Cholesterol: What You Should Know

Cholesterol, in and of itself, is not a bad thing. Our bodies need this steroid for the health of our cell membranes, as well as for the synthesis of steroidal hormones, bile acids and some vitamins as well.

The cholesterol or, more accurately, lipoproteins in our blood can be divided into two broad categories, LDL and HDL. In lay terms, we now refer to these as bad cholesterol and good cholesterol respectively. When having blood cholesterol checked, it is important to know not just the overall amount of cholesterol, but also the ratio between the two types.

An excess of LDL, or bad cholesterol, has been shown to have a correlation to the formations of atherosclerosis plaques. And these plaques are responsible for potentially life-threatening medical issues such as strokes and heart attacks.

Large amounts of HDL, or good cholesterol, on the other hand is thought to show good health. That is because this type of lipoprotein is believed to actually help remove cholesterol by bringing it back to the liver for excretion or to other cells which synthesize hormones.

What is difficult about testing for cholesterol is that there is still no hard and fast rule about what levels are unhealthful. This can vary from person to person. In fact, there are a small number of researchers who actually doubt that high levels of cholesterol lead to atherosclerosis. These are, however, in the minority.

Although one rarely hears about it in comparison, it is possible to have too low cholesterol levels, known as h y p o c h o l e s t e r o l e m i a. Many studies have not been done on this, but there have been some possible links found with diseases such as cancer, cerebral hemorrhage and depression.

Even though there is no set normal level of cholesterol, it is still smart to have regular testing done every five years. If the results are cause for concern, or there are other risk factors for heart disease present such as smoking, cholesterol should be tested more often.

The most important measurement is the ratio of LDL to HDL in the blood. High levels of LDL with low levels of HDL are believed to be unhealthy. High levels of HDL with low levels of LDL are thought to be ideal.

Factors that can affect the levels of LDL in the blood include heredity and diet. Treatment can include dietary changes, exercise, and losing weight. If these measures are not sufficient, then a cholesterol lowering medication may be prescribed.

By lowering the LDL, it is believed that you can not only reduce or stop new plaques from forming but also reduce the ones that have already formed, widen the arteries and prevent plaques from rupturing. All of which will have the affect of decreasing risk of heart attack and stroke.