High Cholesterol Are You at Risk?

What Is Considered High Cholesterol?

Did you know that it’s possible that you can have high cholesterol and not even be aware of it? Studies from the World Health Organization indicate that almost 16% of all Americans haven't been diagnosed or treated for their high levels of cholesterol. These astonishing numbers should make it all the more important to be screened regularly for the situation.

However, realizing your cholesterol number isn't the only important part of information to determine if you are healthy or not. There are two various types of cholesterol including LDL and HDL that provide a completely different function in the body. Having high levels of LDL cholesterol can be quite dangerous to the body, whereas high levels of HDL are, on the other hand, beneficial.

What exactly is cholesterol?

To define cholesterol, it is a waxy, sticky buttery product that is essential to body function. Every individuals body creates all the cholesterol it will ever need. Furthermore, cholesterol comes from foods , such as shellfish, meats, dairy products and shellfish. For being healthy, your body needs some cholesterol to help with the digestion process in order to make vitamin D and hormones.

However, eating excessive LDL is not a positive thing. If the body is filled with cholesterol it can easily stick to the inside of artery walls. As the artery walls begin to develop with the sticky substance, it starts to harden and turn into plaque which can easily narrow and prevent the flow of blood. Eventually, the buildup will lead to atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).

High levels of LDL cholesterol have been directly linked to the elevated risk of heart disease. As there are no signals to individuals experiencing high cholesterol, it could easily get out of the control before being found. Individuals that are overweight, consume a lot of fatty foods, or have a family track record of high-cholesterol are at greater risk for coronary artery disease.

The cholesterol in your body is delivered through the bloodstream as lipoproteins. The 2 types of lipoproteins include:

High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) - Typically termed as the good cholesterol, it naturally transports fats through the body to the liver for removal.

Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) - This cholesterol is commonly referred to as the bad cholesterol, because in large quantities, it will eventually result in a hardening of the arteries. Every individual with high cholesterol levels is at great risk of developing cardiovascular illnesses.

 High-Level Cholesterol Numbers

Your physician will probably order a blood test to determine your cholesterol numbers for diagnosis of your health, utilizing the following guidelines:

HDL Cholesterol Level:

• Less than 50 mg/dL for women and less than 40 mg/dL for men usually indicates high risk of heart disease.

LDL Cholesterol Level:

• Optimal is less than 100 mg/dL.

• Near Optimal is 100 to 129 mg/dL.

• Borderline is 130 to 159 mg/dL.

• High cholesterol is 160 to 189 mg/dL.

• Very high cholesterol is 190 mg/dL and up.

Should you find that you have high-cholesterol, it is essential to avoid smoking, get routine workouts, and stick to a heart-healthy diet.