What are Cholesterol HDL LDL Levels?

When you think of cholesterol level, the usual thought is that it should be lower. However HDL and LDL levels are not the same thing. The higher the better is the usual case when it comes to HDL cholesterol levels. In fact your HDL levels are high density lipoproteins. Our bodies can never seem to have quite enough of them. Their role in our body is to carry cholesterol away from body tissues after LDL has carried it to them. Because LDL vastly outnumbers HDL by about 3 to 1, we're much better off if we can raise our HDL cholesterol levels.

There are several different ways that you will want to achieve this. On the list are the excessive smoking, alcohol, body weight, exercise and medications. Let's look at the actual numbers on this. You have to remember that the smallest changes in HDL levels are significant. It would be going to far to say it is exponential, but a 1 mg/dL increase in your HDL cholesterol levels means as much as a 2 to 4 percent reduction in risk of heart disease and cardiac problems in general.

Explaining The Numbers on HDL Cholesterol Levels

When we start thinking about HDL levels you need to remember that the numbers are different for men and women. In general, the average figure for HDL is approximately 40 mg/dL for what someone wants in HDL cholesterol levels. That is certainly the range that you have to think in terms of.

At this point we should go from risky HDL to average HDL to ideal HDL levels. The too-low danger flag about this goes out at 37 mg/dL for men and at 47 mg/dL for women. The normal range for men to have is about 40 to 50 mg/dL, and for women 50 to 60 mg/dL. The general target range for HDL cholesterol levels, but you have to remember that nothing is set in stone in this area, but it is about 60 mg/dL. A reasonable goal we can all set is and should be to increase HDL cholesterol levels by 10 mg/dL from whatever it is now.

As you can see there is a vast difference between your cholesterol HDL LDL levels. It is wise for you not to confuse the two of them. Common sense would be for you understand that HDL levels work in the exact opposite manner that cholesterol does, however your HDL levels is akin to monitoring your cholesterol in that they both play a huge role in your overall health. It amazes me how much people get so involved in their cholesterol levels that they forget about everything else. You can keep your HDL levels in regulation height by simply eating a balanced and nutritious combination of whole foods.

High cholestrol is a touchy subject for many of us. You could be one of those people who end up with a high cholestrol level and might have to take a prescription to help bring it back down to a safer state. If you do not bring it down to a healthy level for your body, you could end up with more problems. You could finish up in hospital with more serious complications such as artheoschelosis or heart disease.

With high cholestrol counts you actually have clots going trough you that can end up blocking an artery or vein that will cause you great discomfort and you may end up with the signs of a stroke or hear attack. The outcome would be having to go through an operation to try to open up the blockage. That would not only be hard for you to go through but it would also be hard for your family to see you go through it as well.

There is help out there and the main person that can help you out is you doctor. They have the ability to give you the proper medication to help bring your cholestrol level down to where it should be for you. By doing this it could save you a lot of pain in the future. The worse thing to do is find out the hard way that you have a cholestrol problem.

That may be when you end up in the hospital from heart complications that you were not aware of because you never went to the doctors for a check up when you thought you were healthy. The main advice that you could give or even receive is that you need to go to the doctor for a check up at least once a year and let them know if you have a family history of high cholestrol. If you do have such a history you may be more likely to suffer from it as well. That is something that your physician would need to decide.

Article submitted by guest author:  Sally Mundy

There are a number of approaches to reducing cholesterol levels. Examples include drug therapy, stopping smoking, loseing weight and having an active life style. Or you could do what most individuals who have high blood cholesterol do - switch to a low cholesterol diet.

Diet and Cholesterol Reduction

One of the most effective changes someone with high cholesterol can make it to switch to eating a healthy diet - one that contains lots of fruits and vegetables and is rich in antioxidants.

Foods that are rich in fiber are also good for reducing cholesterol in the blood stream. Fiber absorbs the cholesterol which is then passed through the liver before being excreted out of the body. Wholewheat cereals, bread, rice and pasta are examples of high fiber starchy foods.

The human body needs a certain amount of fat which can be obtained from protein rich foods such as fish, meat nuts and pulses. But, for a diet aimed at reducing cholesterol, avoid foods that are highly saturated with fat such as butter, ice cream, mayonnaise and pastries. Instead substitute them with low fat alternatives or unsaturated fats.

Cholesterol Reducing Medications

Nowadays there are a number of drug therapies available. These include the statins, niacin, fibric acid derivatives and bile acid binding resins. The statins are the most effective and most popular form of medication.

As well as reducing cholesterol the following simple steps will help you improve your health overall:

Salt and Weight Reduction

Salt, as we all know, contains sodium which is associated with high blood pressure, heart diseases and strokes. Carrying excess weight is also a factor. An overweight or obese individual has more chance of having heart problems, circulatory problems and cancer. Reducing weight is also important in reducing cholesterol.

Exercising For Health

Exercise boosts the metabolic rate and also helps to keep the heart healthy as well as improving the stamina, strength and toning of the body.

Quit smoking

It will not only make you look better it will also make you live longer.

Relax

Stress is the number one contributor to poor health. Stress has an effect on the immune system. It increases the blood pressure, disrupts your eating and sleeping patterns and behavior. Although it doesn’t have a direct effect on your cholesterol level, if you can manage stress then your chances of staying healthy will increase.

Decrease Alcohol Consumption

Drinking too much alcohol raises the level of the triglycerides, which leads to high blood pressure, heart failure and an increase in calorie intake. Realy excessive drinking sprees can also lead to heart attack and stroke.

If you've heard cholesterol spoken about often but still wonder what it really is a brief summary is provided below.

Cholesterol is a waxy, soft fat that is found in the blood and in the cells of all human beings. As with other fats, it has to be carried through the bloodstream and to and from the cells. This is done by proteins called lipoproteins. There are five different kinds of lipoproteins:

1.  High-density lipoproteins (HDL)
2.  Low-density lipoproteins (LDL)
3.  Very-low-density lipoproteins (VLDL)
4.  Intermediate-density-lipoproteins
5.  Chylomicrons

About 80% of cholesterol is produced by the liver and is very important to the production of hormones by the cell membranes. It is also required for the production of vitamin D and bile acids which, in turn, help in the digestion of fats. Cholesterol is also believed to help the cell connections in the brain that are vital for learning and memory. However, these benefits are devalued when cholesterol levels increase. Depending on the type of cholesterol and the amount of its elevation, serious health risks can occur.

The required amount of cholesterol is produced by the body itself - normally about a thousand milligrams each day. This means that taking in cholesterol-rich foods as a result of eating animals products is not really necessary. Saturated fats from animal foods such as egg yolks, poultry, fish and dairy products are rich sources of cholesterol. Food derived from plants like fruits, vegetables, and nuts, among others, tend to be cholesterol free.

There are a number of factors which can influence one’s cholesterol levels. Some of these include: weight, diet, amount of exercise, age, gender, heredity, and some medications.

Health Risks of High Cholesterol

A lot of health dangers are associated with high cholesterol levels. Atherosclerosis is a dangerous disorder where fats, cholesterol and other substances stick to the walls of the arteries damaging them and suppressing the flow of blood. Arterial disease, more familiarly known as heart disease, is top of the list among causes of death in America.

Warning signs are often not evident for these health problems. Angina or heart attacks usually happen when cholesterol builds up and it is advisable for everyone above the age of 20 to have their cholesterol levels checked at least once every five years. Being complacent may increase your risk factors and lead to poor health and greater medical expenses.