Cholesterol

Have you tested your cholesterol lately? Many health problems announce themselves with obvious symptoms. High cholesterol is not one of them. The American heart Association says that anybody over the age of 2 should follow a healthy diet to control cholesterol, and the National Cholesterol Education Program recommends that adults age 20 and older should get a fasting “lipoprotein profile” every five years. This should include total cholesterol, LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, HDL (“good”) cholesterol and triglycerides. What do Numbers mean? Total cholesterol: Less than 200 mg/dl is desirable 200-239 mg/dl is borderline High 240mg/dl and above is High. LDL Cholesterol: Less than 100 mg/dl is Optimal 100-129 mg/dl is Near Optimal 130-159 mg/dl is Borderline High 160-189 mg/dl is High 190 mg/dl and above is Very High HDL Cholesterol: HDL protects the heart, so higher levels are better. 60 or above is ideal. Less than 40 in men and 50 in women is low. By Anonymous from USA.