How To Understand a Cholesterol Reading

Many people may be confused about the way that a cholesterol reading is to be interpreted. In order to understand how to properly arrive at and learn from a reading, it is a good idea to know how the cholesterol reading is arrived at in the first place.

The reading measures not only your LDL or "bad" cholesterol; it also takes a look at your current level of HDL or "good" cholesterol as well. Your total reading is calculated by adding the total mg/dl from both types of cholesterol together. This allows you to see the overall cholesterol level in your system.

Currently, any total reading over 240 is considered to be high risk. A person whose cholesterol reading is at this level is more likely to experience a block in blood flow in the arteries, which in turn could lead to strokes and heart attacks. This individual would most likely be placed on medication immediately, and also given instructions to make dietary and lifestyle changes, in an effort to get the total cholesterol reading down as quickly as possible.

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A total reading of between 200 and 239 is generally referred to as borderline. While not as immediately serious as a high-risk reading, persons who are in the borderline group nevertheless will be encouraged to make some changes. He or she will be told to get more exercise and cut back on some foods. The idea is to get the reading into a more desirable range, such as in 180-200 mg/dl. Often, the doctor will encourage exercise and diet as a way to accomplish this before prescribing any medications.

There is one school of thought that says the real key is not your total reading, but the ratio of good cholesterol to bad cholesterol that really makes the difference. With this formula, you would determine your true reading by taking the total reading and divide it by your HDL reading. The hope is that your ratio would be four or under, using this approach. Anything higher would indicate the need for medication and/or lifestyle changes.

Being mindful of your cholesterol reading is one way of making sure you adjust your eating and exercise habits before the problem gets out of hand. Why not get a cholesterol reading today, and see if it time for some changes?