You’se probably heard of cholesterol and how you should limit the amount you consume. You may also have heard that there is “good” and “bad” cholesterol. But what exactly makes “bad” cholesterol bad? And how do you know if you have too much bad cholesterol?

Understanding Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a fatty, waxy-like substance that is used for making cell membranes and some hormones. We get about 25% of the cholesterol we need from our diet, while the other 75% is produced by the liver. By itself cholesterol cannot travel in the bloodstream and must therefore piggy-back on protein carriers. The combination of cholesterol and protein is called a lipoprotein (lipo = fat).

There are two major kinds of lipoproteins: high-density and low-density. Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) carry cholesterol from the liver out to other bodily cells by traveling through arteries. High-density lipoproteins (HDL), on the other hand, carry cholesterol from away from the arteries and back to the liver where it can be broken down and discarded.

What Makes LDL “Bad”?

LDL isn’t inherently bad; without it we wouldn’t survive. But when too much LDL is present, the fatty cholesterol that it carries can build up on artery walls. Much like an accident on the freeway can quickly accumulate the presence of vehicles, hindering overall flow of traffic; LDL can cause a build-up of cells and molecules. This build-up can cause the arteries to become hardened and less flexible, resulting in a condition called artherosclerosis.

How is LDL Tested?

Your LDL levels can be measured with a simple blood test called a lipid profile. A medical practitioner will take a blood sample, most likely from your finger or arm, and send it off to be analyzed in a lab. The lab technician will be noting the total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and triglycerides (another kind of fat produced by the body) in the blood sample.

What Do My Lipid Profile Results Mean?

Because the concentration of LDL in the blood is the most indicative of potential disease, doctors focus on this value when determining a person’s risk from cholesterol. A certain LDL-cholesterol level doesn’t necessarily put a person at risk for developing disease. Instead doctors must consider the risk factors which can add to the negative effects of high LDL-cholesterol.

Risk factors include cigarette smoking, age (men over 45 and women over 55), HDL lower than 40 mg/dL, hypertension, or family history of premature heart disease. Medical practitioners usually use the following guidelines for determining high LDL cholesterol.

• LDL less than 70 mg/dL if you have a very high risk of heart disease

• LDL less than 100 mg/dL if you have heart disease or diabetes

• LDL less than 130 mg/dL if you have two or more risk factors

• LDL less than 160 mg/dL if you have one or fewer risk factors

How Can I Lower My Cholesterol?

The first steps to take in order to lower cholesterol are dieting, getting regular exercise, and losing excess body fat. Some people cannot adequately lower their cholesterol with diet and exercise alone and therefore must use other methods in addition. While there are many prescription drugs used to treat high cholesterol, there are also many natural methods for managing and lowering cholesterol.

Sources:
http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/medical/heart/cholesterol.html
http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/ldl/glance.html
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3046103