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What Is Normal Ldl Cholesterol Level For A Man

Ldl Cholesterol Test Levels And Normal Range

Heart Health : What Is the Normal Range for Cholesterol?

LDL Cholesterol levels, if maintained at normal levels, can act as a friend as well as a foe. However, if these levels exceed the normal range, it can become a silent danger that increases the risk of heart attacks. Cholesterol exists in every cell in the body. It contains crucial natural functions. Although produced by the body, it can also be inhibited through food. This waxy and fat-like element is oil based and doesnt mix with the blood . Therefore, it is carried around the body in the blood by lipoproteins.

What Is S Cholesterol Normal Level

LDL cholesterol

. Simply so, what is the normal range for HDL and LDL?

A reading of less than 40 mg/dL is considered a major risk factor for heart disease. A reading from 41 mg/dL to 59 mg/dL is considered borderline low. The optimal reading for HDL levels is of 60 mg/dL or higher.

what is S cholesterol in lipid profile? Cholesterol is a type of fat. It’s also called a lipid. A third type of lipid, called a triglyceride, also circulates in your blood. Measuring your LDL , HDL , and triglycerides will give you a number called your total blood cholesterol, or serum cholesterol.

Besides, what is S cholesterol in blood test?

A serum cholesterol level is a measurement of certain elements in the blood, including the amount of high- and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in a person’s blood. Serum cholesterol levels also show the amount of triglycerides present. Triglycerides are another lipid that can be measured in the blood.

What is a good number for HDL cholesterol?

Typically, doctors recommend an HDL level of 60 milligrams per deciliter of blood or higher. HDL that falls within the range of 40 to 59 mg/dL is normal, but could be higher. Having HDL under 40 mg/dL increases your risk of developing heart disease.

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Poliana Csontos

Are Home Cholesterol Testing Kits Accurate

The answer is yes if the tests are labeled CDC-certified. This means that the contents have been approved by the Cholesterol Reference Method Laboratory Network, a group that works with test makers, laboratories and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to make sure tests are accurate.

For home tests, you will still need to fast for 12 hours and to obtain blood for testing. Some kits come with packages for mailing to a lab for results. Other kits have a monitor so you can get the results at home. The cost of such home kits varies.

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When Should My Cholesterol Levels Be Tested

Your GP may recommend that you have your blood cholesterol levels tested if you:

  • have been diagnosed with coronary heart disease, stroke or mini stroke , or peripheral arterial disease
  • have a family history of early cardiovascular disease
  • have a close family member who has a cholesterol-related condition
  • are overweight

Why Is Cholesterol Important To Our Bodies

Heres how to tell what your cholesterol number means

Every cell in the body needs cholesterol, which helps the cell membranes form the layers. These layers protect the contents of the cell by acting as the gatekeeper to what things can enter or leave the cell. It is made by the liver and is also used by the liver to make bile, which helps you digest foods. Cholesterol is also needed to make certain hormones and to produce vitamin D. Your liver makes enough cholesterol to meet your bodys needs for these important functions.

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What Is Bad Cholesterol

Cholesterol moves in the body combined with proteins. This combination of cholesterol and proteins is called lipoproteins. The low-density lipoprotein or LDL cholesterol is called bad cholesterol. High levels of this cholesterol increase risk for heart diseases and stroke.

When you have high levels of LDL cholesterol in the body, the LDL cholesterol can accumulate on the walls of the blood vessels forming a plaque. The continuous cholesterol build-up or a plaque narrows the inside of the blood vessels with time. The narrowed blood vessel hampers the blood supply to the concerned organ. Thus, when the plaque is present in the heart, it can cause angina or a heart attack. Plaque build-up in the brain can cause a stroke.

Another type of cholesterol is HDL cholesterol. It is also called good cholesterol as it absorbs cholesterol and carries it back to the liver. The liver then removes the cholesterol from the body. HDL cholesterol, thus, can lower your risk for heart diseases and stroke.

Normal Cholesterol Levels In Adults

You should get your cholesterol levels checked every 5 years after your age is more than 20 years, according to the American Heart Association.

Your doctor will perform the screening test i.e. lipid profile.

Cholesterol levels consist of LDLs, HDLs, and triglycerides.

LDL is bad cholesterol as it blocks our blood vessels and increases your risk for heart disease.

On the other hand, HDL is good cholesterol as it helps to protect you from heart disease.

Thus, the higher your HDL, the better.

Total cholesterol also includes a triglyceride count and these are other types of fat that can build up in the body in the body.

Moreover, doctors consider them building blocks of cholesterol.

High levels of triglycerides and low levels of HDL raise your risk for heart disease.

This is because as you age, cholesterol tends to climb. Furthermore, men are often at a higher risk than women for higher cholesterol.

However, as a woman experiences menopause, their risk for high cholesterol goes up.

For those with high cholesterol and other heart risks, like diabetes, doctors often recommend frequent testing.

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What Complications Are Possible If You Dont Treat High Cholesterol Levels In Your Blood

The main reason to treat high cholesterol is to prevent or treat coronary heart disease , also called coronary artery disease or CAD. CHD happens when heart is not able to get enough oxygen-rich blood to function well and kills more people in the U.S. than any other cause of death. CHD usually refers to the large arteries, but there is also a condition called coronary microvascular disease that affects the small vessels and causes damage.

When To See A Doctor

Cholesterol Levels for Women According to Their Age

Since high cholesterol has no apparent symptoms, regular monitoring of your cholesterol levels is very crucial.

Men over 20 years are recommended to get their cholesterol levels tested every 4 to 6 years. However, you should go for more frequent screening tests and visits to your doctor if:

  • Your cholesterol levels go back to borderline or high levels even after treatment.
  • You have a family history of high cholesterol.
  • Youre obese.

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How Do I Prepare For The Test

You may need to not eat or drink anything but water for 12 to 14 hours before this test. In addition, be sure your healthcare provider knows about all medicines, herbs, vitamins, and supplements you are taking. This includes medicines that don’t need a prescription and any illicit drugs you may use.

Why Is Ldl Called The Bad Cholesterol

LDL is called the bad cholesterol because it can cause a buildup of fat and cholesterol in the walls of your blood vessels. If your LDL has been high for many years, this buildup can clog the arteries to your heart or brain. The arteries may be partly or totally blocked. The medical word for this blockage is atherosclerosis. Clogged arteries to the heart can cause a heart attack. Clogged arteries to the brain can cause a stroke.

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Dietary Tips To Avoid Cholesterol

The most important thing you can do to reduce your cholesterol level is to maintain a healthy lifestyle. You should try to:

  • Increase the amount and variety of fresh fruit, vegetables and wholegrain foods you have each day.
  • Choose low or reduced-fat milk, yoghurt and other dairy products or have added calcium soy drinks.
  • Choose lean meat .
  • Limit fatty meats, including sausages and salami, and choose leaner sandwich meats like turkey breast or cooked lean chicken.
  • Have fish at least twice a week.
  • Replace butter and dairy blends with polyunsaturated margarines.
  • Include foods in your diet that are rich in soluble fibre and healthy fats, such as nuts, legumes and seeds.
  • Limit cheese and ice cream to twice a week.

Other storage fats that are transported in blood lipoproteins include triglycerides. When present in high concentrations in the blood, this fat is also a risk for heart attack. Some foods will affect the cholesterol level or the triglyceride level and some will affect both.

Symptoms Of High Cholesterol

Whats good cholesterol level ~ How to lower cholesterol naturally

Often, there are no specific symptoms of high cholesterol. You could have high cholesterol and not know it.

If you have high cholesterol, your body may store the extra cholesterol in your arteries. These are blood vessels that carry blood from your heart to the rest of your body. A buildup of cholesterol in your arteries is known as plaque. Over time, plaque can become hard and make your arteries narrow. Large deposits of plaque can completely block an artery. Cholesterol plaques can also break apart, leading to formation of a blood clot that blocks the flow of blood.

A blocked artery to the heart can cause a heart attack. A blocked artery to your brain can cause a stroke.

Many people dont discover that they have high cholesterol until they suffer one of these life-threatening events. Some people find out through routine check-ups that include blood tests.

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How To Lower Cholesterol: Low

Low-carbohydrate diets may help improve HDL cholesterol levels. The National Institutes of Health conducted a study that found while both low-fat and low-carb dieters lost weight over the two-year study period, low-carb dieters also improved their HDL cholesterol levels. The problem with low-carb diets is that they may be difficult to adhere to. Consult your doctor about the best healthy eating plan to manage your cholesterol.

How Are Cholesterol Tests Results Used

Your doctor will make a treatment recommendation based on your level of heart disease risk. Guidelines do not use a single cholesterol level to determine treatment options.

  • If you already have coronary heart disease with symptoms such as chest pain or a previous heart attack, taking medication to reduce your low density lipoprotein cholesterol is very beneficial and possibly life-saving.
  • If you have been hospitalized due to heart attack or stroke, you will start treatment before you leave the hospital. The latest 2018 cholesterol guidelines recommend using a high-intensity statin , such as higher doses of rosuvastatin or atorvastatin to get cholesterol levels below 70 mg/dL. You will be encouraged to follow a heart-healthy diet, exercise, lose weight and stop smoking, if needed.
  • If you do not have a diagnosis of heart disease but your cholesterol levels are high, your doctor will look at your other risk factors, and may determine your 10-year risk of cardiac disease. Usually, lifestyle changes like a healthy diet and exercise are implemented for the first 6 to 12 months. Diet and exercise can drop cholesterol levels by roughly 10 percent.

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How Often To Get Tested

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , most healthy adults should get their cholesterol checked every four to six years.4

Children should have their cholesterol checked at least once between the ages of 9 and 11 and again between 17 and 20 years of age.4 If a child has a family history of high cholesterol, heart disease, or is overweight or obese, their pediatrician may recommend getting checked sooner and more often.

Healthy Cholesterol Numbers By Age

When are your cholesterol levels too high and when are they normal

It’s not just about how much HDL a person has. There are several other measurements clinicians use to assess a person’s cholesterol and corresponding health risks.

Non-HDL levels are a person’s total cholesterol minus their HDL level. This is not, however, equal to a person’s LDL level. As mentioned, there are a few other types of cholesterol besides HDL and LDL. Though they play a more minor role in heart health, they are still important to measure when it comes to risk assessment. According to the Mayo Clinic, a non-HDL measurement appears to be a better risk predictor than simply measuring LDL levels.

Cholesterol is measured in milligrams per deciliter . The following are healthy cholesterol numbers by age for men and women, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine:

Cholesterol Levels by Age Chart

Anyone age 19 and younger

Men age 20 or older

Women age 20 or older

Total Cholesterol

50 mg/dL or higher

As you can see, the difference between healthy cholesterol levels for men and women over 20 years old comes down to HDL cholesterol: Women have a slightly higher range for healthy HDL.

Cholesterol levels do tend to increase as a person gets older. But healthy cholesterol levels remain the same.

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Cholesterol Levels For Adults

  • Total cholesterol levels less than 200 milligrams per deciliter are considered desirable for adults. A reading between 200 and 239 mg/dL is considered borderline high and a reading of 240 mg/dL and above is considered high.
  • LDL cholesterol levels should be less than 100 mg/dL. Levels of 100 to 129 mg/dL are acceptable for people with no health issues but may be of more concern for those with heart disease or heart disease risk factors. A reading of 130 to 159 mg/dL is borderline high and 160 to 189 mg/dL is high. A reading of 190 mg/dL or higher is considered very high.
  • HDL levels should be kept higher. A reading of less than 40 mg/dL is considered a major risk factor for heart disease. A reading from 41 mg/dL to 59 mg/dL is considered borderline low. The optimal reading for HDL levels is of 60 mg/dL or higher.

Why Age Is A Factor

The recommended ranges for your cholesterol will vary based on age and gender. As people get older, cholesterol levels rise naturally. For example, people who have gone through menopause may have higher LDL and lower HDL cholesterol levels.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that childrens cholesterol levels be checked between ages 9 and 11.

However, children with certain risk factors, such as those whose parents or grandparents have had heart attacks or been diagnosed with blocked arteries at age 55 or earlier in males or 65 or earlier in females, should be tested for cholesterol between ages 2 and 10.

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Normal Blood Cholesterol Level Readings

A lipid profile or lipogram is a blood test that measures four key markers to asses your blood cholesterol levels. Unlike a finger prick blood test which only gives you an estimate of your total cholesterol level, a lipid profile will provide a fairly accurate measure of your total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and triglycerides.

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Medication May Be Needed

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For some people, diet and lifestyle changes are not enough. High blood cholesterol levels often have a genetic component. Some people inherit altered genes that cause high cholesterol and this cannot usually be changed sufficiently by lifestyle or diet.

If you are at risk of coronary heart disease and your LDL cholesterol level doesnt drop after scrupulous attention to diet, your doctor may recommend medications to force your blood LDL levels down. Cell cholesterol levels, however, remain normal, so lowering blood cholesterol has no effect on most cell metabolic processes.

Some people get muscle aches from statins, which are the most commonly used medication to lower blood cholesterol. However, diet and exercise will still be important, even if you are taking medication. Your doctor may also refer you to a specialist who treats cardiovascular disease.

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What Are Recommended Cholesterol Levels By Age

Lipids are the by-products of common fat we eat. Lipids are classified as triglycerides , diglycerides , and steroids. Cholesterol is a steroid helping in the formation of cell membranes and hormones. Further, this cholesterol is classified as Low-Density Lipoprotein or LDL, and High-Density Lipoprotein or HDL also called good cholesterol. VLDL is another type of cholesterol secreted by the liver into your bloodstream. VLDL stands for Very-Low Density Lipoprotein. Lipoproteins are formed partly by proteins and partly fat. All three types of lipoproteins vary in the proportion that is made of cholesterol, protein, and triglycerides. VLDL has more of triglycerides, LDL more of cholesterol, and HDL more of protein. That is the reason, LDL and VLDL are together known as the bad cholesterol, they both have a significant role in the formation of plaque. Now, plaque is a thick solid sticky mass made of fat, cholesterol, calcium, and other similar substances that get deposited in the arterial lumen interrupting the blood flow.

All in all, both types of bad cholesterol adversely affects your heart health either by getting deposited in the lumen of your arteries or under your skin and in the liver. If the lumen is completely choked, the organ may not get any blood supply. The plaque may burst and move to smaller arteries blocking them completely.

According to the American Heart Association, the following are the age-wise recommended cholesterol levels:

Triglycerides

What Are The Normal Ldl Cholesterol Levels

The level of cholesterol can be diagnosed through a simple blood test. Your cholesterol report would show the total cholesterol levels as well as differentiated cholesterol levels. The differential cholesterol level shows the level of various types such as HDL, LDL, and VLDL. LDL less than 100 mg/dl is considered optimal while the level of 100 mg/dl to 129 mg/dl is considered borderline. If the level of LDL is 130 mg/dl or above, it indicates high LDL.

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