Too much cholesterol (a fat-like substance) in your blood causes your arteries to get hard or stiff and they can become narrowed.
It's important to keep your cholesterol levels within healthy limits.
Heart Disease
You're considered to be at a high risk of heart disease if you have or have had any of the following: A previous heart attack or stroke Artery blockages in your neck (carotid artery disease) Artery blockages in your arms or legs (peripheral artery disease) Diabetes In addition, two or more of the following risk factors also might place you in the very high risk group: Smoking High blood pressure Low HDL cholesterol Family history of early heart disease Age older than 45 if you're a man, or older than 55 if you're a woman Elevated lipoprotein (a), another type of fat (lipid) in your blood
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What Can You Do?
Total Cholesterol Level |
Category |
Less than 200 mg/dL |
Desirable |
LDL Cholesterol Level
(Bad Cholesterol) |
LDL-Cholesterol Category |
Less than 100 mg/dL |
Optimal |
HDL Cholesterol Level
(Good Cholesterol) |
HDL-Cholesterol Category |
Men- Equal to or Greater than 40mg/dL |
Optimal |
HDL Cholesterol Level
(Good Cholesterol) |
HDL-Cholesterol Category |
Women-
Equal to or Greater than 50mg/dL |
Optimal |
Triglycerides Level
(fats carried in the blood from the food we eat) |
Category |
Less than 150 mg/dL |
Desirable |
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