Summary for HealthiNation’s Cholesterol

Hosted by Dr. Tanya Benenson, Internal Medicine

What Is Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a natural substance found in foods, and is even created by our bodies to help build and maintain our cells. But too much cholesterol can lead to major problems, like heart attack or stroke.

What Happens When Cholesterol Is Too High?

The organ system most affected by high cholesterol is the circulatory system, or your blood vessels. When there is too much cholesterol in the blood, deposits can start to form inside the arteries. This is a serious problem, because over time, those deposits can grow and restrict the flow of blood to our vital organs. A blocked artery in the heart can cause a heart attack, while a blocked artery in the brain can cause a stroke.

What Causes High Cholesterol?

Genetics, lifestyle and diet are the main causes of high cholesterol. You can't do anything about your genes, but you can control your lifestyle and diet... and with the right changes, you can prevent or even reverse high cholesterol.

Screening for High Cholesterol

A simple blood test can tell you if you have high cholesterol. The blood test checks for three types of cholesterol—HDL, LDL, and triglycerides. Combined, these three types of cholesterol make up your total cholesterol levels.

HDL stands for High Density Lipoprotein. It’s also known as the “good cholesterol” because it helps pull excess cholesterol away from the tissues.

LDL stands for Low Density Lipoprotein. This is the “bad cholesterol.” It's bad because it leaves deposits in your blood vessels.

Triglycerides are a little different from LDL, but are also a bad kind of cholesterol.

In order to ensure the accuracy of your cholesterol test, you should avoid eating or drinking anything except water for about twelve hours before the test. This is because food can falsely increase your cholesterol level.

According to the National Cholesterol Education Program Expert Panel, your total cholesterol number should be less than 200.

You are considered to be "borderline high" if your overall test reads 200 to 239.

A reading of 240 is considered "High Cholesterol" and needs to be treated.

For LDL levels, the lower the number the better:

• A number under 100 is Optimal.
• A number between 100 to 129 is Near Optimal
• A number between 130 to 159 is Borderline High
• A number between 160 to 189 High
• 190 and above is Very High

For HDL, the higher the number the better. The best reading is 60 and above, and any HDL number below 40 is too low.

Triglycerides should be less than 150.

Preventing & Treating High Cholesterol

Some people will have a higher probability of developing high cholesterol because of their genetic makeup and family history. If a close relative, like a parent or sibling, has high cholesterol or a history of heart disease, you may be at risk.

Your best way to prevent or reduce high cholesterol is to control your lifestyle and diet. Avoid high cholesterol foods, such as foods that come from animals like eggs, meats and cheeses. There are even some foods that can help improve your cholesterol. These include fish, soy products and foods with soluble fiber. Exercise can boost your HDL, or the “good cholesterol” in the blood.

If diet and exercise aren't doing enough to lower your cholesterol, your doctor may prescribe medications. Statins are the most common medication used to treat high cholesterol. These drugs work by stopping the natural cholesterol production in the liver. This forces the liver to pull the cholesterol it needs from the blood. This lowers your total cholesterol, and in some cases even reabsorbs some of the cholesterol that's been deposited in the blood vessels.

Other medications are available that work differently. For instance some block the cholesterol you eat from entering the bloodstream during digestion. Speak to your doctor about what treatment is right for you.

HealthiNation offers health information for educational purposes only; this information is not meant as medical advice. Always consult your doctor about your specific health condition.