What Is High Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a lipid, a type of fat found in the body. Having high
"bad" cholesterol means you have too much LDL in your blood. LDL is
low-density lipoprotein, or "bad" cholesterol.
Too much cholesterol in the blood, or high cholesterol, can be
serious. People with high cholesterol are at risk of getting heart
disease. This can lead to a heart attack or stroke.
Only about 20% of cholesterol comes from the foods you eat. The other
80% is made by your body. Things such as age and family health history
affect how much cholesterol your body makes.
Cholesterol levels tend to rise as you get older. Unfortunately, there
are usually no signs that you have high cholesterol. But it can be
detected with a blood test. These tests can also help your doctor
predict what your risk for heart disease may be.
Total Cholesterol
Your blood test report will show your cholesterol levels in milligrams
per deciliter of blood (mg/dL). The total number is based on:
-
LDL ("bad" cholesterol)
-
HDL ("good" cholesterol)
-
Triglyceride (a type of fat found in your blood) levels
|
Total Cholesterol Levels
|
What It Means
|
|
Source: American Heart Association
|
|
Less than 200 mg/dL
|
Desirable
|
|
200-239 mg/dL
|
Borderline high risk for heart disease
|
|
240 mg/dL and above
|
High risk for heart disease
|
The 2 Types of Cholesterol: LDL and HDL
Bad cholesterol: Low-density lipoprotein (LDL)
Too much LDL in your blood can clog arteries. This can increase the
risk of heart attack and stroke.
|
LDL Cholesterol Levels
|
What It Means
|
|
Source: American Heart Association
|
|
Less than 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
|
Good cholesterol: High-density lipoprotein (HDL)
High levels of HDL can help protect you from a heart attack or
stroke. HDL carries cholesterol from the body's tissues to the liver.
So, low levels of HDL can increase the risk of heart disease.
|
HDL Cholesterol Levels
|
What It Means
|
|
Source: American Heart Association
|
|
Less than 40 mg/dL
|
High risk for heart disease
|
|
40-59 mg/dL
|
Less risk for heart disease
|
|
60 mg/dL
|
Desirable
|
If you're worried about high cholesterol and heart disease, make an
appointment to speak with your doctor. LIPITOR is clinically proven
to lower bad cholesterol 39-60%, when diet and exercise are not
enough (average effect depending on dose).
