Cholesterol Reading - what it means for your health

Cholesterol readings are often the starting point at which you radically change the way you live your life. If your reading is high your doctor will probably advise that you watch what you eat and take on more exercise. But what exactly is a cholesterol reading ? How is it arrived at in the first place ?

The standard cholesterol reading measures not only your LDL or "bad" cholesterol; it also takes a look at your current level of HDL or "good" cholesterol as well. LDL means low density lipoproteins and HDL means high density lipoproteins. Lipoproteins are a group of proteins that cholesterol attaches to when it is transported through the blood stream. Your total reading is calculated by adding the total mg/dl from both types of cholesterol together. This allows you to see the overall cholesterol level in your system.

Currently, any total reading over 240 is considered to be high risk. A person whose cholesterol reading is at this level is more likely to experience a poor blood circulation and high blood pressure. Ultimately this could lead to a stroke or heart attack. This individual would most likely be placed on medication immediately, and be advised to modify their lifestyle to include more exercise and a low fat/low cholesterol diet. This would get the cholesterol reading down as quickly as possible.

A total reading of between 200 and 239 is generally referred to as borderline. While not as immediately serious as a high-risk reading, persons who are in the borderline group nevertheless will be encouraged to make some changes. He or she will be told to get more exercise and cut back on some foods. The idea is to get the reading into a more desirable range, such as in 180-200 mg/dl. Often, the doctor will encourage exercise and diet as a way to accomplish this before prescribing any medications.

There is one school of thought that says the real key is not your total reading, but the ratio of good cholesterol to bad cholesterol that really makes the difference. With this formula, you would determine your true reading by taking the total reading and divide it by your HDL reading. The hope is that your ratio would be four or under, using this approach. Anything higher would indicate the need for medication and/or lifestyle changes.

As you get older it is a good idea to check your cholesterol reading more frequently. Armed with this information you can make changes to your lifestyle and eating habits. It is often better to be on top of a cholesterol reading than suddenly find out that it is too high and make some drastic changes. Prevention is the best strategy. Eating healthy and exercise will keep your cholesterol level down and the reading will be confirmation that this strategy is working.

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