Healthy Cholesterol Levels for Women
Cholesterol levels in the blood are impacted by both hereditary factors and diet. Cholesterol is produced naturally by the body but also affected by the things you eat. So, both an overproduction of cholesterol by the body and a poor diet can cause unhealthy cholesterol levels, as can smoking and other unhealthy lifestyle choices. Women tend to have higher levels of good cholesterol than men as a result of higher levels of estrogen in the body, which in part explains why pre-menopausal women have a lower risk of heart disease than men.
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Total Blood/Serum Cholesterol Level
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Your total blood cholesterol level is one of several numbers you receive when you get your cholesterol levels checked. The optimal total blood cholesterol level for women is at or below 200 mg/dL. A total blood cholesterol level between 200 mg/dL and 239 mg/dL puts you in a borderline high-risk group, and, depending on your other cholesterol levels, you may be at an increased risk of heart attack or stroke. A total blood cholesterol level at or over 240 mg/dL is a high-risk blood cholesterol level, which requires medication and/or lifestyle modification to reduce cholesterol levels and accordingly reduce the risk of stroke or heart attack (which is twice that of a woman with normal blood cholesterol levels).
HDL (Good) Cholesterol Level
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HDL is considered to be good cholesterol within the body. Women naturally produce more HDL as a result of estrogen, especially during their child bearing years. A higher HDL number is a better cholesterol reading than a lower HDL number. The healthiest level of HDL in the body is 60 mg/dL or higher. Most women average between 50 and 60 mg/dL. Levels below 50 mg/dL are considered to be high risk.
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LDL (Bad) Cholesterol Level
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Your LDL level measures the level of bad cholesterol in the blood. The optimum LDL level for women is a number at or below 100 mg/dL. A reading between 100 mg/dL and 129 mg/dL is considered average for women. A number between 130 mg/dL and 159 mg/dL is considered to be borderline high risk. A level between 160 mg/dL and 189 mg/dL is considered to be high risk. Anything above 190 mg/dL is considered to be very high risk.
Triglyceride Level
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Triglyceride is not a cholesterol but does impact your cholesterol, so you are usually given a triglyceride reading with a cholesterol test. Women also tend to have higher triglyceride levels than men, according to the American Heart Association. For women, triglyceride levels range between 50 mg/dL and 250 mg/dL, with older women exhibiting higher triglyceride levels. Obesity and poor diet can also raise triglyceride levels. A level between 200 and 499 is considered to be high, and a level above 500 mg/dL is usually associated with high LDL levels and/or low HDL levels.
Lowering Cholesterol
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Women with unhealthy cholesterol numbers should take steps to lower levels of bad cholesterol and raise good cholesterol. This can include eating right, exercising often, refraining from smoking and drinking no more than one alcoholic beverage daily. Medication may also be necessary, especially if the high cholesterol is impacted by hereditary factors.
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