Know Your Numbers
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Managing your blood
glucose, or blood sugar, as well as your blood pressure and cholesterol
are crucial to preventing heart disease and stroke. You need to work with
your physician or other health care professional in order to do this.
When your health care professional says your blood pressure is "140 over 95" or your cholesterol is "150 mg/dL" it is important to know what these numbers mean. Click on the links below to find out the common numbers you should know about:
| • Blood Pressure | • Blood Cholesterol (and other lipids) |
| • Blood Sugar |
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:
| • | 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. |
| • | 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 a target of less than 200 mg of cholesterol daily if
you have heart disease.
Other
factors can contribute to high cholesterol -- some of which you can control
and some you can't:
| • | 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. |
| • | 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 have a blood cholesterol test every five years to check all the
different cholesterol levels in their body that can contribute to heart
disease. 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 |
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 | 40 to 59 mg/dL. The higher your level, the healthier it is |
| Major risk factor for heart disease | less than 40 mg/dL |
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
|
HLD
Blood Cholesterol Ranges
|
Triglyceride
Range
|
| Acceptable | less than 170 mg/dL | less than 110 mg/dL | Should be greater than or equal to 35 mg/dL | Should be less than or equal to 150 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 | - - - | -- |
Sources consulted for this information:
"What Are Healthy
Levels of Cholesterol?" American Heart Association. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?indentifier=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 an educational grant from Merck/Schering-Plough Pharmaceuticals.
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Date: 2/9/05 Date Last Updated: 6/2/05 |
