Cholesterol Levels

Cholesterol Levels – ‘atherosclerosis’ diagnosis’

It is possible to have up to 80 % narrowing of the arteries without ever feeling a single symptom! Consequently, until you have a heart attack or stroke most people aren’t even aware they have a high cholesterol level and *atherosclerosis. It’s unusual to find an adult in the United States who does not have some degree of atherosclerosis. This is because most people develop cholesterol driven atherosclerosis as children.

A simple blood test to show cholesterol levels….

A simple blood test is required to determine the levels of LDL and HDL cholesterol and diagnose actual cholesterol levels.  However, cholesterol tests can be tricky. Simple screening that is done without ‘fasting’, measures only the total cholesterol level and the HDL, the ‘good’ cholesterol.   It will only give you a ballpark figure and therefore not a precise cholesterol level.

Cholesterol levels -Lipid Profile….

The complete cholesterol test in isolation is called a ‘lipid profile’ and even that can vary from test to test.  This test will measure a total cholesterol level, HDL, LDL and triglycerides.

For truly accurate numbers, you should not eat, or drink anything other than water for twelve hours before testing.  Vigorous exercise should be avoided for twenty-four hours before testing and you need to make certain that whoever tests you is made aware of any medications you may be taking as this will also affect the results.

What do the numbers mean in relation to Cholesterol levels?….

Okay, now that you have accurate numbers, what do they mean?  Before we discuss the numbers and their meanings, we need to clarify some terminology.

Dietary cholesterol means the cholesterol that you eat.  The American Heart Association recommends no more than 300 milligram per day.  Most food labels in the United States list the cholesterol levels. This is not the case in the UK.

The three terms:

· blood cholesterol level serum cholesterol level       total cholesterol level

All three mean the same thing – total cholesterol levels in your body.  This is what is measured when you have a cholesterol test.

Your test results will come in with three numbers for:

· LDL cholesterol level HDL cholesterol level Total cholesterol level

Cholesterol levels -LDL ….

For LDL, the desirable level is less than 130 milligrams/dl.  The ‘borderline high’ cholesterol level is 130 to 159. The ‘high risk’ cholesterol level is 160 and above. The LDL, however, is the ‘bad’ cholesterol and the most important factor in predicting heart attack. For LDL, lower is better preferably less than 160.  It’s best to keep the cholesterol level around 130.

Cholesterol levels -HDL ….

Higher is better for HDL. For HDL, the numbers are lower because there is less HDL in the blood.  Anything lower than 35 milligrams/dl is considered ‘high risk’.  If your HDL is very high, say over 60, your risk of heart disease is reduced.

Total Cholesterol Levels….

For total cholesterols the National Cholesterol Education Program classifies levels below 200 milligrams/dl (milligrams per deciliter) as ‘desirable’. A level between 200 and 239 is ‘borderline high’.  Anything over 240 is ‘high’.

Triglyceride

Levels over 400 milligrams/dl are considered ‘high’ and levels over 1,000 milligrams/dl are considered ‘very high’.

* Coronary heart disease is caused by ‘arteriosclerosis’. This happens when the coronary arteries thicken or become hard. More than half of the people suffering from either chest pains or actual heart attacks are women.

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