Cholesterol 101

What is cholesterol, anyway? Cholesterol is a natural fat-like substance found in all animal tissue-humans included-because it is part of all cell membranes. Cholesterol is also part of the myelin sheath that surrounds and protects nerves, and it is used to make vitamin D, bile, and some hormones. Our bodies make all the cholesterol we need for good health, so extra cholesterol coming from a poor diet provides NO benefit (in fact, quite the contrary - it clogs our arteries).

Cholesterol comes in two main varieties: low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (commonly called "bad cholesterol" - remember L for LOUSY), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol ("good cholesterol" - remember H for HERO).

LDL-Cholesterol
The higher your LDL cholesterol, the greater your risk of developing life-threatening plaque. So, you want your low-density low. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the optimal level of LDL cholesterol is below 100 mg/dL. High LDL cholesterol is defined as 160 mg/dL and higher - but certainly anything above 130 is worth treating.

HDL-Cholesterol
HDL cholesterol, on the other hand, is like nature's plaque vacuum cleaner-it picks up the vessel-clogging cholesterol and carries it away to the liver, where it is disposed of in the form of bile. The higher your HDL levels, the cleaner your blood vessels will be. So, you want your high-density high. According to the NIH, people with HDL of 60 mg/dL or higher have a lower risk of heart disease...whereas HDL below 40 mg/dL is considered too low.

Cholesterol Ratio
Because HDL is so important to the health of blood vessels, some physicians prefer to talk about the cholesterol ratio-your total cholesterol divided by your HDL cholesterol. For example, if your total cholesterol number is 250 and your HDL is 50, your ratio is 250/50 or 5. A ratio of 3.5 is considered optimal, and people are urged to aim for a ratio of 5 or less.

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