Blood cholesterol tests determine the amount of LDL (L<\/strong>ow D<\/strong>ensity L<\/strong>ipoprotein) ‘bad’ cholesterol, HDL (H<\/strong>igh D<\/strong>ensity L<\/strong>ipoprotein) ‘good’ cholesterol) and triglycerides (other fatty substances) in your blood.<\/p>\n They are designed to assess whether you have a high, moderate or low risk of getting cardiovascular disease (heart disease or stroke) within the next 10 years.<\/p>\n However, the risk assessment is not just based on your cholesterol reading. It also takes into account:<\/p>\n \u2022\tyour BMI<\/strong> (body mass index), a measure of your weight in relation to your height<\/p>\n \u2022\tother medical factors<\/strong>, including high blood pressure (hypertension) and diabetes<\/p>\n \u2022\tyour age<\/strong>, sex<\/strong>, family history<\/strong> and ethnicity <\/strong><\/p>\n Blood cholesterol is measured in millimoles<\/em> per litre<\/em> of blood, shortened to mmol\/L<\/em>.<\/p>\n Recommended cholesterol levels<\/strong><\/p>\n TOTAL CHOLESTEROL<\/strong> \u2022\t5 mmol\/L or less for healthy adults On average, men in England have a cholesterol level of 5.5 mmol\/L and women have a level of 5.6 mmol\/L. Over 60% of adults have a cholesterol level above 5 mmol\/L.<\/p>\n LDL ‘BAD’ CHOLESTEROL<\/strong> \u2022\t3 mmol\/L of LDL or less for healthy adults HDL ‘GOOD’ CHOLESTEROL<\/strong> Your doctor may also calculate your total cholesterol level divided by your HDL level. Generally, this total to HDL ratio<\/strong> should be below 4<\/strong>, as a higher ratio increases heart disease risk.<\/p>\n TRIGLYCERIDES<\/strong> Your ideal level of triglycerides should be less than 1.7 mmol\/L<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Higher-risk individuals<\/strong> These high-risk categories are:<\/p>\n \u2022\tFamily history of early cardiovascular disease (for example, if your father or brother developed heart disease or had a heart attack or stroke before the age of 55, or if your mother or sister had these conditions before the age of 65)
\nThe official recommendation is that total cholesterol<\/strong> should be:<\/p>\n
\n\u2022\t4 mmol\/L or less for those at high risk<\/p>\n
\nThis is not the whole risk story by any means. Firstly, total cholesterol is not a good marker of potential trouble. LDL<\/strong> is the \u2018bad\u2019 cholesterol and levels of LDL should be:<\/p>\n
\n\u2022\t2 mmol\/L of LDL or less for those at high risk<\/p>\n
\nHDL<\/strong> is the \u2018good\u2019 form and should be above 1 mmol\/L<\/strong>. A lower level of HDL than this can increase your risk of heart disease.<\/p>\n
\nThese are the fats you use for energy and come from the fatty foods you eat. Excess triglycerides in the blood increase heart problems.<\/p>\n
\nIt’s a really good idea to get your blood levels tested if you are in one of the higher-risk categories for heart disease. You may be called in by your doctor to have the tests.<\/p>\n
\n\u2022\tA close family member has a cholesterol-related condition
\n\u2022\tBeing overweight or obese
\n\u2022\tHigh blood pressure or diabetes
\n\u2022\tAnother medical condition such as a kidney condition, an underactive thyroid gland or an inflamed pancreas (pancreatitis), as these can all cause increased levels of cholesterol or triglycerides
\n\u2022\tDiagnosed with coronary heart disease, stroke or peripheral arterial disease (PAD).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"