Since there is good cholesterol and bad cholesterol it is not only necessary to know your cholesterol level,it is also important to know your levels of LDL and HDL.
The fact is that there are no symptoms of high cholesterol. Your first symptom of high cholesterol could be a heart attack or a stroke. The level of cholesterol can be measured only with a blood test. The results come as three main numbers:
- Total Cholesterol
- LDL
- HDL
Total cholesterol should be less than 200.
The level of HDL should be more than 35.
Most Important: Your LDL level is a good indicator of your risk for heart disease. Lowering LDL is the main aim of treatment if you have high cholesterol. In general, the higher your LDL level, the greater your chance of developing heart disease.
Remember: Regular cholesterol tests are recommended to find out if your cholesterol level is within normal range.WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT YOUR LDL CHOLESTEROL LEVELS?
The main cause of high blood cholesterol is eating too much fat, especially saturated fat. Saturated fats are found in animal products, such as meats, milk and other dairy products that are not fat free, butter, and eggs. Some of these foods are also high in cholesterol. Fried fast foods and snack foods often have a lot of fat.
Being overweight and not exercising can make your bad cholesterol go up and your good cholesterol go down. Regular physical activity can help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and raise HDL (good) cholesterol levels. It also helps you lose weight. You should try to be physically active for 30 minutes on most, if not all, days.
