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KNOW
YOUR NUMBERS: WHAT'S YOUR CHOLESTEROL?
High blood
cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease. According
to the American Heart Association (AHA), more than 50 million
women have blood cholesterol levels high enough to pose a
serious risk for heart disease and stroke.
Cholesterol
is a type of fat found in your blood and in all the cells
in your body. High cholesterol raises your risk of heart disease
and heart attack because it can begin to clog the arteries
that deliver blood to your heart and other parts of your body.
It's Important To Know That Cholesterol
Comes From Two Sources:
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You
may not know that the majority of cholesterol is produced
naturally in the body, based upon your family history.
This cholesterol is used to produce hormones, vitamin
D and the bile acids that aid in digesting fat. Many people
are genetically predisposed to make more cholesterol than
they need. |
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Foods
that contain certain types of fats can raise your cholesterol
level. Foods high in saturated fats, such as dairy products
made from whole milk, for example, raise your cholesterol
level. Foods from animal sources, such as eggs yolks,
meat and cheese also contain cholesterol. A third type
of fat, trans fat (the type of fat from vegetable oil
artificially hardened to be solid at room temperature)
can also raise cholesterol levels. |
New guidelines issued by the AHA recommend that healthy individuals limit the amount of cholesterol they consume to no more than 300 mg of cholesterol daily. The AHA recommends that people with high LDL cholesterol levels or who take cholesterol-lowering medication aim for less than 200 mg of cholesterol per day.
Other
factors can contribute to high cholesterol—some of which
you can control and some you can't:
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Diabetes.
Many people with diabetes have unique problems controlling
their cholesterol levels. The combination of diabetes
and high cholesterol can mean an increased risk of heart
attack and stroke. |
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Weight.
If you are overweight, your risk is greater for developing
high cholesterol and heart disease. |
| • |
Physical
activity. Being active regularly can affect cholesterol
levels in a positive way. Being inactive can cause you
to have elevated cholesterol levels. |
High
blood cholesterol doesn't have any symptoms. And, it is also
a condition that may have you fooled for other reasons. For
example, you don't have to be overweight or over 65 to have
high cholesterol. Thin, healthy people can have high cholesterol,
too. So can younger people—even children. So, it's important
to have your cholesterol tested to "Know Your Numbers."
Types
of Blood Cholesterol
Cholesterol travels
in the blood in packages called lipoproteins, which consist
of lipids (fats) and protein. Cholesterol packaged in low-density
lipoprotein (LDL) is often called "bad" cholesterol
because too much LDL in the blood can lead to cholesterol
buildup and blockage in the arteries. LDL carries most of
the cholesterol in the blood.
Another type of
cholesterol package is high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and
is sometimes called "good" cholesterol. That's because
HDL helps transport cholesterol from other parts of the body
to the liver, which helps remove it from the body, preventing
it from piling up in the arteries.
Know
Your Numbers
Cholesterol levels are measured in milligrams per deciliter
(mg/dL). The National Cholesterol Education Program recommends
that everyone age 20 and over has a blood cholesterol test
every five years to check all the different cholesterol levels
in their body that can contribute to heart disease, more often if they have a family history of high cholesterol or other risk factors. The test
requires that you not eat anything for 12 hours before the
test and then have blood drawn from a vein, usually your arm,
to be tested in a laboratory. If your blood cholesterol levels
are above or below certain ranges that are considered healthy,
your health care professional will likely recommend lifestyle/dietary
changes first and then, if those don't work, cholesterol-lowering
medications, which have been proven to save lives may be prescribed.
Cholesterol
Ranges "At-A-Glance" Guidelines
(These guidelines are intended for healthy individuals with
no risks for heart disease.)
Total
Blood Cholesterol Levels
|
Category
|
Cholesterol
Range
|
| Desirable |
less
than 200 mg/dL |
| Borderline
high |
200
to 239 mg/dL |
| High |
240
mg/dL or above |
LDL
Blood Cholesterol Levels
|
Category
|
Cholesterol
Range
|
| Optimal |
less
than 100 mg/dL |
| Near
optimal/above optimal |
100
to 129 mg/dL |
| Borderline
high |
130
to159 mg/dL |
| High |
160
to 189 mg/dL |
| Very
high |
190
mg/dL and above |
(Note: Updated
guidelines released in July 2004 encourage health care professionals
to consider lower treatment goals for LDL cholesterol For additional
information visit: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov.)
HDL
Blood Cholesterol Levels
|
Category
|
Cholesterol
Range
|
| Optimal |
Above
60 mg/dL. Levels above 60 mg/dL are considered especially
beneficial and can offset risk factors for heart disease |
| Desirable |
Above 40 mg/dL for men; above 50 mg/dL for women. The higher your level, the healthier it is |
| Major
risk factor for heart disease |
less than 40 mg/dL for men; less than 50 mg/dL for women |
Source: The American Heart Association
Triglycerides are
complex lipoproteins that can also raise your risk for heart
disease. The American Heart Association recommends the following
ranges for triglycerides.
Triglyceride
Levels
|
Category
|
Range
|
Normal
|
less
than 150 mg/dL |
| Borderline
high |
150
to 199 mg/dL |
| High |
200
to 499 mg/dL |
| Very
high |
500
mg/dL or higher |
Cholesterol
Ranges for Children, Ages 2 to 19
|
Category
|
Total
Blood Cholesterol Ranges
|
LDL
Blood Cholesterol Ranges
|
| Acceptable |
less
than 170 mg/dL |
less
than 110 mg/dL |
| Borderline
high |
170
to 199 mg/dL |
110
to 129 mg/dL |
| High |
200
mg/dL or greater |
130
mg/dL or greater |
Source: American
Heart Association
Sources
consulted for this information:
"What
Are Healthy Levels of Cholesterol?" American Heart Association.
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=183
"High
Blood Cholesterol." Diseases and Conditions Index. National
Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Hbc/HBC_WhatIs.html.
"Implications
of the Recent Clinical Trials for the National Cholesterol
Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III Guidelines."
Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. July
13, 2004. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/cholesterol/atp3upd04.pdf.
Accessed July 2004.
"Highlights
of the Report of the Expert Panel on Blood Cholesterol Levels
in Children and Adolescents. National Education Program."
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Public Health
Service. National Institutes of Health. NIH Publication No.
91-2732.
"Cholesterol
and Atherosclerosis in Children." AHA Scientific Position.
http://www.americanheart.org.
Supported
by a grant from Merck-Schering/Plough Pharmaceuticals
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