Normal Cholesterol Levels

Normal Cholesterol Levels .. Understanding Your Numbers

As cholesterol levels are important in many ways it is vital that you really understand what your cholesterol levels mean?

Getting your cholesterol level checked about every five years after you reach the age of twenty will help you to stay safer. You can be certain that you know your numbers and that they are within normal limits. The issue is that many people simply take the doctor’s word for it that their cholesterol is safe and normal, so they don’t look any further at ways to keep it normal. Most people honestly don’t know what the numbers mean.

Your normal cholesterol levels test is common called a lipo-profile. It is a measurement of the different kinds of fat or cholesterol in your body. They break down in this way:

LDL – This is also the low density cholesterol, or what you may hear referred to as bad cholesterol. It is the cholesterol that can cause damage to your heart and your veins and ateries.

HDL – High density lipoproteins or cholesterol are the kind of cholesterol which is known as the Good, or healthy cholesterol.

Your Triglycerides - Also part of the cholesterol or fats in the body, these are fats which are present in your blood because of extra calories, alcohol consumption, or eating a lot of sugar, all of which are stored in your body as fat.

When you receive the results of your testing, they will come as numbers. The numbers mean different things, of course. Here is how to interpret your own numbers so that you can tell where you stand. Even if you are not high enough to be concerned just yet, getting your bad cholesterol down and your good cholesterol up isn’t going to do anything at all except improve your health and lower your risks.

LDL – Levels (Low Density, or Bad Cholesterol)

The LDL Levels should ideally stay under 100. If it does, that is what is known as optimal levels.From 100-130, is called near optimal. 130 up to 159 is called borderline. This means it is higher than it should be.Over 160 and up to 189 is considered high and anything over 190 is considered very high.

LDL is the fat that can build up on the arterial walls, narrowing that lumen. It can contribute to heart disease or to high blood pressure. Keeping those levels where they should be is very important.

HDL levels (the good cholesterol needs to be a little higher)

The higher your HDL, the lower your risk of heart disease. Keeping your numbers over 60 is considered optimal. Below 40 is considered to be a risk for heart disease either now or later in life.

Knowing where your levels should fall and staying within those limits is important to your overall health.

Know your numbers and whether they would be considered as normal cholesterol levels - keep them in good standing.