What is Considered a Normal Cholesterol Range and Extenuating Factors That Can Alter Readings?

The road to achieving a normal cholesterol range is filled with many hurdles and potholes just waiting to send your cholesterol levels skyrocketing through the stratosphere. Some strong willed and committed individuals will be able to achieve normal cholesterol range through diet and lifestyle modification while others will need the extra boost provided by prescription medications or natural cholesterol reducing remedies. Nevertheless the goal is the same, to stop unhealthy cholesterol in its tracts and avoid artery plaque buildup.

There are three blood lipid readings to consider when evaluating normal cholesterol range. They are high density lipoproteins or good cholesterol, low density lipoproteins or bad cholesterol, and total cholesterol. Let's look at the guidelines for these three categories provided by the American Medical Association.

*High density lipoproteins (HDL)

60 or above is considered healthy; 40 to 59 is slightly low; and less than 40 is considered too low.

*Low density lipoproteins (LDL)

Less than 100 is ideal; 100 to 129 is slightly elevated; 130 to 159 is borderline high; and 160 or above is high.

*Total Cholesterol

200 or less is considered ideal; 200 to 239 is considered borderline high; and 240 or above is considered high.

While establishing a normal cholesterol range may seem fairly straight forward there are a number of risk factors that can skew them in one direction or the other. For example if you have coronary artery disease or more than one risk factor for coronary artery disease, a desirable LDL level may be lower than 100 mg/dl. Because everyone's situation is slightly different, it is important to work with your doctor to establish a normal cholesterol range to shoot for.

Some of the risk factors that can't be changed that could alter a person's healthy cholesterol levels are age (men over 45, women over 55); gender; heredity; menopause or postmenopausal factors; and genetic conditions such as familial hypercholesterolemia, which impacts about one out of every 500 people.

Once blood tests have been done, and lipid profiles established your doctor will be able to tweak the numbers appropriately and give a comprehensive roadmap to achieve a normal cholesterol range.

Additionally, many natural health minded individuals are finding that a combination of lifestyle and diet modification combined with lowered-cholesterol.com natural cholesterol reducing remedies can be a powerful combination for lowering blood lipid levels into a normal cholesterol range. While this natural approach has been very successful for some, it is fair to say that it is not for everyone, so check with your medical professional first before embarking on a drug free treatment plan.

Rob D. Hawkins is an enthusiastic advocate for the use of safe and effective high quality alternative 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