Top Five Things About High Cholesterol

While you may have heard from ads on TV or even your doctor that high cholesterol is bad, you may not really know what this means for you. Here is a look at the top five most important things that you should know about high cholesterol and why it is a problem.

High Cholesterol Kills

While this may sound a little blunt, high cholesterol is one of the most important risk factors when considering whether or not you are at risk for heart disease. Basically, the higher your cholesterol is, the more likely you are to develop heart disease and other coronary problems. These coronary problems can lead to heart attack, stroke, or even death. However, you may not always know if your cholesterol is high until it is too late. So find out what your number is and whether or not you need to lower it.

You Need Cholesterol

So now you are probably thinking, why not just cut cholesterol out of my diet completely? Well, the truth is that your body does need some cholesterol. Cholesterol is used to help build cells and hormones and use some vitamins. Animals and humans alike have cholesterol occurring naturally in their bodies – otherwise, your body would be unable to work as it should. So you have to find the balance between too much cholesterol and not enough.

How much cholesterol is too much and finding out how much you have

In order to find out how much cholesterol you have, you will need to go to your doctor for a blood test. The blood test will let you know how many milligrams of cholesterol you have per deciliter of blood. So, for example, if your number comes back at 250, you have 250 milligrams for every deciliter of blood.

For most people, their doctor will want them to have a total cholesterol level of 200 or less. This is a normal and healthy amount. After 240, you are considered to be at high risk for heart disease and other problems, and will need to take active steps to get your cholesterol level down. Anything in between is considered a moderate risk, and you will want to talk to your doctor about what you will need to do to get your cholesterol levels to a better number.

There is more than one kind of cholesterol

Your total cholesterol level is actually determined by three different types of cholesterol. Your LDL cholesterol is considered the "bad" type of cholesterol, and is is responsible for the coronary side effects. Your doctor will generally want you to have this type of cholesterol under 100 mg/DL. The second type of cholesterol is your HDL cholesterol, which is the "good" type of cholesterol. Too little of HDL will also cause coronary problems, so your doctor will usually want this number at 40 mg/DL or higher. The last type is VLDL cholesterol, though most doctors are not concerned with the number for this type.

You can bring down your cholesterol

Now you know that high cholesterol can be a problem, you should also know that you can bring it back down to a safe and healthy level. Your doctor will be able to let you know what your personal levels are, as well as the steps you can take to bring your cholesterol down to a healthy range. Some people can control their cholesterol levels with simple changes in diet and exercise, while more severe cases may also require medication.

Recommended Reading

1. Understanding Your Cholesterol
2. What Makes My Ldl Cholesterol High And What Can I Do About It
3. High Cholesterol And Other Health Conditions And Disease
4. All About Your Cholesterol Levels
5. High Cholesterol In Children