The Good and the Bad: Understanding Your Cholesterol Numbers

More than 70 million Americans have high cholesterol, a natural substance produced by your body and present in many foods. It’s essential in small amounts, but can become problematic when your numbers are too high.

See Stuart Felzer, MD, FACP, at Premium Healthcare, LLC, in Wilmington, Delaware, to schedule a cholesterol screening to detect high levels early before they cause a heart attack, stroke, or other life-threatening complications. 

Different types of cholesterol

Some forms of cholesterol are beneficial for your health, while others can contribute to diseases and serious complications. The different types of cholesterol present in your body include:

• Total cholesterol — total cholesterol circulating in your bloodstream (equaling the sum of your LDL plus HDL and 20% of your triglycerides)
• High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol — good cholesterol that clears out excess cholesterol in your body
• Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) — unhealthy cholesterol that can cause plaque buildup in arteries, increasing the risk of a stroke and heart attack
• Triglycerides — a type of fat that causes artery hardening and a higher risk of a stroke or heart attack

A lipid panel is a lab test that evaluates the amount of each type of cholesterol present in your bloodstream. It often requires fasting for 12 hours beforehand. 

What do my cholesterol numbers mean?

Use the following information to determine if your cholesterol numbers are within a healthy range.

Optimal cholesterol numbers are as follows:

• Total cholesterol, less than 200 mg/dL
• HDL cholesterol, 60 mg/dL or higher
• LDL cholesterol, less than 100 mg/dL
• Triglycerides, Less than 150 mg/dL

Borderline high cholesterol numbers fall in this range:

• Total cholesterol, 200 to 239 mg/dL
• HDL cholesterol, 40-60 mg/dL
• LDL cholesterol, 130 to 159 mg/dL
• Triglycerides, 150 to 199 mg/dL

Cholesterol danger zones include:

• Total cholesterol, at or above 240 mg/dL
• HDL cholesterol, less than 40 mg/dL
• LDL cholesterol, 160 mg/dL and higher
• Triglycerides, 200 mg/dL and higher

If your numbers aren’t within an optional range, Dr. Felzer helps you achieve your goals by offering healthy lifestyle modification and dietary supplement suggestions, along with medication prescriptions when necessary.

How often you should schedule cholesterol screenings

General guidelines for how often to have your cholesterol levels checked differ slightly for men and women.

For men, you should follow these guidelines:

• Ages 20-44, every five years
• Ages 45-65, every 1-2 years
• Ages 65 and older, yearly

For women, the guidelines are:

• Ages 20-54, every five years
• Ages 55-65, every 1-2 years
• Ages 65 and older, yearly

Dr. Felzer determines when to schedule cholesterol screenings based on your age, gender, diagnosis, and risk factors. Your schedule may differ from the general guidelines based on your health and risk factors.

How to reduce high cholesterol

Medication management, dietary supplements (e.g., omega-3s, flax seed, niacin, green tea extract, sterols, stanols) and a healthy diet are simple ways to normalize cholesterol and triglyceride levels. 

It’s helpful to eat fiber-rich plant foods and drink plenty of water. Avoid smoking, get enough sleep, exercise regularly, manage stress, limit or avoid alcohol, and maintain an ideal body weight to improve your numbers.

Schedule your next cholesterol screening at Premium Health by contacting us at our Wilmington, Delaware, office today.