Disclaimer
This information is not presented by a medical practitioner and is for educational and informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
More than half of the world today has high cholesterol. What this means is that every other person that you see walking down the street is at risk for some sort of heart disease. The average person doesn’t even know how their cholesterol stands because you can’t see high cholesterol. However, the stats stand for themselves when it comes to your cholesterol; you need to understand it in order to be able to deal with it. Once you get past the code, it is very easy to understand.
What exactly is Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is basically just a fat-like substance that is found throughout the body. The next thing is to know how it gets there. This is easy, you get your cholesterol through the body itself or in the foods we eat and put into it. You need to know that too much of it, however, is not healthy for the body.
There are two kinds of cholesterol that we have, which may be confusing at first:
High Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol
HDL form of cholesterol is the kind one can call the 'good' cholesterol. What basically happens is that HDL transfers the surplus cholesterol to the liver from the tissues. This is converted to bile in the liver by breaking it down.
The ideal limit of HDL level of cholesterol is 40 milligrams. The optimum range being 40-45 milligrams. Above 60 milligram protects ones heart and improvises on the brain's routines which manage the blood vessels.
Low Density Lipoproteins Cholesterol
Know also as LDL and are sometimes called the bad cholesterol because it can clog arteries and kill us, is the other. LDL form of cholesterol is the kind one must avoid, in other words the bad one.
This type of cholesterol increases the risk of heart diseases by blocking the arteries with deposits of cholesterol. The ideal limit of LDL level of cholesterol is 200 milligrams. The optimum range being 200-240 milligrams. Above that is potentially dangerous.
In general we have both kinds of cholesterol in our bodies and we need them both. The balance between them is what gives us general health.
Cholesterol Levels
There are actually five different ways that you can use in order to get a complete reading on your own cholesterol levels and they are:
total cholesterol levels
HDL
LDL, total
HDL ratio
LDL/HDL ratio
These measurements are actually categorized as desirable, borderline, and of course, at risk. Measurement units for checking your cholesterol are conducted as milligrams per deciliter. It is extremely misleading to consider any of them on their own. Consult your health practitioner to best understand your cholesterol levels and what, if anything, to do about them or how to maintain them properly.
Here is how it really works in the numbers:
Total desirable is below 200 mg/dL, total borderline level is 200 to 240 and total risk above level 240.
HDL ideal level is above 45 mg/dL, HDL borderline is 35 to 45 and HDL at risk below 35.
LDL ideal level is below 130 mg/dL, LDL borderline is 130 to 160 and LDL at risk above 160.
Total/HDL ideal ratio is below 4.5, total/HDL borderline is 4.5 to 5.5 and total/HDL at risk is above 5.5.
LDL/HDL ideal ratio is below 3, LDL/HDL borderline is 3 to 5 and LDL/HDL and at risk is above 5.
When it comes to actually doing something about your cholesterol levels, a balanced diet, combined with a good fitness regimen is your best bet in combating high cholesterol. You have to be both active and eat right to maintain the right balance.
See also part 2, Low Your Cholesterol .
Your article is important to everyone. We should always monitor our cholesterol level to be healthy.