What is LDL and HDL Cholesterol?

It is your responsibility to stay healthy and advocate for you and your family. Untreated high cholesterol can lead to a heart attack or stroke and they both may be preventable. By discussing your lifestyle, activities, and behaviors that affect your health, your doctor or health care provider can help you to prevent and avoid chronic illnesses. Likely topics are injury prevention, nutrition and exercise, substance abuse (including alcohol, tobacco, and drugs), and activities that place you at higher risk, including, for example, your occupation and sexual activities. Make the changes that you can and work on areas that present difficulty. Even small changes in your life can be the beginning of better health. For example, good eating habits not only can help lower your cholesterol but also may reduce other stroke risk factors such as high blood pressure and being overweight. While we cannot change our family history, age or gender, some of the areas in our control are:

• Diet
• Exercise
• Weight
• Following your doctors advice carefully
• Taking prescribed medications properly
• Stop smoking
• Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• Being physically active
• Eating habits/disorders
• Obeying seat belt laws
• Knowing your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar

I am not a doctor but I have had to deal head on with many health challenges since my husband is an insulin dependent Type 2 diabetic with complications. He had a stroke in 2004 which left him with right-side weakness, a heart attack in 2006, has had over 44 blood transfusions in one year, had his gall bladder removed in 2007, renal failure and on dialysis since 2007 (in need of a kidney transplant), and he is wheelchair bound, not to mention, he takes 22 pills a day just to stay alive.  I am his fulltime caregiver.  I am a health advocate of Chairman of the Board of Healthier-U-4-Life Empowerment Council in Washington, D.C., a nonprofit organization advocating, educating and promoting health, and wellness. In addition to the medication and dialysis, we maintain a very strict diabetic/renal diet.

Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a soft, waxy fat (lipid) that is made by the body. Cholesterol is found in some foods, such as eggs, meats and dairy products. It is found in the bloodstream and in all of your body’s cells. Because cholesterol does not dissolve in the blood on its own, it must be carried to and from cells by particles called lipoproteins. There are to types of lipoproteins: low-density (LDL) and high density lipoproteins (HDL). High levels of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and triglycerides (blood fats) raise the risk of ischemic (clot caused) stroke. Plague can also increase risk of a mini-stroke called transient ischemic stroke (TIA) where stroke symptoms go away within 24 hours. High levels of HDL (good) cholesterol also may reduce stroke risk. High cholesterol can increase your risk for stroke by raising your risk for heart disease, a stroke risk factor since cholesterol or plaque build-up in the arteries can block normal blood flow to the brain and cause a stroke.

What is LDL Cholesterol?

LDL cholesterol is often referred to as “bad” cholesterol. LDL carries cholesterol into the blood stream and to your tissues where your body can store it. This type of cholesterol can cause plague build-up, a thick, hard substance that can clog arteries. The plaque can eventually cause arteries to narrow or become blocked completely, causing stroke or heart attack.

What is HDL Cholesterol?

HDL cholesterol is often referred to as “good” cholesterol since HDL carries cholesterol away from the tissues to the liver, where it is filtered out of the body. High levels of HDL seem to protect against stroke and heart attack. However, a low HDL level may indicate a greater stroke or heart attack risk.

What does cholesterol levels mean?

Most people have no idea what their cholesterol levels are or what they mean. Cholesterol levels are measured in milligrams (mg) of cholesterol per deciliter (dL) of blood. Combined LDL and HDL cholesterol should not equal more than 200 mg/dL. If the total cholesterol is more than 200 or if the HDL level is less than 40, risk of stroke and heart attack could increase.

General Cholesterol Guidelines

Total Cholesterol

• Less than 200 mg/dl Desirable
  200-239 mg.dL Borderline
  240 mg/dL and above High

LDL Cholesterol

• Less than 100 mg/dL Optimal (ideal)
• 100-129 mg/dL Near optimal/above optimal
• 120-159 mg/dL Borderline high
• 160-189 mg.dL High
• 190 mg/dL or above Very high

HDL Cholesterol

• Less than 40 mg/dL Major heart disease factor
• 60 mg/dL and above Gives protection against heart disease

How often should you be checked for high cholesterol?

Your doctor can give you a simple blood test to check your cholesterol. Those with a family history of high cholesterol, men older than 45 and women older than 55 should be checked more frequently than adults age 20 and older who can have their cholesterol checked at least once every couple of years.

What can you do to manage your cholesterol?

Eat a healthy diet by eating low-fat, low-sodium food, especially foods trans fat free, low in saturated fat, including lean meats, such as, chicken and fish, vegetables, fruits, low-fat dairy products and a limited number of egg yolks, baked, broiled, steamed or grilled food (rather than frying); and add fiber to your diet, including whole grains or dried beans. Every little bit of exercise can improve your health.