Are you a concerned heart patient? This is the right place to know about cholesterol levels, bad and good cholesterol, and blood work labs.

While the term “cholesterol” has become over-used, misunderstood, and even feared, it’s important to know your cholesterol numbers. Knowing your blood work lab results will help you make informed decisions about your health.

When most people hear the words “high cholesterol”, they’ll typically think of someone who is eating too much saturated fat, or just need to up their exercise. Most people think cholesterol is bad, something that needs to be cut out of your diet and that’s the end of it. But let’s talk about what cholesterol is.

What Is Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a fatty substance that’s found in your bloodstream. It’s a waxy, fat-like substance that helps promote cell growth and protect your body from bacteria. A healthy person has between 200 and 300 mg of cholesterol in every deciliter (1/10th litre) of blood.

But having too much cholesterol can be harmful to your health, especially if it builds up in your arteries.

It’s important to keep your cholesterol levels in check because high levels of this substance can lead to heart disease, which can cause strokes and other serious health problems.

There are two types of cholesterol: 

1. HDL cholesterol helps reduce your risk for heart disease by removing excess cholesterol from your arteries and transporting it back to your liver where it can be broken down and excreted from the body.

2. LDL cholesterol carries cholesterol through your bloodstream to cells that need it for healthy growth. A high level of LDL cholesterol can cause plaque buildup on artery walls, which increases your risk for heart disease or stroke.

Your body needs both types of cholesterol to function properly. But too much bad cholesterol can lead to heart disease and stroke. That’s why it’s important to know what your blood work labs are telling you about the levels of good and bad cholesterol in your blood.

Good vs. Bad Cholesterol

The difference between good and bad cholesterol lies in its size, density and chemical structure. Good cholesterol (HDL), is large fluffy and buoyant; while bad cholesterol (LDL), is small, dense, and sticky. HDL contains more protein than LDL, which makes it less likely to stick to artery walls. HDL can help remove LDL from the body by taking it out of circulation through the liver!

What does your blood work tell you about your cholesterol?

Cholesterol testing is one of the most common blood tests given, just like fasting blood sugar or blood pressure. There are lots of numbers which may scare you away but they don’t need to be! 

When you go to the doctor, they’ll often check your blood work to see how healthy your cholesterol levels are. But what does all that jargon mean?

It’s important to have good and bad cholesterol in your body—but not too much of either. The good kind (HDL) helps remove excess cholesterol from your body and prevents it from blocking arteries, while the bad kind (LDL) can cause plaque buildup on artery walls.

If your LDL level is high, it means that more of this type of cholesterol has accumulated in your arteries than can be removed by HDL. Conversely, if your HDL is low and your LDL level is high, it could indicate a risk for heart disease.

Your total cholesterol level is calculated by adding together your HDL and LDL levels: if it’s greater than 240 mg/dL or 100 mg/dL above the normal range for men/women respectively then you should talk with your doctor about treatment options like statins or lifestyle changes such as losing weight or exercising more frequently!

Keeping your cholesterol in check can help prevent heart disease, stroke and other health problems.

One thing to consider is your lifestyle and what you can do to change if that seems like the right course of action. For example, everything is in moderation. Even if you don’t have high cholesterol, your diet should be comprised mainly of fruits and vegetables and whole grains. If you do have high levels of cholesterol, though, your food choices may be more limited or you may have to add a supplement or two to your daily routine.

See my video on cholesterol to learn more!