Having your cholesterol levels checked is a good idea for everyone. The simple blood test can tell your doctor your total cholesterol levels, as well as your LDL, HDL, and trigylceride levels.
Total Cholesterol Guidelines
Guidelines for total cholesterol levels are impacted by your age. If you are under 21, you should have between 75 and 169 mg/dL as your total cholesterol amount. For those over 21, levels should be between 100 and 199 mg/dL.
LDL Guidelines
Low density lipoproteins (LDL) are considered "bad cholesterol." For most people, LDL levels under 130 mg/dL are good. If you have risk factors for heart disease, your doctor may recommend keeping those levels under 100 or even below 70 mg/dL.
Triglycerides Guidelines
This number should be below 150 mg/dL. High triglyceride levels correlate with a higher risk of heart disease.
HDL Guidelines
You want higher HDL levels because this is considered "good" cholesterol and can reduce your risk of heart disease. Levels of at least 45 mg/dL are acceptable, but higher is recommended.
Dietary Guidelines
No more than 200 mg/dL of dietary cholesterol should be consumed each day. Saturated fat should make up less than 8 percent of your total calories for the day, too, because eating high levels of this type of fat can increase your LDL and trigylceride levels. Eat more monounsaturated fats (found in olive oil, plant phenols, and some types of nuts) because it increases your HDL levels.
Tags: cholesterol levels, heart disease, your total, levels under, risk heart, risk heart disease, total cholesterol
