Blood test - cholesterol

A complete cholesterol test — also called a lipid panel or lipid profile — is a blood test that can measure the amount of cholesterol and triglycerides in your blood. Knowing your cholesterol levels is an essential part of understanding your own risk for heart disease. High cholesterol levels usually don't cause any signs or symptoms, so a cholesterol test is an important tool. The American Heart Association recommends that everyone over age 20 get a cholesterol test. Experts recommend follow-up cholesterol testing every five years for most people. People with abnormal lipid panels, or who have other risk factors, may need more frequent cholesterol exams.

Cholesterol	Desirable value	Significance
Total cholesterol	<200 mg/dl (<5.2 mmol/l)	Cholesterol is a lipid (fat chemical) that is made in the cells in your body. Many different cells make cholesterol but cells in the liver make about a quarter of the total. Although many foods contain cholesterol, it is poorly absorbed by the gut into the body. A total cholesterol reading represents the total amount of cholesterol circulating in your blood at the time of the test. Total cholesterol score is calculated by the following: HDL+LDL+20% of triglyceride level. With high blood cholesterol a person has more than twice the risk of coronary heart disease. Substantially elevated blood cholesterol is certainly a health concern but lowering blood cholesterol or having too low of blood cholesterol is associated with other health risks (may increase risk of deaths due to suicide or violence, because low cholesterol decreases the number of serotonin receptors in the brain and serotonin in the central nervous system suppresses aggressive impulses).
HDL (good) cholesterol level	>60 mg/dl (>1.5 mml/l)	High density lipoproteins, are molecules consisting of cholesterol and protein that carry cholesterol back from tissues or organs to the liver, where cholesterol will be degraded or recycled. High HDL cholesterol is considered protective against heart disease. Higher levels are better. Low HDL cholesterol (less than 40 mg/dL for men, less than 50 mg/dL for women puts you at higher risk for heart disease. In the average man, HDL cholesterol levels range from 40 to 50 mg/dL. In the average woman, they range from 50 to 60 mg/dL. Smoking, being overweight and being sedentary can all result in lower HDL cholesterol. To raise your HDL level, avoid tobacco smoke, maintain a healthy weight and get at least 30-60 minutes of physical activity.
LDL (bad) cholesterol level	<100 mg/dl  (<2.6 mmol/l)	Low density lipoproteins, are a combination of a cholesterol and a protein that circulate through the body and carry cholesterol from the liver and small intestine to other tissues and cells in the body that need it. LDL cholesterol can deposit in blood vessel walls. LDL cholesterol and other substances clog arteries in the process called atherosclerosis.
Triglyceride level	<150 mg/dl  (<1.7 mmol/l)	Triglyceride is the most common type of fat in the body. Many people who have heart disease or diabetes have high triglyceride levels. Many people have high triglyceride levels due to being overweight/obese, physical inactivity, cigarette smoking, excess alcohol consumption and/or a diet very high in carbohydrates. The main therapy to reduce triglyceride levels is to change your lifestyle. This means control your weight, eat a heart-healthy diet, get regular physical activity, avoid tobacco smoke, limit alcohol to one drink per day for women or two drinks per day for men and limit beverages and foods with added sugars. That's because triglycerides usually respond well to dietary and lifestyle changes.

Remember that multiple factors besides cholesterol contribute to heart disease. Diabetes, smoking, high blood pressure, obesity, exercise, and genetics are all important, as well. People with normal cholesterol can have heart disease; people with high cholesterol can have healthy hearts. Overall, though, more people who have high cholesterol will develop heart disease, compared to people with normal cholesterol tests.

If your results show that your cholesterol level is high, don't get discouraged. You may be able to lower your cholesterol with lifestyle changes, such as quitting smoking, exercising and eating a healthy diet. If lifestyle changes aren't enough, cholesterol-lowering medications also may help.