Track Your Cholestreol Numbers

It might seem obvious, but it can't be emphasized enough. One of the best ways to lower your cholesterol is to track it. Have your doctor perform blood tests regularly to track your results and progress as you continue to make changes to your lifestyle. A complete cholesterol picture is made up of three different things:


HDL (High Density Lipoprotein) is the good, healthy cholesterol. HDL picks up and carries excess cholesterol away from artery walls and brings it back to the liver for processing and removal. You want this number to be high (at least 60 mg/dL) to protect your heart. Levels too low (less than 40 mg/dL) are bad for your health, increasing your risk for heart disease.

LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein) is the bad, lazy cholesterol. LDL is made by the liver to carry cholesterol to the body's cells and tissues. It may form deposits on the walls of arteries and other blood vessels. You want this number to be low. Less than 100 mg/dL is optimal (and up to 129 mg/dL is near optimal). Unhealthy levels are 130-159 mg/dL (borderline high), 160-189 mg/dL (high), and over 190 mg/dL (very high).


Triglycerides are the most common form of fat found in food and in the body. The visible fat on meat, for example, is triglycerides. If you are overweight, your body stores the extra calories you eat as triglycerides. People with high triglyceride levels often have low HDL (good) cholesterol levels, increasing their risk for heart disease. Less than 150 mg/dL of triglycerides is considered normal. Levels above 150 are considered "high" to different degrees: 150-199 mg/dL (borderline high), 200-499 mg/dL (high) and over 500 mg/dL (very high).