As you know, cholesterol is a fat that is present in all the cells of our body and that fulfills several vital functions for the good functioning of our organism.
To make sure it can fulfill its functions and avoid causing cardiovascular problems due to its accumulation, we must maintain adequate levels in the blood. But what are the proper cholesterol levels? With this guide we will answer all your questions so you can be clear. So you can control your cholesterol and stay healthy.
In order to determine the adequate cholesterol levels for each person, we must first know the level of risk they have of developing coronary disease. Several factors influence the development of heart disease, such as age, gender and family medical history.
As you can see, this is not easy to determine as it depends on many factors. But centers like the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) have established general values to be used as a guide for everyone.
HDL and LDL Cholesterol
In order to understand the values that we are going to indicate to you next, first we have to know that there are two types of cholesterol. The HDL cholesterol also called “good” is considered good because it is in charge of collecting the cholesterol from our body and taking it to our liver to be eliminated. It helps us cleanse our body and prevent us from having excess cholesterol.
LDL or “bad” cholesterol is called that because it is the one that can accumulate in the arteries. This increases the risk of coronary heart disease.
The appropriate levels of each type of cholesterol are different, hence the importance of knowing how to distinguish them and what their basic functions are. In addition, there is a value that is the ratio of cholesterol, which is the relationship between HDL (good) cholesterol and total cholesterol.
Knowing this value will help us determine whether we are following healthy living habits and a healthy diet. Or, if not, we will have to modify some of them to have adequate cholesterol levels.
The adequate levels of cholesterol in the blood are:
Correct levels of total cholesterol:
- Less than 200 mg/dl in healthy adults
- Less than 175 mg/dl in adults who are at high risk
- Less than 170 in children under 18
Adequate levels of LDL (or “bad”) cholesterol:
- Below 130 mg/dl in non-risk adults
- Below 100 mg/dl in adults at high risk
Adequate levels of HDL (or “good”) cholesterol:
The proper blood cholesterol levels can be known with a finger prick or blood test. If after giving us the results there is a value that we do not understand or do not know how to interpret, it is best to consult our doctor to answer all our questions. In the same way, if we have to increase or decrease a value, he will tell us what to do to correct it. Don’t worry, these are not usually drastic changes in our lifestyle, they are simple and easy to put into practice