Understanding Cholesterol Lab Results: Good vs Bad
December 3rd, 2009 by admin
In order to be an active partner in your healthcare, you need to know what tests are being done and what the results mean. I e-mail my patients lab results, usually within 7 days of of the test. This post will help you understand what LIPID PANEL numbers mean.
How to prepare for this test. Lipid panels are a simple blood draw. This test should be done after fasting for 12 hours. Its okay to have water and take your regular medications prior to the test.
Why check a lipid panel? Lipid panels provide you 4 numbers that give you an assessment of your risk for heart attacks and stroke.
What the numbers and abbreviations mean:
1. Total Cholesterol (TC) a normal level is less than 200. This number includes LDL + HDL + other low density lipids (not usually measured, which is why LDL + HDL does not usually equal total cholesterol)
2. Triglycerides (TG) These are made up of other types of fatty acids and glycerol (NOT cholesterol). They circulate in your blood like cholesterol, but are stored in body fat and used when your body needs extra energy. Triglycerides can vary widely depending on what you eat- especially after a high fat meal (ie fast food, deep fried, etc). Normal level is less than 150.
Triglyceride is a form of fat made in the body. Elevated triglycerides can be due to overweight/obesity, physical inactivity, cigarette smoking, excess alcohol consumption and a diet very high in carbohydrates (60 percent of total calories or more). People with high triglycerides often have a high total cholesterol level, including a high LDL (bad) level and a low HDL (good) level. Many people with heart disease and/or diabetes also have high triglyceride levels.
3. LDL or “bad” cholesterol (LDL) High levels of LDL may contribute to build up of fatty plaques in your arteries (atherosclerosis). This can cause heart attack and strokes. The goal for LDL depends on your risk factors; if you have no risk factors for heart disease than goal is <130. If you have 1-2 risk factors for heart disease (diabetes, high blood pressure, smoker, family history of heart disease, previous heart attack or stroke) then the goal is <100, if you have more than 2 risk factors, then the goal is <70.
When too much LDL (bad) cholesterol circulates in the blood, it can slowly build up in the inner walls of the arteries that feed the heart and brain. Together with other substances, it can form plaque, a thick, hard deposit that can narrow the arteries and make them less flexible. This condition is known as atherosclerosis. If a clot forms and blocks a narrowed artery, heart attack or stroke can result.
4. HDL or “good” cholesterol (HDL) This is “protective” to your heart because it helps carry excess cholesterol away from your arteries- so the higher the better! A number <40 is considered a risk factor for heart disease.
About one-fourth to one-third of blood cholesterol is carried by high-density lipoprotein (HDL). HDL cholesterol is known as “good” cholesterol, because high levels of HDL seem to protect against heart attack. Low levels of HDL (less than 40 mg/dL) also increase the risk of heart disease. Medical experts think that HDL tends to carry cholesterol away from the arteries and back to the liver, where it’s passed from the body. Some experts believe that HDL removes excess cholesterol from arterial plaque, slowing its buildup.
It’s important to track your progress in order to make the changes necessary to have a healthy heart and brain. Check out these tools on the web sponsored by the American Heart Association
Monitor your numbers:
or Monitor your numbers online at: (requires free online registration)
check out a Video on understanding cholesterol numbers:
Finally, once you understand your numbers and are tracking them, you may need to do something to improve your lipid numbers. Tips on Managing Lipids:
Posted in Cholesterol, Cholesterol |