Cholesterol Numbers

Why should you be aware of your Cholesterol Numbers?

Cholesterol is a natural function of the human body.  Every living being requires a certain amount of fat to exist.  It’s an important part of a healthy body because it is used to create cell membranes, hormones and is necessary for other functions of the body. Like everything in nature, it only becomes a problem when there is an imbalance so it is important to know your cholesterol level. Cholesterol levels are measured in Cholesterol Numbers [see below]. A high level of cholesterol in the blood known as ‘hypercholesterolemia’ is a significant risk factor for heart disease which may lead to a stroke or heart attack.

Cholesterol Numbers – processing the fat – Cholesterol and Triglycerides

The processing of fat begins when it gets absorbed in the intestines.  From there it travels to the liver. The fat requires a transportation system to provide access to the rest of the body, to be used immediately but also to be stored in fat cells for future use.

In order for the fat to enter the delivery system, while it is in the liver it is split into two different types of fat, cholesterol and triglycerides. Triglycerides originate from fats in food. We consume calories in our food and those calories that are not used straight away are converted into triglycerides and stored in fat cells. Once this transformation takes place, the two types of fat (cholesterol and triglycerides) are packed into vehicles for carrying the fat to the fat cells throughout the body using the bloodstream.  Cholesterol can not dissolve in the blood. These vehicles or carriers are called lipoproteins.

How do you know your Cholesterol Numbers?

Your Cholesterol numbers are determined by having a blood test known as a ‘lipoprotein profile’

There are three types of lipoproteins:

§ – Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL) – about two-thirds of blood cholesterol is carried by LDL

§ – High Density Lipoproteins (HDL) – about one fifth of blood cholesterol is carried by HDL. It is believed there are usually higher levels of HDL cholesterol in women.

§ – Very Low Density Lipoproteins (VLDL) – low levels of triglycerides are transported in the bloodstream as VLDL.

What are the Cholesterol Numbers?

Cholesterol levels are measured in milligrams (mg) of cholesterol per deciliter (dL) of blood.

Total Cholesterol

Below 200 mg/dl -                                                                       Desirable

200 – 239 mg/dl -                                                                       Borderline High

240 mg/dl and above -                                                               High

LDL Cholesterol

Below 100 mg/dl -                                                                      Optimal

100 – 129 mg/dl -                                                                       Near Optimal

130 – 159 mg/dl -                                                                       Borderline High

160 – 189 mg/dl -                                                                       High

190 mg/dl and above -                                                               Very High

HDL Cholesterol

Below 40 mg/dl -                                                                       Bad

40 – 59 mg/dl -                                                                          Better

60 mg/dl and above -                                                                Best

Triglycerides

Below 150 mg/dl -                                                                     Desirable

150 – 199 mg/dl -                                                                      Borderline High

200 – 499 mg/dl -                                                                      High

500 or above -                                                                          Very High

What do the Cholesterol 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 level. This is not the case in the UK.  The three terms:

v     total cholesterol       v     blood cholesterol v     serum cholesterol

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

Your test results will come in with three numbers for:

v    total Cholesterol v    ldl Cholesterol v    hdl Cholesterol

Total Cholesterol Level….

For total cholesterol 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’.

LDL Cholesterol ….

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

HDL Cholesterol ….

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.

Triglyceride….

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

Which type of lipoprotein is present depends on how much protein there is in relation to the fat.

Under normal circumstances, the bloodstream does a very efficient job of moving the LDL and HDL Lipoproteins around the body.

Cholesterol is a waxy, type of fat (lipo) like substance that presents itself naturally in cell walls and membranes everywhere in your body.  Your body uses cholesterol to produce many hormones.  It also uses it to produce vitamin D and the bile acids that help to digest fat.

Too much blood cholesterol means high cholesterol numbers….

Where problems arise is when there is an over abundance of cholesterol in your bloodstream.  The cholesterol deposited by the LDL leads to a narrowing or blocking of the blood vessels.

If this occurs, the excess can be deposited on the walls of the arteries of the heart which may result in stroke or heart disease.  This is called ‘atherosclerosis’.  This is why LDL is known as “bad cholesterol”.

A ‘stroke’ is caused by a blood clot forming as a result of this narrowing of the arteries and blocking the flow of the blood to the brain.

A ‘heart attack’ is when a similar blood clot forms and blocks or restricts the blood flow to the heart.

Medical opinion suggests that there are benefits to HDL. It is believed HDL collects bad cholesterol and returns it to the liver where it leaves the body.  That’s why HDL is known as “good cholesterol”.

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