High Blood Cholesterol - what you need to know

According to the American Heart Association approximately 102.3 million American adults have total blood cholesterol values of 200 mg/dL and higher, and of these about 41.3 million American adults have levels of 240 or above. In adults, total cholesterol levels of 240 mg/dL or higher are considered high risk, and levels from 200 to 239 mg/dL are considered borderline-high risk.

Cholesterol is important because your blood cholesterol level is a major factor in determining your risk of developing heart disease. The higher your blood cholesterol, the higher your risk of developing heart disease or having a heart attack. Heart disease is the number one cause of death among both women and men in the United States. Every year more than one million U.S. residents have heart attacks and about half of those heart attacks are fatal.

Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like, substance in your blood that builds up in the walls of the arteries; eventually, this build up of cholesterol causes a narrowing of the arteries and restriction of blood flow to the heart can become slow or blocked. Oxygen is carried through the blood to your heart; if your heart does not receive enough blood or oxygen you may experience chest pain. If there is a complete blockage in your arteries then a heart attack occurs.

If you have high blood cholesterol, you may not be aware of the potential problem since high blood cholesterol alone does not cause symptoms. This lack of symptoms makes it imperative that everyone (recommendations are for those 20 and over) is tested and knows their blood cholesterol numbers. If you have high blood cholesterol, lowering your numbers will significantly reduce your risk of heart disease and heart attack. High cholesterol can affect both males and females of all ages; my teenage son has very high (over 400) cholesterol levels, as well as triglycerides, which is quite scary for a parent.

To find out what your blood cholesterol numbers are you need to have a blood test called a "lipoprotein profile." You must fast for nine to 12 hours before your test. The lipoprotein profile provides information about your:

total cholesterol 

LDL or bad cholesterol -- LDL cholesterol is the primary source of cholesterol build up and blockage in your arteries.
HDL or good cholesterol -- HDL cholesterol helps to keep LDL cholesterol from building up in your arteries.
triglycerides -- Triglycerides are another type of fat in your blood.

Total cholesterol levels that are under 200 mg/dL are the most desirable; blood cholesterol levels from 200 to 239 mg/dL are indicative of borderline high cholesterol; levels of 240 mg/dL and above indicate high blood cholesterol levels.

FYI: Cholesterol levels are measured in milligrams (mg) of cholesterol per deciliter (dL) of blood. 

What LDL cholesterol category am I in? 

Less than 100 mg/dL = Optimal 
100-129mg/dL = Near optimal/above optimal
130-159 mg/dL = Borderline high
160-189 mg/dL= High
190 mg/dL and above= Very high

The good HDL cholesterol provides protection against heart disease; the higher your HDL number is, the lower your risk of developing heart disease or having a heart attack. However, if your HDL cholesterol number is lower than 40 mg/dL your risk is considerably higher than someone whose HDL is 60 mg/dL or higher.

Heart disease risk also increases in people who have high triglyceride levels. Some people may need treatment for high triglycerides if their level is borderline high (150-199 mg/dL) or high (200 mg/dL or more).