Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is a naturally occurring biochemical, which is known to most people as the "bad cholesterol". This is because as LDL builds up in the arteries, it can cause blockages by sticking to artery walls. The "good cholesterol" or high-density lipoprotein (HDL) works to clear the blood stream by taking the LDL back to be liver.

Due to the negative nature of the behavior of LDL, many doctors will prescribe normal LDL cholesterol treatments to those who are bordering on, or who appear to have a high LDL count. Without proper care, these lipoproteins could cause heart related illnesses, or strokes.

Diagnosis And Treatment:

In order to determine whether or not a patient requires such kind of treatment, a doctor will draw blood and test it. You can determine your cholesterol ratio by dividing the number of good HDL cholesterol by the total number in your system. This test will also provide you with the number of LDL, as well. A normal reading should be something like 3.5/1 or lower. Anything higher than this, particularly in women, who are at a higher risk at lower levels, should seek assistance in lowering it.

There is more than one way to lower cholesterol, and many normal LDL cholesterol treatments can be achieved through natural methods. Smoking cigarettes, drinking an abundance of alcohol, and being overweight are some are some things that can increase the chances of high cholesterol and the risk of heart disease. By quitting such bad habits and losing weight, some men and women are able to live long healthy lives without any need for medication.

Your doctor may put you on a regimented eating plan, and inform you that exercising regularly is a necessity. If your physician isn't able to give you a list of foods that could be helpful in lowering your ratio, a nutritionist can offer an insight on which ingredients are healthiest for this purpose.

Medicated Treatment:

If the normal LDL cholesterol treatments of the natural variety aren't doing the trick, or your cholesterol levels are very high and putting you at risk, then your doctor may put you on special medication. Statins, such as lovastatin and pravastatin, work to decrease how much LDL is produced in your body, sometimes by up to sixty percent. These medications are known to prevent heart disease and are highly effective in treatment high cholesterol levels.

Ezetimibe, another medication for preventing heart disease, offers similar success with a different agenda. Rather than forcing the body to produce less, ezetimibe works by making it difficult for your body to absorb the lipoprotein. This can be and is often used in correlation with other medications, such as statins. The combination makes for a higher success rate in lowering LDL and achieving an overall positive healthy reading in terms of potential future heart disease and at risk levels of cholesterol.

If you are worried that your LDL might be too high, speak to your doctor about getting tested and the possible treatment options which are available to you. The medical community has come a long way with cholesterol research, making it possible for even those with very high levels to achieve normalcy again.