Cholesterol Level

CHOLESTEROL LEVEL

What is a good cholesterol Level ? How do you know if your cholesterol level is a normal cholesterol level, a healthy cholesterol level or even a high cholesterol level.

Your cholesterol level is shown in millimoles per liter of blood (mmol/L) in the world standard or in milligrams per deciliter of blood (mg/dL) in the US standard.

The only way to know your cholesterol level is by having a blood test.

NORMAL CHOLESTEROL LEVEL

You are considered to have a healthy cholesterol level if you have a total blood cholesterol level below 200mg/dl or 5 mmol/L, in condition that your LDL cholesterol level, HDL cholesterol level and triglyceride level also at healthy level, and you don't have other risks (eg. smoking or have a family history of heart disease or diabetes).

However if you do smoke and have family history of heart disease, the Joint British Societies (a group of the main UK expert societies involved in cardiovascular disease) recommend the good cholesterol level is to have the total cholesterol to be less than 4.0mmol/L

BORDERLINE HIGH CHOLESTEROL LEVEL

You are in borderline high cholesterol level if you have a total blood cholesterol level between 200 - 239 mg/dL (5 - 6.21 mmol/L). if your cholesterol level is in this category, does not mean that you in the risk of heart attack. it is possible to be in this category with your LDL cholesterol level desirable and your HDL cholesterol level high.

What is important if you are in this category is that you need to work with your doctor to evaluate the LDL cholesterol level, HDL cholesterol level and triglyceride level, monitoring them and create a prevention and treatment plan that works for you (eg, lifestyle changing, dietary, or medication), to bring the level to normal cholesterol level.

HIGH CHOLESTEROL LEVEL

If you have your cholesterol level of 240 mg/dl (6.21 mmol/L) or more, you are in the high cholesterol level category which also can put you into twice the risk of getting heart attack than those of people who have their cholesterol level normal.

You must act fast in this category, stop smoking, change to a healthy dietary, exercise at least 30 min a day, and the most important things is to work closely together with your doctor to create a prevention and treatment plan that works best and fast for you.