Do they give you the results of the blood test and do the cholesterol numbers sound like Chinese? You are not alone, according to surveys, the same thing happens to the majority of Spaniards. So that you can better understand the cholesterol values that appear in your blood test, we have created this guide. Keep reading and you will discover in an easy and practical way what cholesterol is and especially what levels are adequate.
What is cholesterol?
It is an essential fat that participates in various functions of the body such as the formation of hormones, the transport of vitamins (those that dissolve in fat and not in water, such as A, D, EK), or in helping to produce bile so that we can digest food. 80% of cholesterol is made in the liver and 20% comes from some foods (which is where you can do something to correct your levels).
Cholesterol alone is not dangerous . But the vehicle in which you travel can hurt us. And it is that cholesterol uses a special transport to circulate through your blood called lipoproteins. Lipoproteins would be like the vehicles you see on the road, and in this case, the road would be your arteries.
LDL cholesterol or bad cholesterol
LDL stands for Low Density Level (low density level, in Spanish). Imagine a large vehicle that is thin, like a large sponge. If too many of these vehicles come together in your artery, at some point there will be a traffic jam.
- Maximum LDL cholesterol : Above 160 mg / dl it is already high. It should be below 129 mg / dl.
- Low level LDL cholesterol : Low values are desirable.
- Cholesterol LDL optimal level: Between 70 and 120 mg / dl.
HDL cholesterol or good cholesterol
HDL stands for High Density Level (high density level, in Spanish). Now imagine a very dense small vehicle, such as a pellet or a small compact car that pushes the sponges. And that is its function, to push or "sweep" the bad cholesterol towards the liver so that it breaks it down and expels it.
Therefore, it is important to have a good HDL number as this way you will have a better "road cleaning" service and less risk of heart disease or other diseases such as dementia. We tell you how to increase good cholesterol.
- Maximum HDL cholesterol level: Above 160 mg / dl it is already high.
- Minimum HDL cholesterol level: You must have more than 40 mg / dl. It is worrisome when it is below 40 in men and 50 in women.
- Optimal HDL cholesterol level: Greater than 35 mg / dl in men and 40 mg / dl in women.
Total cholesterol
It is the sum of LDL or bad cholesterol and HDL or good cholesterol.
- Maximum total cholesterol level: Above 240 mg / dl of blood is considered very high and if there are risk factors, such as having hypertension or diabetes, it should not exceed 200.
- Total cholesterol minimum level: Below 120 mg / dl of blood.
- Optimal total cholesterol level: Ideally, it should be less than 200 mg / dl of blood.
VLDL or triglycerics
VLDL are very low-density lipoproteins. They transport triglycerides, another type of fat necessary for our body (such as cholesterol), but whose excess is also bad, since they make bad cholesterol stickier and deposit more easily in the arteries.
- Triglycerides maximum level: Above 500 mg / dl.
- Triglycerides minimum level: Low values are desirable.
- Optimal triglycerides level: Less than 150 mg / dl.
High cholesterol: what does it mean
When cholesterol builds up in your arteries, when it gets clogged, what is known as plaque appears . This plaque can harden and stay there, making your arteries narrower and narrower. If cholesterol keeps building up, an artery can become completely clogged. And the plaques can also break open, causing a blood clot to form that blocks blood flow.
- Heart attack: If an artery that supplies blood to the heart muscles is blocked, a heart attack can occur.
- Stroke: If an artery that supplies blood to the brain is blocked, what can occur is a cerebrovascular accident (embolism, stroke)
Do I have to take medication?
"It doesn't lower my cholesterol." Some people produce more cholesterol by genetic predisposition and suffer from hypercholesterolemia . In these cases, statin-based drugs are prescribed that lower bad cholesterol. They also occur if cholesterol is not lowered by diet.
Why is there controversy? Statins are part of the treatment, but recent studies show that they do not reduce mortality and cause more harm. There are doctors who do not recommend them, but others do. Consult yours.
