Cholesterol is a type of fat substance that circulates in the blood and performs many normal functions in the body.  Your cholesterol comes partly from the foods you eat and partly from the cholesterol made by your body.

Cholesterol is carried through your bloodstream and attached to proteins: lipoproteins. They are classified on the basis of their density from very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) to low density lipoproteins (LDL) and high density lipoproteins (HDL).

LDL is called “bad” cholesterol because they build up inside the arteries, leading to clog arteries. LDL carries the bulk of circulating cholesterol. HDL is called “good” cholesterol because they clear the arteries of harmful LDL cholesterol, by sending them back to the liver where they are processed and removed from the body.

The balance between HDL and LDL cholesterol is important.  The higher level of LDL cholesterol, the more likely the chance to have narrowed arteries.

Hypercholesterolmia means high blood cholesterol. Like hypertension, high blood cholesterol is a “silent” disease.  You can feel fine and have no warning signs.  The fat deposits in the blood vessels do not produce symptoms until they are nearly closed or become clogged.

A fasting blood test will measure your cholesterol and milligrams, along with your HDL, LDL, and triglyceride levels.

The National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) has recommended different goals of cholesterol, HDL, LDL, and triglyceride levels according to the number of risk factors for coronary artery disease (CAD).

Positive risk factors are age, sex, family, history of CAD, hypertension, smoking, diabetes, low HDL, high total cholesterol, and others.

In general, a total cholesterol (TC) level less than 200mg/dl is desirable.  A cholesterol level of 200 or more increases your risk of heart disease.  The desirable HDL (good) cholesterol level is higher than 40mg/dl in men, and higher than 50mg/dl in women.

The desirable LDL (bad) cholesterol level is lower than 100mg/dl. however, for some high risk individuals it should be less than 70mg/dl.