Finding the Ideal Cholesterol Ratio

Cholesterol is a fatty substance that naturally occurs in human blood. It is formed in the liver or digested from the foods you eat. Cholesterol performs important functions in your body. It aids in tissue and hormone formation. It protects your nerves. It aids in digestion. In fact, cholesterol helps form the structure of every cell in your body.

You've probably heard your doctor talk about good and bad cholesterol. It's true we need cholesterol to maintain good health. But too much LDL -- "bad" -- cholesterol and not enough HDL -- "good" -- cholesterol may lead to heart disease and stroke. To help avoid those problems, you need to maintain the proper ratio between good and total cholesterol.

How do you know what that ratio is? Once you know your cholesterol numbers, you can work with your doctor to find the ideal cholesterol ratio. Then, by making simple lifestyle changes such as eating a heart-healthy diet, exercising regularly, and taking cholesterol medications such as statins, you can work your way toward that ratio. By lowering your level of LDL cholesterol and increasing the level of HDL cholesterol, you can reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease.

How do good and bad cholesterol affect the body?

High-density lipoprotein, or HDL, is the good cholesterol. The benefit of HDL lies in the fact that it carries bad cholesterol back to the liver. In doing so, it cleanses cholesterol from the bloodstream.

Low-density lipoprotein, or LDL cholesterol, is the bad cholesterol. The higher the level of LDL cholesterol, the greater your risk of a heart attack. When the level of LDL cholesterol goes up, excess cholesterol can build up and stick to the walls of your arteries. This causes damage. The buildup is called plaque, and the formation of plaque can cause arteries to harden and narrow. This hardening is called atherosclerosis. It's also known as hardening of the arteries. If a plaque becomes unstable, a blood clot can form, suddenly blocking an artery. This causes a heart attack or stroke.

What is total cholesterol?

When your cholesterol is checked, you get a number for the HDL level and a number for the LDL level. Your total cholesterol is a number that comes from adding the HDL and LDL numbers.

Either a high HDL number or a high LDL number can make your total cholesterol number high. If it's high because of a high HDL number, your health is not necessarily in danger. However, if it's high because your LDL cholesterol level is high, it's important to talk with your doctor about your health risks. Your doctor can explain how lifestyle changes can help you reduce the LDL cholesterol in your body.

A good level of HDL cholesterol is at least 60mg/dL. HDL levels between 40 and 60 are considered OK. An optimal level of LDL cholesterol is under 100 mg/dL.