What is cholesterol? Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that your body uses for various functions. Yes, cholesterol is normal. Your body produces as much as it needs. However, your diet can lead there to be too much cholesterol in your body. The waxy substance gets deposited in your arteries, leading to heart disease and other problems.
If your cholesterol level is above 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), that’s too high. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the American Heart Association, more than one hundred and six million Americans have high cholesterol. More than thirty seven million Americans have cholesterol levels above 240 mg/dL, which is considered a serious health risk.
There are two different kinds of cholesterol. Low density lipoprotein is known as the bad cholesterol — this is the stuff you don’t want in your body. Your LDL level should be less than 100 mg/dL. High density lipoprotein is the good kind of cholesterol. Your HDL level should be 40 mg/dL or higher. Triglycerides are another kind of fat found in the blood; you should have less than 150 mg/dL of triglycerides in your blood.
Don’t know your numbers? Experts suggest having your cholesterol levels checked at least once every five years.
Lowering your cholesterol is not impossible! A change in diet, healthy exercise, and medication can work together to bring your cholesterol levels down to a healthy number. If you’re a smoker, this is the time to quit — quitting can help lower your cholesterol levels too. And lower cholesterol levels means you reduce your risk for heart disease, heart attack, and the need for bypass surgery or angioplasty.
Learn more about cholesterol:
- Here at Families.com
- From the American Heart Association
- From the U.S. Centers for Disease Control
- From the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control also fun a program to help women without insurance have access to cholesterol screening and other programs to help reduce the risk of heart disease. The WISEWOMAN project is currently active in fourteen states.