High Blood Cholesterol
Information about cholesterol levels and factors that affect cholesterol levels.
Understanding your cholesterol levels are important because it is one of the major risk factors for heart disease or having a heart attack. The higher your blood cholesterol level the greater your risk. When there is too much cholesterol (a fat-like substance) in your blood, it builds up in the walls of your arteries. Over time, this buildup causes "hardening of the arteries" so that arteries become narrowed and blood flow to the heart is slowed down or blocked. The blood carries oxygen to the heart, and if enough blood and oxygen cannot reach your heart, you may suffer chest pain. If the blood supply to a portion of the heart is completely cut off by a blockage, the result is a heart attack. High blood cholesterol does not have any symptoms so it is important to know your levels and be tested. It is recommended that everyone age 20 and older should have their cholesterol measured at least once every five years. It is best to have a blood test called a "lipoprotein profile" which is completed after a 9 to 12 hour fast. This will give you information about your total cholesterol, LDL (bad) cholesterol (main source of buildup and blockage in the arteries), HDL (good) cholesterol (helps keep cholesterol from building up in the arteries) and triglycerides (another form of fat in your blood). If it is not possible to get a lipoprotein profile done, knowing your total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol can give you a general idea about your cholesterol levels. If your total cholesterol is 200 mg/dL (milligrams of cholesterol per deciliters of blood) or more or if your HDL is less than 40 mg/dL, you will need to have a lipoprotein profile done.
Cholesterol Numbers
Total Cholesterol Levels: It is desirable that your total cholesterol levels are less than 200mg/dL. If they are between 200-239 mg/dL it is considered borderline high and levels at or above 240mg/dL are considered high.
LDL Cholesterol Levels: It is optimal for your LDL (bad) cholesterol level to be less than 100 mg/dL. Levels at 100-129 mg/dL are considered near optimal, 130-159 mg/dL are borderline high, 160-189 mg/dL are high and 190 mg/dL and above are very high.
HDL Cholesterol Levels: HDL (good) cholesterol protects against heart disease so higher numbers are better. A level less than 40 mg/dL is low. Levels at 60 mg/dL or more are necessary to lower risk for heart disease.
Triglyceride Levels: Triglycerides can also raise risk of heart disease. Levels at 150-199 mg/dL are considered borderline high and levels at 200 mg/dL or more are considered high.
Factors that Affect Cholesterol Levels
A variety of things can affect cholesterol levels. Some things you can do something about, while others you can not. Overall, it is important to live a healthy lifestyle and be checked by your doctor regularly.
Diet: Saturated fat and cholesterol in the food you eat make your blood cholesterol level go up. Saturated fat is the main culprit, but cholesterol in foods also matters. Reducing the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol in your diet helps lower your blood cholesterol level.
Weight: Being overweight is a risk factor for heart disease. It also tends to increase your cholesterol. Losing weight can help lower your LDL and total cholesterol levels, as well as raise your HDL and lower your triglyceride levels.
Physical Activity: Not being physically active is a risk factor for heart disease. Regular physical activity can help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and raise HDL (good) cholesterol levels. It also helps you lose weight. You should try to be physically active for 30 minutes on most, if not all, days.
Age and Gender: As women and men get older, their cholesterol levels rise. Before the age of menopause, women have lower total cholesterol levels than men of the same age. After the age of menopause, women's LDL levels tend to rise.
Heredity: Your genes partly determine how much cholesterol your body makes. High blood cholesterol can run in families.
Information gathered 10-22-04.