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What Is the Highest Number That Cholesterol Can Go?

High cholesterol is a serious health problem that can lead to adverse conditions such as high blood pressure and heart disease. Understanding cholesterol, and healthy cholesterol levels, is an important part of maintaining good health.

  1. HDL vs. LDL

    • Cholesterol comes in two forms, HDL and LDL, which have opposite effects on the body. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is the bad cholesterol that clogs arteries and leads to heart disease. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is good for you and has the reverse effect of LDL.

    Total Cholesterol

    • Total cholesterol is the combined level of HDL and LDL in your blood. A healthy total cholesterol level is below 200 mg/dL. Total cholesterol categories go up to 240 mg/dL. Anything above that is considered high.

    HDL

    • The higher the HDL level, the better. Above 60 mg/dL is healthy. Anything below 50 mg/dL for women or 40 mg/dL for men is considered poor.

    LDL

    • Optimal LDL levels are below 100 mg/dL. Between 160 and 189 mg/dL is high, and any level above that is very high.

    What Affects Cholesterol?

    • Cholesterol is most closely affected by the foods you eat. But factors such as smoking, obesity and genetics can play a role.

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