HIGH CHOLESTEROL NUMBERS ARE DANGEROUS TO HEALTH

Understanding high cholesterol numbers will give you an insight into what your doctor actually means when he tells you that you have a cholesterol problem.

Cholesterol is an essential substance, made in the liver, that travels around the body in the blood stream, carried by what are called lipoproteins.  These are little packages with fat (lipids) on the inside, and protein on the outside. There are two different types:

High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol:  This is often referred to as good cholesterol. This is because its role is to scoop up excessive cholesterol form the blood and take it to the liver, from where it can be removed. If your HDL cholesterol levels are high, then your risk of having heart disease is considered to be lower.

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol : This is known as bad cholesterol, because it transports cholesterol around the body, and, ultimately, dumps it in your arteries. If you have an excess of cholesterol, you will have high levels of LDL. High LDL levels thus increase your risk of having heart disease.

High cholesterol numbers therefore refer to two different, but related, things - the total (serum) blood cholesterol level, and the HDL and LDL levels. In particular, high cholesterol numbers reflect the ratio between HDL levels and LDL levels.

• The American Heart Association provides the following guidance for those levels:
• Total blood (serum) cholesterol level:
• Less than 200 mg/dL is considered desirable
• 200 to 239 mg/dL is considered borderline-high risk
• 240 mg/dL and over is a high risk to your health
• HDL (good) cholesterol level:
• Less than 40 mg/dL for men or less than 50 mg/dL for women means a higher risk for heart disease
• For men, 40 to 50 mg/dL is considered average
• For women, 50 to 60 mg/dL is considered average

If you have an HDL cholesterol of 60 mg/dL or higher, you may have added protection from heart disease.

• LDL (bad) cholesterol level:
• Less than 100 mg/dL is optimal
• 100 to 129 mg/dL is near or above optimal
• 130 to 159 mg/dL is considered borderline high
• 160 to 189 mg/dL is high
• 190 mg/dL and above is considered to be very high
• HDL/LDL Ratio:

The ratio of HDL/LDL compares the levels of good cholesterol (HDL) to bad cholesterol (LDL). It is determined by dividing the LDL cholesterol score into the HDL cholesterol score.

Thus if a person has an HDL cholesterol score of 50 mg/dL and an LDL cholesterol score of 150 mg/dL, the HDL/LDL ratio would be 0.33. It is recommended that the ratio should be above 0.3, with the ideal HDL/LDL ratio considered to be 0.4 or above.

Of course, knowing the scores is useless if you do nothing about it. Fortunately, there are several steps you can take yourself that will reduce you risk of high cholesterol levels, and the heart disease that comes with it.

According to the American Heart Association, if you have high cholesterol levels, they key steps are to avoid smoking, eat a healthy diet that is low in saturated fats, get regular exercise, and keep your weight down. Combining these lifestyle factors will help to reduce your risk of heart disease and strokes.