Healthy Levels of Cholesterol

Do you know if you have healthy levels of cholesterol? For most the answer only comes when they are tested for cholesterol during a routine physical examination, or have fallen victim to a heart attack or stroke. That is because high cholesterol generally produces no symptoms until the damage is done. Perhaps, this is why heart attack remains the number one killer of Americans ahead of all types of cancer combined.

Another interesting fact about cholesterol, and cholesterol health, is that cardiovascular disease has its roots in childhood. That's right, all those burgers and fries may have stayed with us all these years in the form of arterial cholesterol and plaque deposits. Who said, that junk food wouldn't stick with us very long?

The good news is that hardening of the arteries due to arterial plaque can be reversed but the first step is to understand where you currently are and where you are trying to. The first step in this process is knowing what healthy cholesterol levels really are, and then subsequently being tested once every few years to make sure you are achieving your target goals.

The test you should be talking to your doctor about is a lipid profile or lipid panel. Where a simple blood test may only measure cholesterol and high density lipoproteins, a lipid panel will measure total cholesterol, high density lipoproteins (HDLs), low density lipoproteins (LDLs), and triglycerides which are a type of fat in the blood. All of these reading are important in giving a person a realistic picture of where they are and where they need to go to achieve healthy levels of cholesterol.

For most people healthy levels of cholesterol are only achieved when LDL or bad cholesterol is driven down to 110 or less; HDL or good cholesterol is driven up to 50 or more; blood fats or triglycerides are driven down to 150 or so; and overall cholesterol readings are in the 200 milligrams for each deciliter of blood. If you have additional risk factors such as a family history of heart disease, are inactive and/or overweight, have diabetes or blood pressure, or are a cigarette smoker your health professional may suggest that you strive for numbers 10 percent or more below those suggested for the average person with no cardiovascular risk factors.

What else should I know about healthy levels of cholesterol?

Achieving healthy levels of cholesterol, in most cases, is about changing old habits, adopting new healthier habits, and enlisting the help of convention medications such as statins or natural cholesterol reducing remedies if needed. Put simply, this basically means finding ways to increase HDL (good cholesterol), decrease LDL (bad cholesterol levels), and bring overall cholesterol down to acceptable heart healthy levels. Certainly the aforementioned statin drugs will be one of your options but they do carry a number of serious label warnings. The side effect risks have made lowered-cholesterol.com natural cholesterol reduction supplements combined with diet modification a safe and effective combination worth considering.

Rob D. Hawkins is an enthusiastic advocate for the use of safe and effective high quality alternitive health products and natural living, with over 10 years experience in the field. Learn more about natural remedies and natural health at purchaseremedies.com Purchase Remedies.com