When am I at risk with my Cholesterol level?

Total blood cholesterol level

Your blood cholesterol level will fall into one of these categories:
Desirable — Less than 200 mg/dL total Cholesterol level
Borderline high risk — 200–239 mg/dL total Cholesterol level
High risk — 240 mg/dL and over total Cholesterol level

Desirable
If your total cholesterol level is less than 200 mg/dL, your heart attack risk is low, unless you have other risk factors. Even with a low risk, it's still smart to eat foods low in saturated fat and cholesterol, and also get plenty of physical activity.

Borderline high risk
If your cholesterol level is from 200 to 239 mg/dL you are in a group of borderline high risk. About a third of American adults are in this borderline group; almost half of the adults have a total cholesterol level below 200 mg/dL. If you are in this Borderline high risk group, please have your total cholesterol and HDL Cholesterol checked in one to two years if:
· Your total cholesterol is in this range.
· Your HDL is less than 40 mg/dL.
· You don’t have other risk factors for heart disease.
You should also lower your intake of foods high in saturated fat and cholesterol. Test your blood to measure the LDL cholesterol. But even if your total cholesterol is between 200 and 239 mg/dL, there may not be a high risk for a heart attack. Women before menopause and young, active men who have no other risk factors — may have high HDL cholesterol and desirable LDL levels. Everyone's case is different.

High risk
If your total cholesterol level is 240 or more, you are in high risk. The risk of heart attack and stroke is greater. People who have a total cholesterol level of 240 mg/dL have twice the risk of heart attack as people whose cholesterol level is 200 mg/dL. In this case you need more tests. Twenty percent of the U.S. population has high blood cholesterol levels.

LDL cholesterol level

The LDL cholesterol level greatly affects the risk of heart attack and stroke. The lower the LDL cholesterol, the lower the risk. The LDL cholesterol level is a better gauge of risk than the total blood cholesterol. LDL cholesterol will fall into one of the following categories:
LDL Cholesterol Levels
Less than 100 mg/dL Optimal
100 to 129 mg/dL Near / Above Optimal
130 to 159 mg/dL Borderline High
160 to 189 mg/dL High
190 mg/dL and above Very High

The lower your LDL cholesterol level, the lower your risk. One can follow a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, regular exercise and a weight management program if there is overweight. If you can't lower the cholesterol with these efforts, medications can be prescribed to lower the LDL cholesterol level. LDL level at which medications can be prescribed: LDL Level Goal People without coronary heart disease and with fewer than two risk factors 190 mg/dL or higher 160 mg/dL or lower People without coronary heart disease and with two or more risk factors 160 mg/dL or higher 130 mg/dL or lower People with coronary heart disease 130 mg/dL or higher 100 mg/dL or lower .

HDL cholesterol level

In the average man, HDL cholesterol levels range from 40 to 50 mg/dL. In the average woman, they range from 50 to 60 mg/dL. HDL cholesterol that's less than 40 mg/dL is low. Low HDL cholesterol level gives high risk for heart disease. Smoking gives lower HDL cholesterol. Being overweight and being sedentary can also result in lower HDL cholesterol level. Having low HDL cholesterol level can be raised by:
a. Stop smoking
b. Lose weight or maintain a healthy weight
c. Physically active people with high blood triglycerides usually have lower HDL cholesterol level, a higher risk of heart attack and stroke. Progesterone, anabolic steroids and male sex hormones also lower HDL cholesterol levels. Female sex hormones raise HDL cholesterol levels.

Cholesterol ratio

Total blood cholesterol level is the most common measurement of blood cholesterol. Cholesterol is measured in milligrams per deciliter of blood (mg/dL). Knowing the total blood cholesterol level is an important first step in determining the risk for heart disease. The second step is knowing the HDL cholesterol level. The ratio of total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol in place of the total blood cholesterol is also an important measurement . You can obtain the ratio by dividing the HDL cholesterol level into the total cholesterol. For example, If someone has a total cholesterol of 200 mg/dL and an HDL cholesterol level of 50 mg/dL, the ratio would be stated as 4:1. The goal is to keep the ratio below 5:1; the optimum ratio is 3.5:1.

Triglyceride level