What Do All Those Cholesterol Numbers Mean?

Cholesterol Basics

Before learning about cholesterol tests, you should have a good understanding of what cholesterol is. Cholesterol is a lipid or fat which is stored in the blood. Cholesterol is necessary for your body to function. Your body makes cholesterol and you also consume it through the foods that you eat. The cholesterol made by your body is made in the liver and helps the body with everyday body functions.

Foods That Have Cholesterol

Only foods that come from animals have cholesterol. Some common sources of foods with cholesterol include milk, cheese, butter, lard, and meats.

Cholesterol Vocabulary

Cholesterol is checked by a blood test which is often called a lipid test or lipid panel. This test will have several components within it, including total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides. Oftentimes these different cholesterol terms confuse people so let’s break it down into simple terms.

• Total Cholesterol is the measure of all the cholesterol within your blood
• HDL stands for high-density lipoprotein. This is often referred to as good cholesterol.
• LDL stands for low-density lipoprotein. This is often referred to as bad cholesterol.
• Triglycerides are fat in the blood.

HDL Cholesterol

High-density lipoprotein which is often called HDL or good cholesterol should be equal to or greater than 60 mg/dL. The reason why HDL is referred to as good cholesterol is that it helps transport cholesterol from the arteries to the liver where it is disposed of. When HDL levels are at 60 mg/dL and above it decreases the risk of heart disease. When HDL levels are lower than desired it increases the risk of heart disease.

LDL Cholesterol

Low-density lipoprotein which is often called LDL or bad cholesterol should be less than 100 mg/dL. The reason why LDL is referred to as bad cholesterol is that it causes plaque to build up inside arteries and increases your risk of heart disease. Having a low LDL cholesterol number is a sign of good health.

Triglycerides

Triglycerides are the fat within the blood. Ideally, the triglyceride number should be less than 100 mg/dL. Having a high amount of triglycerides in the blood can contribute to heart disease. When you consume food, your body takes any excess calories that you don’t need currently into triglycerides to use for body maintenance between meals. When you regularly consume too many calories, it will cause the triglycerides in your blood to build up. It is not healthy to have a high level of triglycerides which can contribute to disease.

Interpreting Your Cholesterol Test

It is your healthcare provider’s job to interpret the results of any tests that they order. They will interpret the cholesterol test and let you know what their recommendations are. In most cases, your healthcare provider will make one or more of the following recommendations,

• Continuing your current treatments
• Modifying diet and exercise
• Starting medication treatment
• Possibly seeing a cardiologist
• Continuing to monitor cholesterol levels regularly

Cholesterol Ratio

Some healthcare providers use cholesterol ratios to determine if cholesterol treatment is needed. A cholesterol ratio is a calculation that helps predict your risk of heart disease. Your cholesterol ratio is calculated by dividing the total cholesterol number by the HDL cholesterol number. The higher the ratio is, the more at risk you are for heart disease.

A Reminder to Fast

Before Your Cholesterol Testing You should fast from everything except for water for twelve hours before getting your blood work done to test for cholesterol. If you do eat or drink before your blood draw, it could cause a false high in your cholesterol numbers. If you have diabetes or are prone to hypoglycemia, speak with your healthcare provider about what you can do to make sure you have an accurate cholesterol screening.

The Dangers of Having High Cholesterol

Many people know that having high cholesterol is not a good thing, but do you know why? Having high cholesterol puts you at risk for heart disease, heart attack, stroke, diabetes, vascular diseases, and hypertension.

High Cholesterol Medications

When your healthcare provider interprets your cholesterol results they will give you recommendations on treatment. The treatment needed will depend on how high the cholesterol is, medical conditions, and family history. In some cases, they may recommend lifestyle modifications to diet and exercise or they may want you to start on medication. There are several types of medications that can treat high cholesterol levels. If one type of medication does not work or there are side effects then you can talk to your healthcare provider about trying something else. Statins are the type of medication that is the most well-known for treating high cholesterol. They lower cholesterol by reducing the amount of cholesterol made by the liver. Common side effects to watch for when starting a statin are muscle pain, nausea, and diarrhea. If these occur, reach out to the healthcare provider who prescribed the medication. Available statin medications include,

• Atorvastatin
• Simvastatin
• Pravastatin
• Rosuvastatin
• Lovastatin
• Fluvastatin
• Pitavastatin

Lowering Cholesterol Using Life Style Modifications

Making diet and exercise changes can help prevent and manage high cholesterol. To improve your diet, avoid foods with a lot of saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol in them. Focus on consuming more fruits, vegetables, fish, and whole grains. Exercising regularly can help lower bad cholesterol levels and raise good cholesterol levels. Diet and exercise both contribute to maintaining a healthy weight. Being overweight increases the risk of high cholesterol and other diseases.

Conclusions

Cholesterol is a lipid in the blood that is needed to live. Cholesterol is made by the liver and is consumed through food. Getting your cholesterol checked is an important part of maintaining health. There are different types of cholesterol which are LDL, HDL, and triglycerides.

Have your healthcare provider interpret cholesterol results and make recommendations based on your results. If medication is needed, statins are the most commonly used type of medication to treat high cholesterol. Following a healthy diet and exercising regularly are important to preventing and maintaining cholesterol levels.

About the Author

Victoria Derlin is a nurse who started her career working in acute care and now works in primary care. She is passionate about advocating for nurses and patients. In her spare time, she rides horses, reads lots of books, bakes delicious pies, and spends time with her family. You can connect with her on instagram @nurse.vicki.rn