What Is a Good Bioavailable Testosterone Level

Understanding Cholesterol Levels

Every year, your doctor likely orders a blood test to see what your cholesterol levels look like. While the numbers may seem confusing to you, understanding them can help you keep your heart healthy. Take a closer look at the types of cholesterol, and what each level means.

HDL Cholesterol

High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is better known as the "good cholesterol." It works to remove "bad cholesterol" from your blood to lower your risk for heart disease. When reviewing your blood work, you want to see a high number for your HDL cholesterol. People with certain genetic factors, those who have type 2 diabetes and those who are smokers, overweight or live a sedentary lifestyle tend to have lower HDL levels. In general, 40 is considered a low HDL cholesterol number, and indicates that you are at risk. A reading of 60 or higher indicates that you are in good health.

LDL Cholesterol

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is the "bad cholesterol." If your doctor claims that your cholesterol is high, he's usually referring to your LDL cholesterol. This type of cholesterol can build up on the walls of your arteries, block blood flow and increase your risk for developing heart disease. When looking over your blood work, you want to see a low number for LDL cholesterol. You can track your health based on these levels:

• Less than 100 is the optimal level.
• 100-129 is near optimal.
• 130-159 is borderline high.
• 160-189 is high.
• More than 190 is very high.

Triglycerides

Triglycerides are a type of fat that can be found in your blood. They can come from the cholesterol in your body or from the food that you eat. Your body converts excess calories into triglycerides and stores them in your fat cells. It can convert them to energy later if you need them, or continue to accumulate them if you take in more than you need. Your doctor will ask you to fast for a certain amount of time before having your triglyceride levels tested. Here are the levels and ranges to consider when reviewing your numbers:

• Less than 150 is the normal range.
• 150-199 is borderline high.
• 200-499 is high.
• More than 500 is very high.

Total Blood Cholesterol

You'll also see a number for your total blood cholesterol, which takes into account HDL and LDL cholesterol levels and your triglycerides. You want to aim to keep this number at less than 200, but the number itself does not have much meaning without considering the other levels listed above. Your doctor can use this number to evaluate your overall health and determine your cardiovascular risk.

Factors That Affect Your Cholesterol Levels

Several factors can influence your cholesterol levels. Factors outside of your control include genetics, age and gender. Levels tend to rise as people get older, and people tend to have high cholesterol levels if family members do also. While you can't do anything to change these factors, you can control your diet, weight and exercise. Losing weight and getting regular exercise helps reduce LDL and raise HDL cholesterol levels. Reducing the amount of saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol in your diet helps to lower your total blood cholesterol.

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