What should your total cholesterol be?

Have you ever heard of cholesterol? Well, it’s that pesky substance in your body that everyone talks about but no one understands. But fear not! In this article, we’ll delve into the world of cholesterol and find out everything there is to know.

The Basics

First off, what exactly is cholesterol? It’s a waxy substance found in your blood that plays a vital role in producing hormones and maintaining healthy cells. However, too much cholesterol can lead to serious health problems like heart disease.

Now let’s get into some technical terms. There are two main types of cholesterol: LDL (low-density lipoprotein) and HDL (high-density lipoprotein). I know, these sound like fancy scientific terms, but bear with me here.

LDL – The “Bad” Cholesterol

LDL is often referred to as the “bad” kind of cholesterol because it contributes to plaque buildup in your arteries which can lead to heart disease. So if someone tells you that you have high levels of LDL, don’t feel offended! It just means more love for your heart.

HDL – The “Good” Cholesterol

HDL is known as the “good” kind of cholesterol because it actually helps remove other forms of bad fats from your bloodstream thereby reducing plaque development within arterial walls. Thus keeping inflammation down and improving overall cardiovascular health outcomes.

Measuring Your Levels

Okay okay enough with all these confusing scientific terms already. Let’s talk about how we measure our level(s) so conveniently called total/overall blend between LDL & HDL!

The American Heart Association recommends getting tested at least every four or five years starting at age 20 – earlier than this only considered where risks exist depending on factors such as family history, hypertension/diabetes case findings etcetera through routine monitoring programs during checkups with physicians.

Getting Tested

So how exactly do we get tested? Simple! All you need to do is have a blood test done. Your levels will then be compared against a measurement range:

Measurement Range Indication
Less than 200mg/dL Desirable
Between 200 and 239 mg/dL Borderline High
More than or equal to 240 mg/dL High

And voila! There’s your total cholesterol in a neat little package.

But wait, that’s not all!

Other Factors That Affect Cholesterol Levels

It isn’t just about the number of eggs you eat for breakfast or trips through drive-throughs which contribute to high levels of LDL cholesterols – many things can influence them from an impact on other cardiovascular factors worthy of considering when choosing what could potentially impact needless spikes leading towards negative health consequences down life’s eternal highway ahead…

Diet & Exercise

We all know that eating greasy burgers and sitting around watching Netflix isn’t going to make us feel great (although temptation can often rear its lovely head). But did you know that these kinds of habits are directly linked with cholesterol levels?

Eating foods high in trans fats like fried chicken or pizza crust artificially enhance flavors by using oils unsuitable adding to excess saturated fatty acids found within animals driving harmful cellular growth causing harm overtime whereas natural substitutes such as coconut oil help people meet grams requirements reducing risk manifestations.

Additionally, regular exercise has been shown time after time again boost HDL (“good”) results perhaps more beneficially then medication itself leading dramatically-improved overall metabolic functions collectively impacting lifestyle improvements upon bone/organ strength alongside sugar/metabolic processing optimization day-to-day activity relaying towards longer terms benefits beyond limits expectations had originally existed before!

Genetics & Family History

Did your grandfather suffer from heart disease? Or, perhaps your father had a stroke at a young age? Well then buckle up because it could affect you too!

Genetics plays an important role in cholesterol levels. If someone in your family has high cholesterol, there’s a higher risk that you may, as well. The further out from the core side-effects of dietary decisions being taken care of on daily basis also affects LDL/HDL values over time due to historical patterns existing within bloodline segments leading towards potential warning signs along trajectories resulting inevitably harmful outcomes.

Age

As we age our bodies change how they handle certain things like food or activities which can impact cholesterol levels significantly – this can come with many risks and combined effects including irregulations impacting overall health if not addressed accordingly through proper lifestyle interventions; thus indicating regular testing for individuals beyond 20-30 years old assisting preventative measures stemming towards more controlled/avoidable conditions emerging later down life’s perpetual road ahead…

Takeaway

Surely by now you know all there is for one person to possibly take away already so hopefully going forward decision making is easier when looking into creating habits promoting benefits associated with balanced diet alongside active living directly promote signals maintaining balance throughout accumulated evidence coming full-circle shift-as-it-happens information streams surrounding healthy sustainable routines established long-term accomplishments surpassing goals expectations thought possible earlier occasions observed!

Remember these key points:

  • Total cholesterol should be less than 200 mg/dL.
  • High levels of LDL are bad (but not always something to worry about).
  • HDL helps remove bad fats from your bloodstream.
    • Fatty diets influence total cholesterol levels
    • Regular exercise contributes positively toward metabolic functions improving heart health noticeably
    • Genetics play a role and increasing age makes higher demands upon lifestyle-related upkeep/customer choice making processes keeping in good standing

And don’t forget – high levels do NOT necessarily mean doom & gloom! Just breathe and focus on balancing habits in the here and now toward results promising happier healthier existences!

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