Your Cholesterol Level

When you take a blood test, called a chem-20,
SMA-20, or SMAC-20 some of the readings that
come back have to do with your cholesterol
levels.

Your test results will come in with three numbers:
1. HDL Cholesterol
2. LDL Cholesterol
3. Total Cholesterol

For total cholesterol the National Cholesterol
Education Program classifies levels below 200
milligrams/dl (milligrams per deciliter) as
“desirable.” A level between 200 and 239 is
“borderline high.” Anything over 240 is “high.”

Triglyceride levels over 400 milligrams/dl are
considered “high” and levels over 1,000
milligrams/dl are considered “very high.”

For LDL, the desirable level is less than 130
milligrams/dl. The “borderline high” level is
130 to 159. the “high risk” level is 160 and
above.

Higher is better for HDL. For HDL, the numbers
are lower because there is less HDL in the blood.
Anything lower than 35 milligrams/dl is considered
“high risk.” If your HDL is very high, say over 60,
your risk of heart disease is reduced.

The LDL, however, is the “bad” cholesterol and the
most important factor in predicting heart attack.
For LDL, lower is better preferably less than 160.
It’s best to keep the level around 130.

Instead of using statin drugs which have serious
side effects, you will want to have a diet rich in
fiber and vegetables and reduce your sugar intake.

CoQ10 is very good for heart health and to help
provide energy. If you do choose to take statin
drugs be aware that the drugs deplete the CoQ10.
So it would be necessary to add this to your daily
regime.

Jeannie Crabtree

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