What is Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a waxy substance that is needed by our bodies to make cell membranes and some hormones, and serves other needed bodily functions. Too much cholesterol in the blood is a major risk for coronary heart disease (which leads to heart attack) and for stroke.
What is High Cholesterol?
Most heart and blood vessel disease is caused by a buildup of cholesterol, plaque and other fatty deposits in artery walls. The arteries that feed the heart can become so clogged that the blood flow is reduced, causing chest pain. If a blood clot forms and blocks the artery, a heart attack can occur. Similarly, if a blood clot blocks an artery leading to or in the brain, a stroke results.
How Can I Lower High Cholesterol?
Focus on low-saturated-fat, trans fat-free, low-cholesterol foods such as these:
- A variety of fruits and vegetables
- A variety of grain products like bread, cereal, rice and pasta, including whole grains
- Fat-free and low-fat milk products
- Lean meats and poultry without skin
- Fatty fish
- Beans and peas
- Nuts and seeds in limited amounts (4 to 5 servings per week)
- Unsaturated vegetable oils like canola, corn, olive, safflower and soybean oils (but a limited amount of margarines and spreads made from them)
What do my lipid panel results mean?
|Less than 200 mg/dl||Desirable-lower risk|
|200-239 mg/dl*||Borderline high-higher risk|
|240 mg/dl and above*||High blood cholesterol|
*If your Cholesterol is in these ranges, make an appointment with your healthcare provider for follow-up.
HDL (good) Cholesterol
About one-fourth to one-third of blood cholesterol is carried by high-density lipoprotein (HDL). HDL cholesterol is known as â€œgoodâ€� cholesterol, because high levels of HDL protect against heart attack. Low levels of HDL (less than 40 mg/dL) also increase the risk of heart disease.
|HDL Cholesterol Level||Category|
|Less than 40 mg/dL*||Higher risk|
|40-59 mg/dL*||Borderline high-high risk|
|60 mg/dL and above||Lower risk|
*If your HDL is in these ranges, make an appointment with your healthcare provider for follow-up.
LDL (bad) Cholesterol
When too much LDL (bad) cholesterol circulates in the blood, it can slowly build up in the inner walls of the arteries that feed the heart and brain. Together with other substances, it can form plaque, a thick, hard deposit that can narrow the arteries and make them less flexible.
|LDL Cholesterol Level||Category|
|Less than 100 mg/dL||Optimal|
|100-129 mg/dL||Near or above optimal|
|130-159 mg/dL*||Borderline high|
|190 mg/dL and above*||Very high|
*If your LDL is in these ranges, make an appointment with your healthcare provider for follow-up.
The most common type of fat in your body. They’re also a major energy source. They come from food, and your body also makes them. As people get older, gain excess weight or both, their triglyceride and cholesterol levels tend to rise.
|Less than 150 mg/dL||Normal|
|150-199 mg/dL*||Borderline high|
|500 mg/dl and above*||Very high|
*If your Triglyceride is in these ranges, make an appointment with your healthcare provider for follow-up.