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Why Total Cholesterol Reading May Be Misleading?
 

High blood cholesterol is a condition in which too much cholesterol is found in the blood. People with high blood cholesterol are at a higher risk of getting heart disease and stroke. Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that is found in all cells of the body. Human body needs cholesterol to make hormones, Vitamin-D, and substances that help body to digest foods. Human body makes all the cholesterol it requires but cholesterol can be found in some of the foods eaten.

Cholesterol can be good and bad. The good cholesterol is called HDL (high-density lipoproteins) and the bad one is called LDL (low-density lipoproteins). Higher level of LDL will raise the chance of developing heart disease while higher level of HDL will lower the chance of getting heart disease. Hence, maintaining healthy levels of both types of lipoproteins is paramount for heart disease prevention.

Usually, there are no signs or symptoms for people with high blood cholesterol. Doctors can diagnose high blood cholesterol levels by means of a blood test called a lipoprotein panel. Before the test, one will be required to fast (not eat or drink anything but water) for 9 to 12 hours. The lipoprotein panel will furnish information including total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and triglycerides.

Total blood cholesterol is a measure of the total amount of cholesterol in the blood that includes both LDL and HDL cholesterol. LDL cholesterol is the main source of cholesterol buildup and blockages in the arteries, and HDL cholesterol helps remove cholesterol from the arteries. Triglycerides are a type of fat found in the blood. A high level of triglycerides in the blood may raise the risk of coronary heart disease, especially in women.

If one’s total cholesterol level reaches 240 mg/dL and above, he or she is considered at high risk and borderline high risk when the level is between 200 and 239 mg/dL. The desirable level of total blood cholesterol level should be kept below 200 mg/dL. But even if the total cholesterol is in the desirable category, it is possible that one may have unhealthy levels of HDL (too low) and LDL (too high). So it is also important to look at the individual HDL and LDL numbers, as well as the ratio.

According to 2004 guidelines, an HDL level of 60 or above is desirable to prevent heart disease, and below 40 makes one vulnerable to it. The ratio of total cholesterol-to-HDL should be as smaller as possible. For example, someone with a total cholesterol of 200 and an HDL of 60 would have a ratio of 3.3 (200 ÷ 60 = 3.3). If that person’s HDL was low, say 35, the total cholesterol-to-HDL ratio would be higher: 5.7. If one has a high level of total cholesterol but with a low total-to-HDL ratio, he or she might not be too worry.

Meanwhile, one should also examine his or her LDL levels. A reading of less than 100 is desirable if one wishes to be at lower risk of heart disease. For people who are already at higher risk of heart disease, an LDL of less than 70 is considered optimal, though some experts insist that an LDL of less than 70 would be a healthy goal for all.

One should know that cholesterol only comes from animal products including fish and chicken. So by reducing the intake of meat and egg yolks and increasing cardiovascular exercise, the good HDL can be increased and the bad LDL can be reduced.

It is recommended by various health experts and organizations that people should exercise at least 4 times a week for a minimum of 30 minutes each time. Zumba, line dancing and swimming are some of the cardiovascular exercises that can be beneficial. For people who are not suitable for these exercises or older folks may consider brisk walking. People should aim to reach 80 percent of the maximum predicted heart rate: subtracting one’s age from 220.

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