Cholesterol has gotten a bad rap, especially in its relation to heart disease, but the truth is that our bodies need it to function. Lipoproteins are biochemicals, which work to transport fats. But while they are a necessary part of life, there are times in which too much of a good thing can be a bad thing.
There are two types of cholesterol and these are high density lipoprotein (HDL) and low density lipoprotein (LDL). When comparing HDL cholesterol vs LDL cholesterol, LDL is usually referred to as the "bad cholesterol". This is because LDL has the tendency to hang around in the arteries, building up against the walls and blocking blood flow. Eventually, these blockages can lead to a heart attack or stroke. It is made up of less protein than lipid, which makes it slow, and unable to flow as easily through the body.
HDL cholesterol, on the other hand, having a high number of proteins in comparison to lipids can move quick quickly through the blood stream with no fear of getting lodged, or causing a blockage.
Good Cholesterol And Your Body:
HDL is commonly referred to as the "good cholesterol". This is because as the LDL builds and hardens, the HDL can herd some of them back to the liver. When LDL isn't too high, HDL can almost always take care of it, cleaning the blood stream. Your body creates both of these cholesterol types, even when you aren't consuming them. This means that how you are built genetically can play a role in whether you have high or normal levels of these lipoproteins.
When comparing HDL cholesterol vs LDL cholesterol, it is important to know that your liver creates HDL when the LDL needs to be rounded up again, but it makes LDL for a variety of reasons. Some men and women may find that when levels are high, the body stops producing or slows the production until things even out, but this isn't the same for every person. Some bodies have more difficulty regulating cholesterol than others, and will continue to produce LDL at high levels even while cholesterol is being consumed.
Measuring Cholesterol:
Another difference that becomes quite clear when comparing HDL cholesterol vs LDL cholesterol, is that although HDL levels are better for you in some ways there are far less of them than LDL. When your doctor measures the amounts for you, he or she will provide you with a ratio of total cholesterol in your system, as well as HDL and LDL. This can give you an idea of which is higher, and whether or not you are not healthy based on these levels.
The two cholesterol types are necessary for a number of functions in the body, but too much of either one can be a bad thing. This is why having regular cholesterol testing, especially if your readings have been high in the past, is so important. Knowing that you have a high level of LDL early on can aid in the prevention on heart attacks, stroke, and ongoing heart disease, which could appear later in life.