What Is Good Cholesterol: HDL & LDL?

Total cholesterol includes HDL (high-density lipoprotein), LDL (low-density lipoprotein) and VLDL (very-low-density lipoprotein).

What Is HDL?

• HDL is called the good cholesterol, because it removes the cholesterol from the walls of your blood vessels and takes it to your liver, where your body can get rid of the cholesterol.

HDL Level

• According to the American Heart Association, an HDL level of 60 mg/dL or higher helps protect against heart disease. Men with an HDL less than 40 mg/dL and women with less than 50 mg/dL are believed to be at a higher risk for heart disease.

What Is LDL?

• LDL is called the bad cholesterol because, as it circulates in your blood, accumulations can slowly build up in the arteries and go to the heart and brain.

LDL Level

• According to the American Heart Association, the optimal level of LDL is less than 100 mg/dL. Levels of 160 to 189 mg/dL are considered high, and levels above 190 mg/dL are very high.

VLDL

• Although VLDL is important, a test can't measure the level. VLDL contains a lot of triglycerides, so your doctor usually estimates your VLDL level as a percentage of your triglyceride level. According to the Mayo Clinic, a normal VLDL cholesterol level is between 5 and 40 mg/dL.

Fun Fact

• According to the Harvard Family Health Guide, LDL makes up 60 to 70 percent of total cholesterol, VLDL makes up 10 to 15 percent of total cholesterol, and HDL makes up 20 to 30 percent of total cholesterol.