What is a Safe Cholesterol Reading?

Physicians usually conduct blood tests on their patients every 6 months or at least once per year. These routine blood tests check for numerous things, such as cholesterol levels. Cholesterol is a fatty substance manufactured by the body and absorbed from foods that you consume. Cholesterol levels that are too high indicate potential risk for future artery blockages that may lead to life-threatening heart attacks.

Types of Cholesterol

• Cholesterol consists of three different types--LDL, HDL and triglycerides.

Cholesterol Measurements

• Cholesterol levels are determined by checking how many milligrams of cholesterol is present in each deciliter of blood.

Total Reading

• The total cholesterol reading, which contains both LDL and HDL cholesterol, should be less than 200 mg/dl. Any number between 200 and 239 is considered moderately high and any number more than 240 is considered dangerously high.

LDL Reading

• The LDL reading should be less than 70 mg/dl. Numbers between 70 and 159 are considered moderately high and numbers greater than 160 are considered dangerously high.

HDL Reading

• A healthy HDL reading should be at least 50 mg/dl, but it would be even better if the reading was greater than 60 mg/dl.

Triglycerides

• Triglyceride readings should be below 150 mg/dl. Readings above 150 are considered moderately high and a reading above 200 is considered dangerously high.