How Do I Get My Ldl Below 70 Mg/dl
To lower your LDL cholesterol level:
What Is Total Cholesterol
When your cholesterol is checked, you get a number for total cholesterol, one for the HDL level, and one for the LDL level. Your total cholesterol will be more than the sum of the HDL and LDL numbers.
Either a high HDL number or a high LDL number can make your total cholesterol number high. If its high because of a high HDL number, your health is not necessarily in danger. However, if its high because your LDL cholesterol level is high, its important to talk with your doctor about your health .
Why Is It Important To Measure Your Cholesterol Level Periodically
- If you are over the age of 30 years, take a lipid profile test regularly to know your cholesterol levels for necessary lifestyle changes and medication, if necessary.
- You should check your cholesterol every year if you are taking medicine to control your cholesterol levels, or if you have been diagnosed with diabetes, heart disease or high blood pressure.
- If you have a family history of heart disease, cholesterol test is recommended every 5 years, beginning at the age of 20 years.
| * All values are in milligram/decilitre |
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Data Cleaning Query Resolution And Clinical Monitoring
Data in the central database were verified through logic and edit checking. Any answer in the database that was identified as physiologically unlikely or outside the entry criteria prompted an electronic query. The appropriate investigative site was contacted to resolve each query, and the database was changed to reflect the corrected information. Data collection procedures were verified by a 100% data field audit performed at 42 of the sites.
New Information On Accuracy Of Ldl
- A
Background
Low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol remains of utmost clinical importance it is positioned in clinical trials as a treatment target and is emphasized in worldwide guidelines as the primary cholesterol target. The gold standard of LDL-C measurement has been preparative ultracentrifugation, but given its time requirements and expenses, other methods have been developed as alternatives to estimate LDL-C.
The Friedewald equation was developed in 1972 and estimates LDL-C as: total cholesterol minus high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol minus triglycerides /5, with the latter term serving as an estimate for very low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol .1 Originally developed for research purposes from a sample of just 448 individuals, the Friedewald equation has been widely adopted in clinical practice for several decades.
However, the equation is prone to inaccuracy at low LDL-C and/or high TG levels, where errors in estimating VLDL-C are magnified given its use of a fixed factor of 5 to describe the relationship between TG and VLDL-C. This results in marked underestimation of LDL-C.
In the era when the Friedewald equation was introduced, inaccuracies were tolerated because the VLDL-C estimate was a relatively small proportion of the equation. Lower LDL-C levels were not achievable or strongly recommended as statins and other modern pharmacotherapies were not available. In fact, only 35 individuals in Friedewaldâs derivation sample had an LDL-C < 100 mg/dL.1
Table 1
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Is 255 Cholesterol Level Good Or Bad
Using the data above, you can see that a 255 LDL Cholesterol level falls into the Very High category. There is also something called HDL Cholesterol, which is often referred to as good cholesterol. The higher the HDL Cholesterol the better. HDL Cholesterol levels of 60 mg/dL or more are considered good.
Use The Numbers To Your Advantage
The AHA believes that absolute numbers for total blood cholesterol and HDL cholesterol are more effective than a ratio in determining cholesterol-lowering treatment. But both are useful in looking at your overall risk. If your total cholesterol level is high, your doctor will also look at the ratio of your total cholesterol to HDL. If that number is below 5 for a man or 4.4. for a woman, placing you at average risk, your doctor may consider this in the overall evaluation of your risk.
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Cholesterol And Its Consequences
Without cholesterol, the life of humans and animals would not be possible. It is an essential structural component of cell membranes and is needed in the process of production of steroid hormones, bile acids, and vitamin D.
Moreover, you should notice that you can have cholesterol levels that are too low in certain clinical situations, but it is not very often. This condition is called hypocholesterolemia. It is usually caused by hyperthyroidism , adrenal insufficiency, liver diseases, depression, cerebral hemorrhage, or cancer. In sporadic cases, it is caused by SLOS a genetic abnormality in synthesizing cholesterol.
On the other hand, high levels of cholesterol, so-called hypercholesterolemia lead to substantial health problems. The most important consequence of high cholesterol is atherosclerosis. It is a disease in which the inside of an artery narrows due to the accumulation of plaque. At first, patients usually don’t have any symptoms, but eventually, it causes:
- Coronary artery disease
- Peripheral arteries disease and
- Chronic kidney failure.
That is why it is so important to know and regulate your cholesterol levels to minimize the risk of atherosclerosis and its consequences!
Understanding Lipid Panel Results
Your total cholesterol along with the ratio of bad to good cholesterol are very important when considering your risk for future heart issues, says Addison Haynes, DO, a physician at Indiana University Health.
Knowing your total cholesterol is helpful, but its better to take into account your LDL and HDL cholesterol along with your triglycerides .
In the past, doctors would examine each value and make treatment recommendations based on how they fell within the desirable numbers. While that method is still used, Haynes says doctors are increasingly working with their patients to take into account their entire health profile, including specific risk factors like family history or lifestyle, before creating a plan for treatment.
As we learn more and more about the human body and gather more data, we have changed how we treat cholesterol, he says. We now look at a persons risk factors for having a cardiac event when we consider treatment options rather than the number by itself.
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Total Cholesterol Calculation In Mg/dl And Mmol/l
Here is the medical calculator to calculate the amount of total cholesterol in millimoles/liters , based on the given inputs of high-density lipoprotein , low-density lipoprotein and triglyceride. Total cholesterol is the total blood cholesterol. High cholesterol is a condition called as hypercholesterolemia, which is a cause for heart diseases. Enter the values of LDL, HDL, and Triglycerides in the total cholesterol calculator and click calculate.
Formula:
How To Lower Your Cholesterol
If you are wondering what to do about your cholesterol, follow these rules:
Get regular aerobic physical exercise. It has been proven that regular exercises increase HDL cholesterol and decrease LDL cholesterol . Moreover, it may also lower your risk of heart attack or stroke, as it reduces the blood pressure.
Diet. Eat foods low in fatty acids, saturated fats, and cholesterol. Don’t forget to include in your diet fish, as they are a source of omega-3 fatty acids. Consider eating cholesterol-lowering foods, such as margarine, enriched with plant sterols and stanols.
Use medications. If the non-pharmacological ways of treatment don’t bring satisfactory results, don’t hesitate to contact your doctor, who may propose drug therapies. There are numerous drugs that doctors can use to lower your bad cholesterol and correct your LDL HDL ratio. It has been scientifically proven that they not only lower cholesterol but also and prolong life.
Don’t be afraid to make valuable changes in your life. Calculate your LDL HDL ratio and other ratios using our cholesterol ratio calculator. Lower your cholesterol, treat hypertension and diabetes, check for abnormalities in your ECG, protect your heart and live healthier, longer, and happier!
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How Does This Cholesterol Calculator Work
This tool functions as a total cholesterol, HDL, triglycerides and LDL calculator. Do you want to know whether your HDL, LDL levels or the TC/HDL ratio and LDL/ HDL ratio show an increased risk for heart disease?
Use it then to check if your cholesterol levels are in the normal range. All you have to do is input the data from your medical documents.
Total Ldl Cholesterol And Non
While you need some cholesterol to be healthy, having too much can build up in your arteries and may cause a heart attack or stroke.
There are different types of cholesterol to be mindful of-LDL and HDL , and it is importance to understand the difference between both.
To better understand goal levels for both cholesterol types based on your risk level, see our total LDL cholesterol and non-HDL cholesterol calculator below, or download the accompanying PDF.
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Estimation Of Ldl Particles Via Cholesterol Content
Chemical measures of lipid concentration have long been the most-used clinical measurement, not because they have the best correlation with individual outcome, but because these lab methods are less expensive and more widely available.
The lipid profile does not measure LDL particles. It only estimates them using the Friedewald equationby subtracting the amount of cholesterol associated with other particles, such as HDL and VLDL, assuming a prolonged fasting state, etc.:
- L T
- where H is HDL cholesterol, L is LDL cholesterol, C is total cholesterol, T are triglycerides, and k is 0.20 if the quantities are measured in mg/dl and 0.45 if in mmol/l.
There are limitations to this method, most notably that samples must be obtained after a 12 to 14 h fast and that LDL-C cannot be calculated if plasma triglyceride is > 4.52 mmol/L . Even at triglyceride levels 2.5 to 4.5 mmol/L, this formula is considered inaccurate. If both total cholesterol and triglyceride levels are elevated then a modified formula, with quantities in mg/dl, may be used
- L T
This formula provides an approximation with fair accuracy for most people, assuming the blood was drawn after fasting for about 14 hours or longer, but does not reveal the actual LDL particle concentration because the percentage of fat molecules within the LDL particles which are cholesterol varies, as much as 8:1 variation.
Normal ranges
What Happens If High Cholesterol Goes Untreated
High blood levels of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides have been linked to the development of CVDs, along with other factors such as hypertension and diabetes mellitus. The risk of damage to the vascular walls and the formation of deposits and blockages increases when there is more bad and less good cholesterol in our blood. The good news is that the reduction in total cholesterol by 1% leads to a 2% reduction in the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
Increased cholesterol levels may be caused by a familial predisposition as well, as is the case in about 3% of people. Usually, blood cholesterol is high from an early age and is unaffected by the diet. In these cases, specialists recommend taking lipid-lowering agents such as statins from a younger age. These drugs are prescribed and taken under medical supervision.
However, it is a myth that lipid-lowering medication can be stopped as soon as your results are within the cholesterol and triglycerides normal range. The levels may be lowered, but if you stop taking the drug, the cholesterol, and especially LDL, will rise again. You should consult your doctor about any change in your treatment.
In about 20% of the population, high LDL cholesterol levels are associated with another underlying condition such as:
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Predicting The Magnitude Of The Preventive Effect
The total/HDL cholesterol and LDL/HDL cholesterol ratios are also good predictors of the degree of clinical benefit to be derived from lipid-lowering intervention. In the LRC-CPPT with cholestyramine, the drops in the total/HDL cholesterol ratio in the active treatment group were associated with clinical benefit. In the Helsinki study, multivariate analysis of the relationship between the lipid changes induced by gemfibrozil and the incidence of cardiovascular events in the treated group showed better predictive value for changes in HDL cholesterol and the total/HDL cholesterol ratio. In the placebo group of the AFCAPS/TexCAPS study, baseline LDL cholesterol had no predictive value for the incidence of coronary events, whereas predictive value was found in HDL cholesterol and the total/HDL cholesterol and LDL/HDL cholesterol ratios, both with greater significance than HDL cholesterol by adjusted logistic regression in the active treatment group, only changes in apoB and the apoB/apoA-I ratio, which is largely equivalent to the LDL/HDL cholesterol ratio, predicted risk reduction. The total/HDL cholesterol ratio also had more predictive value than other lipid parameters in the control group of the 4S study treatment-induced changes in this ratio were the best risk predictors in the group receiving simvastatin, with an estimated 17.6% risk difference for every one-unit reduction in the ratio.
Cholesterol Ratio Or Non
For predicting your risk of heart disease, many doctors now believe that determining your non-HDL cholesterol level may be more useful than calculating your cholesterol ratio. And either option appears to be a better risk predictor than your total cholesterol level or even your low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level.
Non-HDL cholesterol, as its name implies, simply subtracts your high-density lipoprotein cholesterol number from your total cholesterol number. So it contains all the bad types of cholesterol.
An optimal level of non-HDL cholesterol is less than 130 milligrams per deciliter , or 3.37 millimoles per liter . Higher numbers mean a higher risk of heart disease.
To calculate your cholesterol ratio, divide your total cholesterol number by your HDL cholesterol number. So if your total cholesterol is 200 mg/dL and your HDL is 50 mg/dL , your ratio would be 4-to-1. Higher ratios mean a higher risk of heart disease.
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Understanding The Risks Of Cholesterol
How Often Should Cholesterol Be Checked
The American Heart Association recommends that all adults 20 or older have their cholesterol and other traditional risk factors checked every four to six years as long as their risk remains low. After age 40, your health care professional will also want to use an equation to calculate your 10-year risk of having a heart attack or stroke. You can also check your risk yourself using the Check. Change. Control. Calculator.
People with cardiovascular disease, and those at elevated risk, may need their cholesterol and other risk factors assessed more often.
Your doctor will explain what your cholesterol levels mean and can discuss treatment options if your numbers are not where they should be.
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Getting Your Cholesterol Checked
Many people have never had their cholesterol checked, so they dont know whether they are at risk.
High cholesterol usually has no signs or symptoms.
The only way to know whether you have high cholesterol is to get your cholesterol checked. Your health care team can do a simple blood test, called a lipid profile, to measure your cholesterol levels.
Your Test Results: A Preview
Your test results will show your cholesterol levels in milligrams per deciliter of blood . Your total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol are among numerous factors your doctor can use to predict your lifetime or 10-year risk for a heart attack or stroke. Your doctor will also consider other risk factors, such as age, family history, smoking status, diabetes and high blood pressure.
Lipid profile or lipid panel is a blood test that will give you results for your HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides and total blood cholesterol.
Watch an animation about cholesterol score.
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What Kind Of Test Measures Cholesterol
Your provider checks your cholesterol levels through a blood test called a lipid panel . Your provider will draw blood from a vein in your arm and send the blood to a lab for analysis. Be sure to closely follow your providers instructions on how to prepare for the test. Youll likely need to fast for 12 hours beforehand. This means avoiding all foods and drinks except water.
When your results come in, your provider will let you know. You may also be able to access your results through your electronic medical record.
Your lipid panel gives you the following numbers: