High Cholesterol - What Do High Cholesterol Values Really Mean?

You see the ads on TV for reduced cholesterol products, such as margarine and cooking oils, but is it really that important to worry about cholesterol? And just what is high cholesterol anyway? These questions are valid in the sense that many people may not really understand the significance and what really constitutes 'high' cholesterol.

This article will focus on the whole issue of cholesterol and educate on exactly what the cholesterol values really mean.

The more cholesterol that lines the walls of the arteries, clogging the arteries, the harder the heart has to work to pump this blood. This can weaken or damage the heart because of the overload and lack of oxygen that the heart muscle needs.

Eventually, the affected arteries will become blocked and this leads to heart attack. It is noted that over a million Americans suffer heart attacks each year. Unfortunately, only about half actually survive this event.

Will I have symptoms if I have high cholesterol? In many cases, the person with high cholesterol will be asymptomatic or not demonstrate any symptoms, whatsoever. Males and females alike, are affected by high LDL levels.

It has been recommended that people aged 20 and older, should be tested for cholesterol levels at least every 5 years. The best or most complete test is call a Lipoprotein Profile. It is usually performed after fasting for around 9 to 12 hours. The test will reveal four values. These are Total Cholesterol, LDL (bad cholesterol), HDL (good cholesterol) and Triglycerides (yet another type of fat found in your blood).

Now that we know what type of test should be performed, what do the numbers mean? In the ideal world, you would always get a Lipoprotein Profile. However, there may times that is not possible. You can still get a fairly good idea of your cholesterol levels by knowing what your HDL and Total Cholesterol values are. The rule of thumb is that for those with total cholesterol levels of 200 mg/dl or with HDL values of less than 40 mg/dl, a Lipoprotein Profile is still warranted.

What are some ranges for each of the different values?

Total Cholesterol Level ranges like this:

< than 200 mg/dl Desirable

200-239 mg/dl Considered Borderline High

240 mg/dl or greater Considered High

LDL Cholesterol Levels range like this:

< than 100 mg/dl Considered Optimal

100-129 mg/dl Near or above optimal

130-159 mg/dl Considered borderline high

160-189 mg/dl High

190 mg/dl or greater Considered very high

HDL or the good cholesterol levels of 60 mg/dl or greater are very desirable. Levels of HDL that are < than 40 mg/dl are considered too low. This low HDL is a major risk factor for the development of heart disease. The higher the HDL, the better in terms of protection from heart disease.

In future articles, we will cover more in-depth aspects of a complicated subject, which is high cholesterol. If you are concerned about high cholesterol, always consult your physician and remember there are always ways to deal with it and win the battle against high cholesterol.

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