Total Cholesterol Levels

Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a waxy-fatty substance (a steroid) that is used to perform important functions by the body's cells. It can be made by most of the body's cells, but the main supply is produced in the liver. Each day the body makes enough for its needs.

Without cholesterol we would not be here, so its importance cannot be overstated.

It gets bad press because in today's society we have an abundance of fatty foods and the liver can easily make cholesterol from saturated fats. So in fact saturated fats are the culprits. In general, the more saturated fats we eat the higher our cholesterol levels may become.

Other factors to consider are the common heart disease risk factors such as smoking, lack of aerobic exercise, obesity, and heredity. If you can say yes to most of these factors than most likely your cholesterol levels are high or soon will be.

Total Cholesterol

Total cholesterol consists of LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol, HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol, and triglycerides which are other fats in the blood stream. The National Institutes of Health classify total levels of less than 200 mg/dL as desirable. Values of 200-239 mg/dL are borderline high and 240 mg/dL and above are considered high.

LDL has been termed 'bad cholesterol' and HDL is termed the 'good cholesterol'. LDL particles are like miniature dump trucks carrying cholesterol from the liver to the cells that require it. HDL has the opposite function - it carries cholesterol from the blood stream and artery cell walls back to the liver for disposal.

The ratio of LDL to HDL levels in the blood is critical. There must be enough HDL particles to remove any left over cholesterol because this cholesterol becomes available to do damage to the cell walls and promote heart disease.

Recommended Levels of LDL and HDL in the Blood

The National Institutes of Health recommends the following cholesterol levels:

LDL Blood Cholesterol Levels

Less than 100 mg/dL is optimal or ideal
100-129 mg/dL is near optimal/above optimal
130-159 mg/dL is borderline high
160-189 mg/dL is high
190 mg/dL and above is very high

HDL Blood Cholesterol levels:

Less than 40 mg/dL is a major heart disease risk factor
60 mg/dL and above gives some protection against heart disease

Triglycerides

Less than 150 mg/dL is desirable
150-199 mg/dL is borderline high
200-499 mg/dL is high
500 mg/dl and above should be lowered by medication to prevent further complications.

Total Cholesterol Calculation

Total cholesterol is calculated by using the Friedewald Formula:

Total Cholesterol (TC) = LDL + HDL + (triglycerides/5)

Ask your doctor for a copy of your Lipid-Profile, lab-test sheet.

Take the values off of it, plug them in the above formula, and you'll see how your total cholesterol was calculated.

An example:

Say you have values of: 128 mg/dL for LDL, 36 mg/dL for HDL, and 117 mg/dL for triglycerides. Let's plug these values into the formula.

TC = 128 + 36 + (117/5) = 128 + 36 + 23

TC = 187 mg/dL