How to Read Cholesterol Numbers

Doctors recommend that patients begin to get cholesterol levels checked at the age of twenty. Find out any information about your family's history of heart disease, and be ready to answer questions about your diet, nutrition, and exercise to help provide your doctor with the information she needs to fully evaluate your testing in addition to your cholesterol numbers. Your test report will show your cholesterol levels in milligrams per deciliter of blood (mg/dL); you'll learn not only the total cholesterol, but how much good and bad cholesterol you have, which will help determine your risk for developing heart disease.

Instructions

• 1

  Identify your total blood cholesterol. If it's below 200 mg/dL, you may be at relatively low risk for coronary disease, although this does depend on the LDL (bad cholesterol) and HDL (good cholesterol) numbers, and on other health factors.

• 2

  Note if your total cholesterol is between 200--239 mg/dL, and work with your doctor to evaluate your risk for heart disease, as it may be high. However, a high HDL and low LDL count may lower your risk, even with a total cholesterol number of over 200 mg/dL.

• 3

  Work with your doctor closely to monitor a total cholesterol level of 240 mg/dL and over, as this may mean a high risk of coronary disease. A total cholesterol level of over 240 mg/dL can create twice the risk of heart disease.

• 4

  Determine the HDL (good cholesterol) levels within your total cholesterol count; less than 40 mg/dL for men and 50 mg/dL for women increases the risk of heart disease. A level of 60 mg/dL or higher of HDL cholesterol may provide protection against heart disease.

• 5

  Isolate your LDL (bad cholesterol) level. The lower it is, the lower the risk of heart attack or stroke. The optimal range for LDL is less than 100 mg/dL, while levels of 160 mg/dL and above are cause for concern.