 and 239 mg/dL reflect a risk of high cholesterol, while those 240 and over put you at high risk for cardiovascular problems. While higher total cholesterol levels indicate higher risk, higher HDL cholesterol levels are associated with health benefits. For men, HDL levels under 40 mg/dL are considered high risk, while those under 50 mg/dL for women may be problematic. With HDL concentrations over 60 mg/dL associated with low health risks, you should try to aim for a cholesterol-to-HDL ratio under 4. For example, using the above cutoff points of 200 mg/dL of total cholesterol and 60 mg/dL of HDL gives an ideal cholesterol-to-HDL ratio of 3.3:1.
How to Increase Your HDL Cholesterol
Eighty percent of the cholesterol in your blood stream is produced by your liver, with the remaining 20 percent entering your body through food sources. While limiting your intake of saturated and trans fats and eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, low-fat or non-fat milk, lean meats and whole grains may help, a number of other lifestyle factors can influence the amount of HDL produced by your liver. For example, a 2005 report by Peter Toth, M.D. of the University of Illinois School of Medicine, states that quitting smoking is at least as effective as most medications for high cholesterol-to-HDL ratios. In addition, they recommend weight loss and suggest that you increase your physical activity level, with each increase in physical activity associated with a similar increase in HDL cholesterol levels.
