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Cholesterol management is crucial for reducing the risk of heart disease. A healthy cholesterol level is 200 mg/dL or less, with an ideal HDL to LDL cholesterol ratio of 100 mg/dL or less and 45 mg/dL (55 mg/dL for women), respectively. Genetics and lifestyle habits can affect cholesterol levels, and the liver and intestines control cholesterol levels. Blood tests can help develop a program to achieve and maintain a healthy cholesterol level.
Cholesterol management is important for minimizing the risk of heart disease. According to guidelines set forth by the National Cholesterol Education Program, a healthy cholesterol level is considered to be 200 mg/dL or less. Also relevant are high-density lipoprotein (HDL) to low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol ratios, which ideally should be 100 mg/dL or less and 45 mg/dL (55 mg/dL for women), respectively.
There are many things that can affect cholesterol levels, especially diet and lifestyle habits. However, even the most health-conscious individual can have high cholesterol and not even know it. For that matter, genetics can undermine efforts to achieve a healthy cholesterol level, despite adhering to a low-fat diet and regular exercise. In fact, the only two things that really control cholesterol levels are the liver and the intestines.
Cholesterol is a fatty substance produced by the liver in order to produce bile acid to digest food. This organ also regulates cholesterol by removing it from the blood. This occurs because high-density lipoprotein (HDL) carries low-density lipoprotein (LDL) back to the liver. This is why an overall healthy cholesterol level results in having more HDL cholesterol than LDL since the latter is responsible for the development of arterial plaque.
The intestine also absorbs a certain amount of cholesterol, both from food and from the bile sent by the liver. Sometimes the intestines can’t keep up with the amount of cholesterol the liver makes, and the unabsorbed cholesterol ends up in the bloodstream. Again, HDL molecules will move LDL and triglycerides out of the blood, but only if they are present in sufficient quantities. However, the main factor controlling how LDL cholesterol is removed from the blood is a matter of genetics.
This explains why some people need extra help to achieve a healthy cholesterol level. The liver will continue to produce cholesterol in the amount needed by the body, regardless of diet and exercise. Other factors that can raise cholesterol levels include certain medications, such as birth control pills, steroids, and beta blockers. Estrogen offers most women some protection from high cholesterol, but this effect decreases with age, especially after menopause.
You don’t have to wait until middle age to get a cholesterol screen, as many people believe. This is especially true if there is a family history of heart disease or stroke. Blood tests can provide a lipoprotein analysis, broken down by serum LDL, HDL, and triglyceride levels. Once this analysis is complete, a program designed to achieve and maintain a healthy cholesterol level can be developed to meet individual needs.
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