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What is the Ideal LDL Reading for a Woman?

Pre-menopausal women generally enjoy much lower cholesterol levels than men. After menopause, however, women's cholesterol levels can spike. And women of all ages need to keep an eye on their levels of LDL cholesterol.

  1. Identification

    • When you see the results of a cholesterol test, it is broken down into two readings. LDL is your low density lipoprotein, sometimes called "bad" cholesterol. HDL is your high density lipoprotein, sometimes called "good" cholesterol. Both are proteins that carry through blood to different parts of the body.

    Significance

    • LDL readings help determine your risk of heart disease. LDL tends to deposit fat in arteries, where it builds up into harmful plaque, narrowing the arteries and reducing their function. LDL also creates inflammation in cell walls. The more LDL you have, the higher your risk of heart disease or heart attack.

    Best Readings

    • An ideal LDL reading for anyone, including women, is less then 100 milligrams per deciliter of blood. If you have risk factors for heart disease, such as family history of early heart attack, being a smoker, being over 55 or having high blood pressure, your ideal reading is as low as 70 milligrams per deciliter of blood.

    Warning

    • An LDL measurement of 160 to 190 milligrams per deciliter of blood makes you high risk and a measurement of over 190 milligrams per deciliter of blood puts you at very high risk.

    Prevention/Solution

    • You can help lower your LDL by eating at least 10 grams of soluble fiber each day, adding two tablespoons of olive oil per day to your diet, eating two grams of plant sterols per day and drinking no more than 5 ounces of wine per day. You should also cut back on or eliminate saturated and trans fats from processed foods.

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