Cholesterol Levels

Keeping your cholesterol within healthy limits is essential to your overall health. The body needs some cholesterol to function, but too much can lead to serious health complications. Because high cholesterol does not generally cause any symptoms, your cholesterol levels could be at unhealthy levels for years and you would not know it.

To determine cholesterol health, a blood test is needed to measure the levels of cholesterol in the blood. Adults should have their cholesterol levels checked at least once every five years.

Testing Cholesterol Levels

A cholesterol blood test can help you know what your overall cholesterol health is by measuring the total cholesterol levels as well as the levels of both HDL cholesterol and LDL cholesterol.

The cholesterol blood test, called a lipid panel or lipid profile, generally reports the levels of:

Total cholesterol
HDL cholesterol
LDL cholesterol
Triglycerides

The cholesterol test results are most accurate if you do not eat or drink anything other than water for 9 to 12 hours before the blood sample is taken.

Guidelines for Cholesterol Levels

When you get the results for your cholesterol blood test, the levels will be reported in milligrams (mg) of cholesterol per deciliter (dL) of blood.

For good health, the goal is to have a healthy total cholesterol level as well as a high HDL level and a low LDL level.

The following guidelines can help you see if your cholesterol levels fall within a healthy range:

Total Cholesterol Level

Healthy: under 200 mg/dL
Borderline high: between 200-239 mg/dL
High: above 240 mg/dL

HDL Cholesterol Level

With HDL levels, a higher number is better. HDL is known as the "good" cholesterol.

Healthy: 60 mg/dL and above
Poor: less than 40 mg/dL (for men) and less than 50 mg/dL (for women)

LDL Cholesterol Level

With LDL levels, a lower number is better. LDL is known as the "bad" cholesterol.

Healthy: less than 100 mg/dL
Near healthy: 100 - 129 mg/dL
Borderline high: 130 - 159 mg/dL
High: 160 - 189 mg/dL
Very High: 190 mg/dL and above

Triglyceride Level

Healthy: less than 150 mg/dL
Border-line high: 150 to 199 mg/dL
High: 200 to 499 mg/dL
Very high: 500 mg/dL and above

Cholesterol Terms:

Total cholesterol - the total cholesterol number reported in a lipid profile is a measurement of the blood cholesterol in all the lipoproteins combined.

Lipoproteins - substances in the blood made up of protein and fat (lipid) that transport fat and fat-like substances (such as cholesterol) thru the blood to your cells.

HDL cholesterol - commonly referred to as the "good" cholesterol; HDL (high-density lipoprotein) is a type of cholesterol that transports cholesterol to the liver where it is broken down and then eliminated from the body. HDL cholesterol helps prevent arteries from becoming clogged. High HDL levels decrease the risk of heart disease.

LDL cholesterol - commonly referred to as the "bad" cholesterol; LDL (low-density lipoprotein) is a type of cholesterol that transports cholesterol throughout the body which can damage the blood vessels. LDL cholesterol can build-up on the inside of the artery walls and cause blockages that lead to heart attacks or strokes. High LDL levels increase the risk of heart disease.

Triglycerides - the most common type of fat in the body (the three classes of fats are triglycerides, phospholipids, sterols). Triglycerides are found in the bloodstream and are one of the three major sources of metabolic fuel that provide energy for the physiological processes of the body (the other two sources are carbohydrates and proteins). Triglycerides are produced in the liver; when you eat, the liver creates excess triglycerides and stores them in fat cells for later use. Triglycerides are a component of LDL ("bad") cholesterol; high triglyceride levels are associated with diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.