WHAT IS HIGH CHOLESTEROL

Cholesterol is a type of fat

Your body needs it for many things, such as making new cells.
Too much cholesterol in your blood increases your chances of having a heart attack and stroke.
You get cholesterol from the foods you eat and from your liver.

Your liver makes most of the cholesterol your body needs.

Desirable cholesterol is << 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL)
Borderline-high cholesterol is 200 to 239
High cholesterol is 240 or higher

What are the different kinds of cholesterol?
Cholesterol travels through your blood attached to a protein.
This cholesterol-protein package is called a lipoprotein.
Lipoproteins are either high-density or low-density,

based on how much protein and fat they have.

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL)

are mostly fat with only a small amount of protein.
LDL is the bad kind of cholesterol because it can clog your arteries.
If you have high cholesterol, your doctor will want you to lower your LDL.

LDL levels:
Best LDL is less than 100 mg/dL.
Near best LDL is 100 to 129.

Borderline-high LDL is 130 to 159.

High LDL is 160 to 189.
Very high LDL is 190 and above.

High-density lipoprotein (HDL)

help clear the bad cholesterol from your blood and keep it from clogging your arteries.
HDL is the good kind of cholesterol.
High levels of HDL (60 or above) can protect you from a heart attack.

HDL levels:
Desirable or high HDL is 60 mg/dL or above.
Undesirable or low HDL is less than 40.

Triglycerides
are another type of fat in your blood.

If you have high triglycerides and high LDL, your chances of having a heart attack are higher.

Triglyceride levels:
Borderline high is 150 to 199 mg/dL.
High is 200 or above.
Very high is 500 or higher.