Testing Cholesterol Levels and Ways to Stay Heathy

To test one's cholesterol levels, doctor's complete a Fasting Lipoprotein Profile. This test measures total cholesterol level, HDL cholesterol level, LDL cholesterol level, and triglyceride level in the blood stream.



Total Cholesterol Level:
Less than 200 mg/dL = Low risk of cardiovascular disease (good)
200 to 239 mg/dL = Borderline high risk of cardiovascular disease (okay but should work on decreasing level)
240 mg/dL and above = High risk of cardiovascular disease (very bad)

HDL Cholesterol Level:
Less than 40 mg/dL (for men) and less than 50 mg/dL (for woman) = Low HDL Cholesterol (bad)
60 mg/dL and above = High HDL Cholesterol (good)

LDL Cholesterol Level:
Less than 100 mg/dL = Optimal level (very good)
100 to 129 mg/dL = Near or above optimal (good)
130 to 159 mg/dL = Borderline high (okay but should work on decreasing this level)
160 to 189 mg/dL = High (bad)
190 mg/dL and above = Very High (very bad)

Triglyceride Level:
Less than 100 mg/dL = Optimal (very good)
Less than 150 mg/dL = Normal (good)
150 to 199 mg/dL = Borderline High (okay but should work on decreasing this level)
200 to 499 mg/dL = High (bad)
500 mg/dL and above = Very High (very bad)

How can you improve your levels? It's easy! Follow these tip to help:
1. Eat a healthy diet. Avoid saturated fats and trans fats and foods high in cholesterol (the intake of foods high in unsaturated fat, saturated fat, and trans fat can increase cholesterol levels and lead to cardiovascular disease)!
2. Maintain a healthy weight. Make sure to stay in the range of a normal person that is your size!
3. Exercise regularly. It can help you maintain your healthy weight!
4. Don't smoke. It injures blood vessels and speeds up the hardening of artery walls!
5. If you have high cholesterol, treat it! Take medicines in addition to your new lifestyle changes!

Cholesterol: The Good and The Bad. What is LDL and HDL and How Are They Different?

LDL (low-density lipoproteins) cholesterol is known as the "bad cholesterol". This is because an increase in LDL can build up in the arteries and cause heart disease.

HDL (high-density lipoproteins) cholesterol absorbs cholesterol and brings it to the liver which then sends the cholesterol out of the body, reducing heart disease risk.

The two "types" of cholesterol are actually the same kind of cholesterol because there is only one type. Even though it sounds kind of confusing, the two names only refer to the amount in which the cholesterol is packed onto their transporters. LDL has more cholesterol packed onto its transporter and vise-versa.

LDL's are coated in more cholesterol than proteins which makes it hard to go through  arteries without getting attached to them because they have a thick coating of cholesterol around them. HDL's are different. They are not coated with as much cholesterol as LDL's are and they can flow through the blood stream without clotting any arteries, which is why HDL's are called the "good cholesterol" and LDL's are called "bad cholesterol".

The complications that can arise from the two forms of cholesterol is why doctors monitor the levels of LDL and HDL. The monitoring of cholesterol helps doctors assess their patient's probability of developing cardiovascular disease. The more LDL one has in their system, the more at risk they are for contracting a heart related disease because of all the low density lipoprotein buildup.

Along with LDL and HDL, doctors can measure triglyceride levels in the blood stream. Triglycerides are converted into cholesterol by the body, and if there is a high concentration of triglycerides in the blood stream, one's risk of cardiovascular disease will be higher.