A brief article about what is cholesterol, where it comes from and why some is good or bad for your health.
The body produces its own cholesterol, mainly by the liver, about 1,000 milligrams a day. Other sources of cholesterol come from mainly animal products like meat, egg yolks, whole-milk products and seafood. The liver removes some of the excess; the rest is deposited on the inside of arteries. Current recommendations for healthy people are for less than 200 milligrams daily. Other factors, which influence the levels, are heredity, excess weight, stress, age and gender. Cholesterol levels naturally rise as people age. Menopause is often associated with a rise in LDL levels for women.
Cholesterol cannot dissolve in the blood so it has to be carried back and forth to the cells by carriers called lipoproteins. The two main kinds of lipoproteins are the good and the bad, HDL and LDL.
HDL or High Density Lipoprotein carries one-third to one-fourth of the cholesterol in the blood. HDL carries cholesterol away from the arteries and into the liver where it is eliminated from the body. That is why it is referred to as 'good' cholesterol. Studies have shown that a HDL level of greater than 40 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter) seems to give protection against heart attacks.
LDL or Low Density Lipoprotein carries the rest of the cholesterol in the blood from the liver. Too much LDL in the blood can build up in arteries through a process called arteriosclerosis. It mixes with other substances and forms plaque, which are the hard deposits that block arteries. If a clot forms near the plaque in a heart artery, a heart attack can result. A clot blocking blood flow to the brain will cause a stroke. LDL should be below 160 mg/dL for a healthy person and below 100 mg/dL if there is heart disease present. Keep in mind that these recommended numbers change regularly based on the newest findings.
A regular cholesterol check will give your total blood cholesterol. In order to find out the LDL and HDL levels you need to fast overnight before the blood is drawn. There are over-the-counter blood cholesterol tests that you can buy, but they only give a total number. If that number is high, it is recommended to see a doctor to have a more thorough test performed.
Diet is part of controlling cholesterol levels. It used to be held that a low fat diet is how to lower the levels. Newer studies show that it is the types of fats in the diet, rather than the percentage, that either raises or lowers the cholesterol levels.
Regular exercise, a healthy diet and quitting smoking are ways to improve and maintain a healthy cholesterol level. If these changes do not produce a healthy cholesterol level, drugs may be used but only under the supervision of a doctor.
