Find Out The Way To Read Your Cholesterol Analysis - By: Christine Crotts

It seems like everyone nowadays is concerned about cholesterol. Whether it is the marketing of the food industry or because it is something we really need to be thinking about, cholesterol levels are now becoming more well-known than blood pressure numbers. Now that everyone is considering their cholesterol levels it is essential to understand what those numbers mean.

When you get your cholesterol tested, which is often part of a standard blood test during a physical, the report you get back will often have three numbers. These numbers are for total cholesterol, LDL (low-density lipoprotein), and HDL (high-density lipoprotein). What do each of these numbers mean and which ones must you be concerned about? Of the two, LDL vs. HDL cholesterol, which is bad for you and which is good for you.

In the past, a lot of people were simply interested in the total cholesterol number. Should you asked someone what their cholesterol was they would often just repeat the total number, leaving out the other numbers. Total cholesterol for a healthy adult must be 200mg/dL or lower. Nevertheless, in recent years it has become known that the total number is not always very significant. It is the other two numbers that are significant.

LDL is considered the 'bad' cholesterol. Although you do need some LDL, having too much is a bad thing that may result in a higher risk of heart disease. Cholesterol is actually needed for many functions of the body, including the building of hormones as well as for the structure of the brain, and it is the LDL molecules that delivers cholesterol around in the blood to wherever it is needed. However, should you have too much LDL this can lead to a process that ends with plaque buildup in the walls of your arteries. This then causes a higher risk of heart attack or stroke.

Ideally, LDL levels must be below 100mg/dL. Though, levels of 100-129mg/dL are simply fine. You do not want a level higher than 129mg/dL. Should you do have high levels of LDL your physician will discuss options on lowering bad cholesterol in your blood.

Alternatively, HDL is considered the 'good' cholesterol. You actually want this number to be high. HDL in addition carries cholesterol, but it carries it out of the blood stream and into the liver, where it is needed to create bile. If you have more HDL this means that more cholesterol is taken out of your blood stream, lessening the chance for heart disease.

Your HDL level ought to be 40mg/dL or higher. Just about any number higher than 60mg/dL is great.

The next time you see the report from your latest cholesterol test you should now recognize the different numbers. You can focus less on the total cholesterol number and more on what actually makes up that total number.

About the Author

For more resources on how to reduce LDL cholesterol, as well as more information with regards to LDL vs. HDL cholesterol, read more content that Christine Crotts has published about this issue.

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