What is considered a high number for cholesterol?

We have all heard about cholesterol, that dreaded molecule that haunts us every time we indulge in our favorite junk food. But what is considered a high number for cholesterol? Is there any way to measure it without visiting your doctor and getting your blood drawn? Don’t fret! We’ve got you covered with everything you need to know about the good, the bad and the ugly of cholesterol levels!

The Basics – What Is Cholesterol?

Let’s start with the basics before delving deep into what constitutes as normal or abnormal. Cholesterol is a type of fat present in our bloodstream, produced by both our liver and from dietary sources such as meats, eggs etc. It plays an essential role in maintaining cell membranes and creating hormones; however, too much of it can be harmful.

Types of Cholesterol

There are two types of cholesterol – Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) known as “bad” cholesterol because it causes fatty deposits on arterial walls leading to heart diseases. On the other hand, High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) referred to as “good” because its job is to take excess LDL out of circulation back to liver for metabolism(1).

It’s important that while monitoring your overall level one should also consider checking their HDL vs LDL ratio since having low HDL &.high LDL leads to increased chances of developing cardiovascular disease.

Now let’s dive into answering the big question-

At What Limit Does My Total Blood Serum Cholesterol Become Abnormal?

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends total serum concentration levels including both HDL+LDL/ triglycerides not exceeding 200 mg/dl. Interestingly even this benchmark has shifted over time.

NOTE: This article will predominantly use mg/dl conversion scale apart from few mentions where mmol/L might come up when necessary)

Earlier AHA’s suggested level was 240mg/dl if you looked at lab reports some decades back. Incidentally, lipid-lowering therapy recommendations also differ today compared to those popularized in the last era(2).

So, a good cholesterol & triglyceride profiler must account for inducing factors such as diet/fasting/recent meals or drugs taken before the test.

The Roles of HDL & LDL fractions

As mentioned above HDL particles are tasked with reverse-transporting excess cholesterols from cells-tissue sites towards liver ,which can metabolize them into bile acids and excrete them out of body pathways . High Triglycerides /Low calorie intake coupled with excess alcohol/smoking habits typically lead to low HDL -C levels (3)

Your physician/Pharmacist will advise that e ven making small changes in our diet/fiber supplements helps improve these markers naturally without medications.

On contrary high levels of LDL particles significantly increase chances for arteriosclerotic events down the line.(4)

Let’s break it down further:

LDL Cholesterol	NORMAL
Toal serum level in mg/dL	<100

BORDERLINE RISK FOR ARTERY BLOCKAGES:

Total Serum Levels(mg/dl)	Risk Category
>160	High
130 -159	Moderate

Another noteworthy HDL needs to be >50mg/dl in females & >40 mg/dl in males.

Here are some popular misconceptions when it comes to monitoring and controlling cholesterol levels:

– Lipid profile testing is only for people above the of age 45.

Your genes could predispose you knowingly or otherwise arterial plaque formation due to high LDL levels from adolescence itself . Statistically women after menopause have a higher risk , courtesy decrease estrogen synthesis.(5)(6)

– Cholesterol cannot kill me!

No news here right? Back to basics guys. Eating food rich in saturated fats/cholesterol leads your body’s liver into overproducing trans/mixed fatty acids that can potentially cause infiltration into endothelium layers leading up inflammation-eventually oxidative damage.Damage like this being repeated over time corrodes walls making platelets stick on plaques’ surface causing thrombosis (7).

## The Bottom line
As with most things essential health-wise, excess fat consumption begets complex organ/system malfunctions down the line. So watch out for what fuels you as much as what drains you! Check back often and make small lifestyle changes whenever convenient – research has shown that even slight changes can produce substantial results.

The key takeaway regarding good vs bad blood serum cholesterols is :

‘LDL wants no piece of our hearts’: its depredatory effect makes us disconcerting about our health goals
‘HDL wants to herd Cholesterol away from trouble’: its scavenging properties rescue us in developing CV event end points!

So,..remember always- 😎”Happy cholesterol bureaus make All-Jolly Biologists Comfortable evidently!”👨‍🔬🧪

Dane Raynor

Hey there, I’m Dane Raynor, and I’m all about sharing fascinating knowledge, news, and hot topics. I’m passionate about learning and have a knack for simplifying complex ideas. Let’s explore together!