Understanding Your Cholesterol Level

How to Understand Cholesterol Levels

If you have been diagnosed with high cholesterol, you may have been told to take medications, increase your physical activities or change your diet. However, the test that was conducted to check your cholesterol levels or your test results may not...

How to Read and Understand HDL & LDL Cholesterol Levels

Cholesterol is the waxy substance that can build up in your arteries and increase your risk of heart disease. A cholesterol blood test determines your cholesterol levels. After the age of 20, it is advisable to get one every five years; however,...

Cholesterol Number Meanings

After the age of 20, your doctor may require you to get your cholesterol checked every five years. Cholesterol is an important aspect of your health to monitor because it can directly affect the condition of your cardiovascular system. An...

Low Good Cholesterol and a High Triglyceride Level

More than 100 million adults in the United States have high cholesterol levels, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and 35 million of these Americans have levels high enough to put them at risk for developing heart...

How to Interpret Cholesterol Figures

You can interpret your cholesterol figures and reduce your risk of heart attack. More than 102 million adults in the United States has high cholesterol, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and 35 million of these Americans...

What Cholesterol Level Is Considered Safe?

When it comes to your cholesterol, you can never play it too safe. This means knowing and recognizing your risk factors, eating the right foods and above else, knowing what a healthy cholesterol level is. Understanding your cholesterol and what...

Understanding Your Cholesterol Test

Having your blood tested and interpreting the results of a cholesterol screen may seem intimidating at first. But printouts reporting columns of mysterious numbers are not as complicated as they may seem. Understanding these results may help you...

Raising HDL and Lowering LDL

Understanding the makeup of cholesterol is key to controlling it. HDL, or the good guy, clears away excess amounts of LDL, the bad guy, from your arteries and bloodstream. It transports it to your liver, which breaks it down, excreting it from...

What Is a Healthy Level of Cholesterol?

Understanding cholesterol levels can be a confusing task. However, getting your cholesterol under control can be a vital factor in your health, because too much cholesterol can lead to serious health problems.

What Is a Total Cholesterol Level?

Understanding cholesterol levels can be a confusing task. However, making sure your total cholesterol is under control is a vital component of maintaining good health, as too much cholesterol can lead to serious health problems.

How to Calculate LDL & VLDL

Cholesterol is a substance that the body uses to make vitamins, hormones and cells. It also helps the body absorb fat. However, excessive levels of cholesterol in the blood can increase the risk of coronary heart disease. Understanding how to...

The Cholesterol Range for Men

The American Heart Association recommends that healthy adults over the age of 20 have their cholesterol levels checked every five years. Men over the age of 45 may need their cholesterol checked more often. Understanding the significance of your...

What Level Should Your Cholesterol Be?

If you have been told that your cholesterol is high you may be asking yourself, 'what should my cholesterol be?' The first step to understanding cholesterol levels is to be aware of the various types of cholesterol and what their levels mean....

How to Interpret HDL Levels

High density lipoprotein (HDL), commonly thought of as the "good" kind of cholesterol, supports a healthy cardiovascular system by helping to transport free, circulating fatty acids out of the bloodstream. HDL is normally measured in units of...

LDL Over HDL Ratio

Your body needs some cholesterol to make cell membranes, steroid hormones and bile. Abnormally high levels of cholesterol, on the other hand, can be dangerous and increase your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. Because not all forms of...

The Calculation of Cholesterol

High cholesterol afflicts millions of Americans. It is important to understand how your cholesterol levels are determined to more closely monitor your health. A more comprehensive understanding will make managing your lifestyle easier and may...

What Is the Optimal Cholesterol Number?

Getting your cholesterol in an optimal range can be a key contributor to a healthy life. Although understanding cholesterol numbers can be confusing, learning where your level should be, and how to get it there, is extremely important.

Cholesterol FAQ

Cholesterol serves many important functions in your body. Many hormones, such as estrogen, progesterone and testosterone, are produced from cholesterol. Cholesterol-rich bile also helps your body digest and absorb fat-soluble vitamins and other...

What Should the Average Cholesterol Be?

Understanding your cholesterol levels is necessary for assessing your health status. You can control your cholesterol levels and become healthier by eating certain foods and living a healthy lifestyle. Monitoring your levels can save you from a...

What Is Good and Bad Cholesterol?

"Good" cholesterol, or HDL, works to remove excess "bad" cholesterol, or LDL, from your bloodstream. Healthy good cholesterol levels are at or above 60 mg/dL, and desirable bad cholesterol levels fall around 100mg/dL. According to "The New York...

Recommended HDL Levels

With the creation of the National Cholesterol Education Program in 1985, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute began to encourage the American people to understand cholesterol levels and how they impact cardiovascular health. Cholesterol, a...

Cholesterol Ratio Levels

The American Heart Association recommends, starting at the age of 20, that all Americans have a cholesterol test, otherwise called a fasting lipoprotein panel, every five years. A fasting lipoprotein panel, performed through a blood test, provides...

What Is Considered a Normal Cholesterol Count?

Cholesterol is natural substance produced in the body and supplied by food. About 75 percent of cholesterol is made in the body, while 25 percent comes from food. Cholesterol levels are measured via a blood test during a routine physical exam....

How to Increase HDL in Blood

You can lower your cholesterol levels and reduce your risk for developing heart disease by understanding how to increase the level of HDL, sometimes called "good cholesterol," in your blood. About 102 million people in the U.S. as of 2010 have...

Definition of HDL, LDL & VLDL

Cholesterol is commonly associated with heart disease. Some cholesterol is produced naturally in the body, and other cholesterol comes from the diet. As the American Heart Association notes, not all cholesterol is bad. Understanding the difference...

Cholesterol Count Help

Especially as you get older, knowing your cholesterol levels and what they mean is an important component of maintaining your health. Cholesterol is a wax-like fatty substance in your blood. Your body relies on some cholesterol to efficiently...

LDL & Non HDL

Understanding your cholesterol levels is an essential tool for managing your health. Cholesterol is a something like sludge that builds up on the walls of the arteries, but the mechanics of cholesterol development is much more complicated than...

How to Calculate an LDL Goal

Lower your low-density lipoprotein, LDL, to reduce risk of heart disease. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's ATP III classification categorizes levels of LDL. If LDL is less than 100mg/dL, it is optimal; LDL is near optimal/above...

How to Understand Cholesterol Values

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...