Cholesterol Levels

Cholesterol level affects the chance of getting heart disease, the higher the cholesterol level is, the higher the chance of getting a heart disease.

Blood cholesterol level should be measured at least once every five years for those people aged twenty and above. A lipoprotein profile is a blood test done to find the cholesterol numbers; it is done after 9 – 12 hours of fasting and gives information about the total cholesterol;   low density lipoprotein-LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) high density lipoprotein-HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol) and triglycerides.

Measurement of cholesterol levels are made in milligrams (mg) of cholesterol per deciliter (dL) of blood. The higher the number of HDL cholesterol the better it is as this cholesterol protects against heart disease. HDL level of 60mg/dl or more helps in lowering the the risk of heart disease while and HDL of 40 mg/dl is considered a major risk factor and increase the chance of getting heart disease.

Ones diet, weight and physical activities affect their cholesterol level. These factors though are things in which something can be done about it. By reducing the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol in your diet, losing weight and engaging in physical activities can help in maintaining a healthy cholesterol level.