Believe it or not, all cholesterol is not bad for you. In fact, your body needs cholesterol to function, especially the high-density lipoprotein which works to keep your arteries clear by rounding up rogue low-density lipoproteins and taking them back to the liver.
As the low-density lipoprotein, or LDL cholesterol collects in the blood stream it can form blockages. This is why it is important to know what your LDL/HDL ratio is, so that you know if you are at risk of heart disease.
Finding Your Cholesterol Ratio
In order to determine how many of each cholesterol type you have in your blood stream, your doctor can take a blood test. He or she will likely ask you to fast for the night before and morning of so that sugar and fat levels aren't spiking due to meals. After checking the sample, your physician will let you know the total amount of cholesterol in your body. This is the number that you have likely heard about before; it needs to be under 200 to be considered in the healthy range.
The doctor will also tell you the reading for HDL, or good cholesterol, in your system. This number is then divided into the total number so that you get an LDL/HDL ratio. Generally, you will want this to be 3.5:1 or lower to keep it in a healthy zone.
Understanding Cholesterol Ratios
Once your doctor gives you a ratio, or you have determined it yourself based on the information he or she has given to you, you can begin forming a plan to regulate these levels and live a healthier lifestyle.
For some, this means eating less junk food and exercising more, while for others a doctor may need to prescribe a medication to balance out these numbers. Unfortunately for some, high cholesterol is a genetic issue. For people like this, more work and dedication to lifestyle changes must be made to ensure that LDL levels don't spike again in the future.
High LDL levels can be an indicator of heart disease, heart attack and stroke. This means that understanding your LDL/HDL ratio is absolutely crucial to nipping these issues in the bud and guaranteeing yourself the best life possible, rather than settling for high cholesterol.
Checking Cholesterol Ratios Online
Breakthroughs in medical research have provided those with high cholesterol a chance to make things right, and modern technology has offered an easy way to continue monitoring these changes. LDL and HDL calculators are now available online. This internet tools combine the total count and LDL or HDL count to produce the missing information and offer a resulting ratio. Most of these tools will also tell you whether or not you are at risk or at a high risk of heart disease and will offer suggestions on ways to lower this risk.
Eating foods that are high in fiber and low in fat is one way to beat the genetic curse. Quitting smoking, avoiding alcohol, and losing weight can also help reduce cholesterol levels.