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Old Tue, Oct-16-01, 12:31
doreen T's Avatar
doreen T doreen T is offline
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Posts: 37,224
 
Plan: LC paleo
Stats: 241/188/140 Female 165 cm
BF:
Progress: 52%
Location: Eastern ON, Canada
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hi Jacki ..

As Atriana says, I think you misquoted the HDL .. I suspect the number listed is the TOTAL cholesterol. HDL is typically a much smaller number, around 40 + or -, preferably +
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TYPES OF CHOLESTEROL

Cholesterol travels in the blood in packages called lipoproteins.
  • Cholesterol packaged in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is often called "bad" cholesterol, because too much LDL in blood can lead to cholesterol buildup and blockage in the arteries.

    Another type of cholesterol, which is packaged in high-density lipoprotein (HDL), is known as "good" cholesterol. That is because HDL helps remove cholesterol from the blood, preventing it from piling up in the arteries. The higher your HDL, the less your risk of coronary heart disease.
CHOLESTEROL LEVELS & RISK
  • Desirable: Total cholesterol below 200 mg/dL (5.2 mmol/L), LDL below 130 mg/dL (3.3 mmol/L), HDL over 40 mg/dL (1.03 mmol/L) -- over 60 (1.55) is protective against heart disease.

    Moderate risk: Total cholesterol 200-240 (5.2-6.2), LDL 130-159 (3.4-4.1), HDL below 40 (1.03)

    High risk: Total cholesterol over 240 (6.2), LDL over 159 (4.1), HDL below 35 (0.9)
TRIGLYCERIDES

Triglycerides are a type of lipid that circulate in the bloodstream and are essential for good health. They are produced in the liver from fats and carbohydrates.

Factors that contribute to high triglycerides include obesity and overweight, physical inactivity, cigarette smoking, excess alcohol intake, high-carbohydrate diets, several diseases (including type 2 diabetes, chronic renal failure, and nephrotic syndrome), some drugs (such as corticosteroids, estrogens, retinoids, and high doses of beta blockers), and certain genetic disorders.

Triglyceride levels below 200 mg/dL (2.3 mmol/L) is normal. Higher levels are considered a risk factor for heart disease.

HDL RATIOS

A very convenient way of expressing your risk of heart disease which takes into account both the total (bad) and HDL (good) cholesterol is the ratio between the two. If this is under 4.5, you don't need to worry, although a 'perfect' score would be under 3.5. So if your total cholesterol is 200 mg/dl and your HDL 50 mg/dl, your ratio is 4, and you're OK. But if your total is 200 and your HDL 35, your ratio is 5.7, and you may have a problem.

The ratio is sometimes expressed as the LDL/HDL ratio, in which case the cutoff points would be different. It's actually no better than the cholesterol/HDL ratio in terms of predicting who's at risk, and more expensive to perform.

Chol/HDL: below 3.0 low, 3.0-3.6 average, 3.7-4.6 moderate, over 4.6 high

LDL/HDL: below 2.3 low, 2.3-4.1 average, 4.1-5.6 moderate, over 5.6 high
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