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High Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a waxy, fatty substance, known as a lipid. Cholesterol is needed for the structure and function of all cells in your body. It takes only a small amount of cholesterol to meet these needs, and your liver makes all the cholesterol you need.
High cholesterol has no symptoms and the only way to know if you have high cholesterol is to have it checked by your doctor (at least once a year).
Saturated fat, overweight/obesity, and genetics are the main causes of high cholesterol. Eating a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight, taking your medications if your doctor has prescribed them, being physically active, and quitting smoking can help you lower your cholesterol.
There are 2 main types of cholesterol: |
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- HDL – “Good” Cholesterol: High-density lipoprotein. HDL keeps your arteries clear and reduces your risk of CVD. Keep it High!
- LDL – “Bad” Cholesterol: Low-density lipoprotein. LDL can clog arteries and increases the risk of CVD. Keep it Low!
The following are the numbers you should know:
| Total Cholesterol |
< 200 |
Desirable |
200 – 239 |
Borderline high |
>= 240 |
High |
LDL Cholesterol |
< 100 |
Optimal |
100 – 129 |
Near optimal/above optimal |
130 – 159 |
Borderline high |
160 – 189 |
High |
>= 190 |
Very high |
HDL Cholesterol |
< 40 |
Low |
>= 60 |
High |
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/cholesterol/atp3xsum.pdf
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