Important Facts You Should Know About HDL Cholesterol Ranges

Knowing what healthy cholesterol ranges are, and hopefully reaching them, is a very important part of cardiovascular health. In fact, some would consider heart health appropriate HDL cholesterol ranges to be an essential part of heart and artery health.

HDL in summary?

HDL is short for high density lipoprotein. Surprisingly HDL is nothing more than a leaner version of the bad cholesterol molecule LDL. While these two may be cousins they are as different as night and day; with HDL working to eliminate cholesterol from the body, and LDL transporting cholesterol blobs through our arteries and leaving some deposited along the way resulting in the formation of dangerous arterial plaque.

Zeroing in on HDL cholesterol ranges

When it comes to HDL cholesterol ranges the higher the numbers the better. Low levels of high density lipoproteins (less than 50 mg/dl in women and less than 40 mg/dl in men) spells T-R-O-U-B-L-E. With low HDL cholesterol levels putting a person at risk for a potentially life threatening heart attack or stroke.

On average most men's HDL cholesterol ranges are from 40 to 50 milligrams for each deciliter of blood. On average most women's HDL cholesterol ranges are from 50 to 60 milligrams for each deciliter of blood. A few recent studies suggest that for both men and women cholesterol ranges from 60 to 70 mg/dl provide noteworthy protection against heart attack and stroke. This fact has triggered a flurry of activity in recent years from a number of major drug manufacturers.

Pharmaceutical Floptology

So far raising HDL cholesterol ranges has proven to more elusive than photographing Big Foot on a foggy day. The very popular Statin medications often have very little impact on HDL, and even when they do it is generally inconsequential (8% or less).

Additionally, with all the recent attention the drug companies have put the pedal to the metal in the last couple of years trying to solve the riddle of HDL. This has lead to a number of early disappointments and a pharmaceutical solution is likely at least 3 years away.

What can I do now to raise my HDL cholesterol ranges now?

Don't cut out too much fat - Do what? I know sound pretty strange but what research is telling us is that keeping fat intake between 30 and 35 percent of calories is optimal for increasing HDL levels. Anything under 25 percent seems to reduce the level of these heart healthy lipoproteins. A good rule of thumb to accomplish this without sending your cholesterol through the roof is to try to eliminate saturated fats and trans fats from the diet, substituting polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats.

Additional suggestion to raise HDL cholesterol ranges are daily exercise, effectively managing weight, staying as far away from cigarette smoke as possible, keeping alcohol consumption to 1 or 2 glasses of red wine a day, and adding a natural purchaseremedies.com/Cholesterol.html cholesterol reduction supplement to your daily routine.

Rob D. Hawkins is an enthusiastic advocate for the use of safe and effective high quality alternative health products, and natural living, for well over 10 years and counting. To learn more about natural remedies and natural health visit purchaseremedies.com Purchase Remedies.com.