When people speak of “cholesterol numbers”, what they actually mean is the full lipoprotein profile. This profile actually contains a range of different numbers, and it is important to have an understanding of all of those numbers to determine whether or not you have what is referred to as a “high cholesterol” condition. So what are the different measurements taken in a cholesterol count?
The Elements of the Lipoprotein Profile:
The different elements that you need to be aware of are:
1. TC – total cholesterol
2. LDL – low density lipoprotein (bad cholesterol)
3. HDL – high density lipoprotein (good cholesterol)
4. TG – triglycerides
Those cholesterol numbers are vital to the health and well being of every human being. In fact, once you reach the age of 20, you should have your numbers checked every five years at least, perhaps more regularly as you age, depending on what your physician recommends. The test is usually taken after a fasting period of 10 to 12 hours.
Why Cholesterol Numbers Matter:
It is very important to be aware of your cholesterol numbers, because they basically tell you exactly what each of your different lipoprotein elements look like. Because you do have to have a completel blood count after fasting, a lot of physicians will conduct a simpler test first, which only looks at your TC and your HDL levels. This is because these will give a good indication of the expected levels of the other elements. Should it be found that your levels are higher than 200mg/dl for TC and lower than 40mg/dl for HDL, then a full lipoprotein profile will usually be requested.
The cholesterol numbers you are presented with tell you whether you are at risk of developing coronary disease. The numbers will also tell a physician just how big your risk of developing coronary disease actually is. For instance, if you have a TC of less than 200mg/dl, there is nothing to worry about. But if you have a TC of 240mg/dl or higher, then you have a risk of developing medical problems. If it ranges from 200mg/dl to 239mg/dl, it means you are borderline and simply have to implement changes to heal yourself.
Another element of cholesterol to understand are the categories of LDL. There are five:
1. Optimal
2. Near or above optimal
3. Borderline high
4. High
5. Very high
Influencing Factors:
There are a number of things that impact cholesterol levels, with the best-understood ones being:
– Physical activity
– Weight
– Heredity
– Gender
– Age
– Diet
Diet and physical activity are two things that you can control with ease, and these also have a positive impact on your weight. Furthermore, you need to focus on other environmental factors, such as alcohol consumption and smoking. You obviously cannot control your gender, but it is important to be aware that women often see a spike in cholesterol levels after menopause, so they should be aware of this. Additionally, if either of your parents had or has high cholesterol, you are also at increased risk of having it.
