Define High Cholesterol - What Is The Ideal Cholesterol Level

Cholesterol performs many essential functions in the body. For example, it helps to convert sunlight to vitamin D in the body. This is an essential function for keeping the body healthy however cholesterol generally receives more bad press for it's affects on the body. Cholesterol only becomes a problem when there is too much of it in the body and the person is said to have high cholesterol. What is the definition of high cholesterol and what can you do to reduce this reading ?

80% of the cholesterol that the body needs is created naturally in the liver. The other 20% is acquired through the diet. Common foods that raise cholesterol levels are most animal products. Dairy products, for example, are a good source of cholesterol. Fatty meats also contain cholesterol. In fact many other types of fats will contribute to your cholesterol level. These are saturated fats and trans fats. Saturated fats are found in things like potato chips. Trans fats are found in biscuits and cakes. These types of fats are useful in making processed food because the fats add to the flavor and are cheap to use. Check out food labels when doing your weekly shop. Try to avoid foodstuffs high in these types of fats if you want to reduce your cholesterol.

How is cholesterol measured and what is a high reading.

Cholesterol is measures by taking a blood test. The reading that comes back is measured in terms of milligrams of cholesterol per deciliter of blood.

According to the American Heart Association there are some guidelines for cholesterol levels.

Total cholesterol should be less than 200 mg/dl

If the reading is 200 mg/dl to 239mg/dl then a person is considered to be borderline high.

240 mg/dl is considered to be high cholesterol. Anyone that has a reading at this level or above risks developing heart disease and other cardiovascular diseases.

Total cholesterol includes all types of cholesterol. This includes the common LDL and HDL cholesterol.

LDL cholesterol is often termed bad cholesterol because it is noted to stick to the artery walls. This can lead to a range of health complications such as atherosclerosis and eventually heart disease.

The reading for LDL cholestrol is less than 100mg/dl is optimal. Anywhere between 100mg/dl to 129 mg/dl is near optimal. Above these levels becomes a concern. 130mg/dl to 159mg/dl is borderline high. 160mg/dl to 189mg/dl is high and over this level is very high.

This is probably the most important cholesterol reading. If you can keep this level to an optimal level then issues like thickening of the walls and heart disease should be prevented (as a consequence of high cholesterol)

HDL cholesterol is considered to be good cholesterol because it helps transport excess cholesterol back to the liver where it is excreted.

In this case, the higher the HDL cholesterol the better. Ideally men should aim for 40mg/dl . Women should try to have a reading of 50mg/dl.