High density lipoprotein, or HDL, represents the "good" cholesterol that can be measured in your blood. HDL helps prevent cholesterol buildup in your arteries by collecting unneeded cholesterol from other parts of your body back to your liver. HDL...
Lowering the total cholesterol and bad cholesterol in your blood and raising your good blood cholesterol is important because your cholesterol levels affect your heart-disease risk. Keeping your total cholesterol below 200mg/dL, your bad...
Cholesterol is a fat-like substance that circulates in your blood. According to the National Cholesterol Education Program, LDL cholesterol, or "bad" cholesterol, contributes to blockage in the arteries. High levels of LDL cholesterol increase...
Knowing your cholesterol levels can keep you one step ahead when it comes to understanding your heart disease risk. These include not only your total cholesterol score, but your levels of HDL and LDL cholesterol as well. Many lifestyle changes can...
Cholesterol tests are not used to diagnose a disease, but rather are used to evaluate the risk of developing disease--heart disease, in particular. This is because there is a positive association between cholesterol and atherosclerosis, or...
LDL cholesterol, the so-called "bad" cholesterol, owes its reputation to the fact that high LDL levels are associated with increased risk for heart disease. An LDL level at or above 130 mg/dL is a major risk factor for heart disease. If your LDL...
Cholesterol is an important risk factor for heart disease. Cholesterol is a fatty substance that travels through the blood and tends to build up on the walls of arteries. Over time, this tends to narrow the arteries and block or slow blood flow to...
Cholesterol doesn't come only from the foods you eat. Your body makes about 75 percent, and the rest comes from food, according to the American Heart Association. The results of cholesterol testing help determine your risk for heart disease, the...
According to the National Cholesterol Education Program guidelines, all adults aged 20 or older should check their blood cholesterol levels once every five years. The recommended test, which is known as the "fasting lipoprotein profile," is...
Blood triglycerides and cholesterol levels are risk factors for heart disease. It is important to know and to check your numbers regularly, so you can determine if your results are healthy or in the "high" or "at risk" categories. How do you...
Cholesterol is a type of fat found in the bloodstream. The body creates and uses it to function properly. Cholesterol is also found in certain foods. Increased intake of these foods can lead to hypercholesterolemia, a contributing factor to...
According to the American Heart Association, about 80 million Americans suffer from some form of cardiovascular disease. High cholesterol is a serious risk factor for developing cardiovascular disease, as noted by the National Cholesterol...
The Step II diet had two goals: reduce serum cholesterol levels and lower heart disease risk. It was developed by the National Cholesterol Education Program and sanctioned by the American Heart Association. It was the next intervention for persons...
LDL cholesterol is known as the "bad" type of cholesterol because high LDL levels are associated with increased risk for heart disease. Specifically, an LDL level at or above 130 mg/dL is a known, major risk factor for heart disease. Your optimal...
Most people are aware that high cholesterol is unhealthy and can put you at risk for heart attack, heart disease and stroke. But not everyone knows that it is only one kind of cholesterol that is detrimental to heart health. Low-density...
High cholesterol levels are directly related to a high risk of developing heart disease. Cholesterol is the fatty substance in the blood that helps blood flow smoothly through the veins and arteries. When it accumulates in excessive amounts...
Low-density Lipoprotein cholesterol is better known as LDL cholesterol and universally considered to be the "bad" cholesterol out of the two types that exist in the body. Keeping LDL cholesterol levels at a healthy level has become something of a...
An elevated blood cholesterol level is a major risk factor for heart disease, the leading cause of death among Americans. Reducing your intake of dietary fats, increasing your level of physical activity and losing weight, if indicated, are the...
A diet that lowers blood cholesterol levels protects you against heart disease, heart attack and stroke. Cholesterol provides benefits to the body by helping to make hormones, vitamin D and substances to help with digestion, according to the...
Individuals diagnosed with high cholesterol, according to the the National Institutes of Health as being over 240, though a person may be considered borderline high with readings of around 200 to 239, are advised to lower their cholesterol levels...
Smoking causes roughly one out of every five premature deaths in the United States each year, according to a study published in the April 2009 Issue of "PLoS Medicine." One of the reasons smoking causes premature death is the effect smoking has on...
LDL cholesterol is the bad cholesterol that builds excess fatty substances in the blood that can narrow or block the arteries, leading to heart disease. HDL is the good cholesterol that helps move excess cholesterol out of the body. Total...
Most fats in the body exist as triglycerides. Hypertriglyceridemia, or a high triglyceride level, occurs when excessive amounts of triglycerides circulate in the body. This increases the risk of cardiovascular events and acute pancreatitis, or...
Triglycerides are a fat in your blood that, when in excess, can increase your risk of developing heart disease. The National Cholesterol Education Program sets the guidelines for healthy cholesterol and triglyceride levels in an effort to reduce...
Blood tests are readily available to check your cholesterol level. No fasting period is necessary, according to the November 2004 "Harvard Health Letter." Test results show blood levels of HDL, LDL and triglycerides. The "National Cholesterol...
The early signs and symptoms of high cholesterol in the blood are mainly clinical and can be seen in the results of routine laboratory testing. Later signs and symptoms include clogged arteries and a heart attack.
Unlike a stomach ache or the flu, there are no symptoms of high cholesterol. Often, long-term high cholesterol causes other health problems, such as a clogged artery or decreased blood flow to the extremities. The National Cholesterol Education...
Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is a type of cholesterol the body synthesizes to transport triglycerides in the bloodstream. LDL cholesterol is known as the "bad" cholesterol because high LDL levels are associated with coronary heart disease. In...
Changing your diet and exercise regimen can lower your cholesterol levels. If you have genetic component that contributes to your high cholesterol, diet and exercise may not be enough to improve levels. Diet and exercise are used as a primary...
