Cholesterol Management and Numbers

Heart disease, the leading cause of death among Americans, is responsible for approximately 659,000 deaths annually. High cholesterol is one of the primary risk factors for heart disease, heart attack and stroke. While doctors can diagnose the condition from blood test results, many people don't understand what cholesterol is or how to interpret their lipid profile.

Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance in the blood essential for digesting foods, producing hormones and creating new cells. Your liver makes cholesterol naturally, but you also get cholesterol from eating meat and full-fat dairy. Cholesterol travels through the bloodstream in "packages" called lipoproteins. Your blood panel is broken down into low-density lipoproteins (LDL), high-density lipoproteins (HDL) and total cholesterol triglycerides.

How to Read Cholesterol Levels

Here's how to interpret your numbers and see if you're one of the 94 million Americans age 20 or older with high cholesterol:

Total cholesterol should be less than 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) of blood. This number combines HDL and LDL present in your blood.

HDL levels below 40 mg/dL are considered a major risk factor for heart disease. Ideally, your HDL level should be above 60 mg/dL. Also known as "good" cholesterol, HDLs not only remove cholesterol from the bloodstream and the artery walls but also take LDLs to the liver for disposal.

LDL results higher than 130 mg/dL are considered high. This "bad cholesterol" causes plaque buildup in the walls of blood vessels, eventually resulting in the hardening of the arteries. That hardening increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, intestinal damage, blood clots and blood flow.

Triglycerides are a form of fat that stores excess energy from the food you eat. If you have triglycerides levels greater than 150 mg/dL, you are at risk for metabolic syndrome—a combination of high blood pressure, blood sugar and body fat around the waist. These conditions are linked to increased risk for diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

How to Lower Your Levels

A well-constructed cholesterol reduction plan begins with lifestyle choices, such as:

Scheduling screenings. Adults 20 and older should schedule cholesterol checks every four to six years if low-risk. If older than 40, genetically predisposed or have a preexisting condition (high cholesterol, heart disease, smoking, diabetes or high blood pressure), you might need more frequent screenings.

Eat with purpose. Your doctor may recommend more nuts, avocados, fatty fish, whole grains, fruit and beans. High trans fats diets increase coronary heart disease risks by 25%. Start bringing your total cholesterol levels down by avoiding saturated fats and foods that contain high amounts of cholesterol. Instead, eat omega-3-rich fish like tuna and salmon to lower LDL.

Actively diminish your risk. Being overweight or obese increases the amount of bad cholesterol in your blood. It also causes insulin resistance. Losing as little as 10 pounds can significantly lower your risk. With diet and exercise, you could see improvement in as little as three to six months.

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