How to Tell LDL from HDL Cholesterol

Doctors once considered all cholesterol bad. The only number anyone paid attention to was the total cholesterol number. But health professionals discovered that cholesterol is similar to fat in that there is the good kind and the bad kind. Follow these steps to tell the difference between LDL (bad) cholesterol and HDL (good) cholesterol.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Pay attention to your cholesterol numbers, particularly as you grow older. Medical professionals document a connection between LDL cholesterol and heart disease and stroke. In addition to LDL and HDL numbers, lab reports show the amount of triglycerides and Lp(a) cholesterol, which is a type of LDL cholesterol.

2. Know that low-density lipoprotein, better known as LDL cholesterol, is the bad form of cholesterol that forms plaque, narrowing the arteries to the heart and brain. When a clot blocks the narrow artery, a heart attack or stroke occurs.

3. Work toward keeping LDL cholesterol numbers under 130 mg/dL, and under 100 mg if you already suffer from heart disease or diabetes.

4. Understand that high-density lipoprotein or HDL cholesterol is the good kind of cholesterol that cleans extra cholesterol out of the arteries. HDL cholesterol actually protects you from heart attack.

5. Look for high HDL numbers; the higher, the better. Over 50 mg/dL is ideal. Low HDL under 40 mg/dL increases your risk of heart disease.

6. Find out what your ratio of LDL to HDL cholesterol is, because this number is more important than your total cholesterol number. Divide the LDL level by the HDL level. Under 4.4 is a low risk. High risk starts with 11. In between is a moderate or average risk.

7. Get regular cholesterol testing if you have a history of high cholesterol or are taking cholesterol medication.

Tips & Warnings

• While diet is important, it only contributes 20 percent toward your total cholesterol. The remainder is made by your liver.

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