All About Good and Bad Cholesterol

Author: Suzi Parsell

| Posted: 22-06-2008 | Comments: 0 | Views: 26 | Rating: (59)

(?)

Related Videos

Play

Foods That Lower Bad Cholesterol

The perfect cholesterol-lowering recipe may be in your pantry!...

Play

The Foods That Lower LDL

Did you know that what you eat can actually lower your "bad"...

Play

The Real Deal with Cholesterol

Cholesterol gets a bad rep?but is it deserved?...

Not all cholesterol is bad. There's a certain type of cholesterol which we need for certain valuable body functions. Our bodies need that "good" cholesterol to build cell walls, produce hormones, and digest dietary fats.

Cholesterol is carried in particle form (as lipoproteins) through our bloodstream and is made available for use by various tissues. They are also eventually stored or excreted as waste.

When an excessive amount of lipoproteins circulate in the blood, there is a great risk of injury to the arteries - especially to the coronary arteries to the heart. When vessel linings are burdened by "plaque," heart-related diseases such as atherosclerosis set in.

Cholesterol needs to be transported as lipoproteins because they aren't soluble in blood. Lipoproteins are organic compounds which are composed of both protein and different fatty substances categorized as lipids - these include steroids (e.g., cholesterol) and fatty acids.

The two basic cholesterol types are high-density lipoproteins (HDL) and low-density lipoproteins (LDL). When you have your total cholesterol checked, both readings are usually given.

High-density lipoprotein (HDL)

It has been found that sufficient levels of HDL can significantly reduce the risk of heart disease. In fact, it has been thought by experts at the American Heart Association (AHA) to even help carry the bad cholesterol (see below) away from the arteries and transport them to the liver where they can be excreted from the body.

HDLs are cells that are smaller than LDLs and have a lower protein percentage. For women, the normal HDL cholesterol levels are 50-60 mg/dL and for men, the reading should ideally be 40-50 mg/dL.

The higher the levels of HDL in our bodies, the better it is for our hearts. A reading of less than 40 mg/dL increases our risk of having heart disease.

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL)

LDLs, on the other hand, are large molecules having a higher protein percentage than HDLs. They are the main system of transport of cholesterol and high levels of LDL mean an increased risk of heart disease, as well as stroke and heart attack, according to AHA. Together with other compounds, LDLs accumulate and form harmful plaque inside our arteries' walls, limiting our blood flow with possibly lethal blockages.

LDL levels of less than 100 mg/dL are considered optimal. When it reaches 130-159 mg/dL, it is considered "borderline high," while levels reaching 190 mg/dL and above are considered very high.

According to a report from the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP), more than 50 million adults in the U.S. alone could benefit from dietary therapy to help lower their cholesterol levels. So make sure to follow a proper diet to maintain a healthy life style.

Rate this Article:

Current: 0 / 5 stars - 0 vote(s).

Article Tags: Cholesterol, Ldl, Hdl, Lipoproteins

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/all-about-good-and-bad-cholesterol-457531.html

Print article

Send to friend

Publish this Article

Author feedback

About the Author:

ProFibe is a safe and effective supplement that could help reach your goal of keeping your cholesterol level within acceptable limits. For more information, visit profibeinsider.com

Submitting articles has become one of the most popular means of generating quality backlinks and targeted traffic to your website. Join us today - It's Free!

Article Comments

Add new Comment

Alternative Medicine for Bad Cholesterol
By: Markus Wahlgren | 09/11/2006 | Health

Cholesterol and Heart Disease - What you Need to Know
By: Brian Tilley | 27/01/2008 | Diseases and Conditions

Your Doctor And Your Blood Pressure: A Crapshoot
By: Maggie Z. Mathews | 31/07/2007 | Medicine

The Facts of Fats
By: Michelle Honda Phd | 30/10/2007 | Nutrition

Understanding Cholesterol
By: Michael Lyall | 14/05/2008 | Diseases and Conditions

Regulation Of Trans Fats
By: Mark Ransome | 13/07/2006 | Advice

How to Reduce Ldl Cholesterol
By: Alexander Holt | 21/09/2007 | Supplements and Vitamins

Understanding and Combatting Cholesterol - LDL vs HDL
By: Steve Hanson | 10/04/2008 | Diseases and Conditions

Got a Question? Ask.

Ask the community a question about this article:

Q&A Powered by:

Latest Diseases and Conditions Articles

Fertility Self Help How Self Hypnosis Can Really Help Fertility
By: J Seymour | 10/10/2008
Self hypnosis is a useful tool to fight infertility problems in addition to medical treatments by helping you to relax and reduce stress.

Excessive Underarm Perspiration: Causes of Excessive Underarm Sweating and How to Cure it
By: Michael Lee | 10/10/2008
Dealing with excessive underarm perspiration is not just an issue of vanity. Having such a condition can affect many aspects of your life. Fortunately, there are ways to deal with excessive underarm sweating.

Help to Ease Blood Pressure Problems With Self Hypnosis
By: J Seymour | 10/10/2008
Self-hypnosis can help you control issues like hypertension in order to ease various blood pressure problems.

Asperger Syndrome Symptoms To Watch For
By: Scott Boyd | 10/10/2008
Asperger syndrome symptoms can be identified in children at a young age and the sooner parents pick up on them the the more effective the treatments can be.

Anybody For Herpes? Quick Facts On Smart Herpes
By: Lance Thorington | 10/10/2008
How do we know that we have Herpes? Just watch out for red blisters, sensitive skin and any flu like symptoms which could mean that this virus sleeping in your body has been activated.

Student Assistant Jobs
By: Boris Tomson | 10/10/2008
How do I apply to work for the Forest Service or other Federal Government jobs? All permanent federal jobs, including USDA Forest Service jobs, are posted in USAJOBS ( Additional information about working for the Forest Service is available from the national Forest Service website.

Locating A Suitable Rehab Center In Tennessee
By: Todd Lange | 10/10/2008
Here are some tips on finding a rehab center in Tennessee, whether you are looking for qualified or nonqualified programs.

Some Questions Answered About The Heroin Detox Program In Rhode Island
By: Todd Lange | 10/10/2008
Here are some commonly asked queries about the heroin detox program in Rhode Island and their answers. These questions are general questions about the treatment program and do not pertain to any one treatment center. These are meant to give a brief outline of how the detox program works for people with heroin addiction in the state.

More from Suzi Parsell

Lowering Cholesterol Naturally - Exercise Your Way to Lower Cholesterol
By: Suzi Parsell | 14/08/2008 | Health
A change in diet may help in lowering cholesterol levels but benefits are rarely maximized without the help of exercise. Exercise is extremely important in reducing the risks of heart disease. Walking is a very effective form of exercise for lowering cholesterol. It is a low impact activity yet it is...

Joint Disorders Unraveled - 9 Risk Factors That Cause Joint Pain
By: Suzi Parsell | 22/06/2008 | Disabilities
You've probably heard it a hundred times joint pain is merely the cause of aging and nothing else. This is a myth. In fact, joint disorders are caused by different factors all leading to pain and related stress.

Lyprinol - a Natural Arthritis Pain Relief Remedy
By: Suzi Parsell | 22/04/2008 | Alternative Medicine
Arthritis is one of the common illnesses that many people suffer from. It is characterized by the swelling of the joints, and is often accompanied by pain and redness of the affected area. The most common cases of arthritis are rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.

6 Misconceptions and Cholesterol Myths
By: Suzi Parsell | 22/04/2008 | Diseases and Conditions
Due to bad press and publicity, cholesterol takes on a very bad reputation and majority of us have these misconceptions. It is very crucial to learn the facts about cholesterol, how it affects health and how an individual can manage his/her cholesterol level effectively.

Triglycerides - an Overview
By: Suzi Parsell | 22/04/2008 | Diseases and Conditions
When you're doctor tells you that your body mass index (BMI) or your blood pressure is high you exactly know what he is talking about, right? But when he suggests that you should lower your triglycerides, you might wonder. What are triglycerides and why do they matter?

How Effective is Lyprinol as an Anti-inflammatory Agent?
By: Suzi Parsell | 29/02/2008 | Medicine
When our bodies undergo biological, physical, or chemical injury, the process of inflammation is its normal reaction. Generally, it helps repair or regenearate the damaged cells and tissues. But in some cases, the inflammatory process overshoots and does more harm than good. This is where Lyprinol comes in.

9 Causes of High Cholesterol
By: Suzi Parsell | 01/02/2008 | Health
High cholesterol level or hypercholesterolemia is a condition where levels of cholesterol in the bloodstream are higher that normal. Contrary to popular beliefs, hypercholesterolemia isn't caused by high-cholesterol diet alone - it is a combination and interaction of different factors.

Profibe - Lower your Cholesterol the Natural Way
By: Suzi Parsell | 24/01/2008 | Health
Have you been diagnosed with high cholesterol levels, or do you have a family history of atherosclerosis? Has your doctor asked you to take a high-fiber supplement, or get more fiber into your diet? You might want to try ProFibe by incorporating it into your diet.

Article Categories

Article Marketing

Article Notepad

Stop Duplicate Content

Term Papers

Need Help?

Sign up for our email newsletter

Receive updates, enter your email below

Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the Terms Of Use and Privacy Policy | User published content is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
Copyright © 2005-2008 Free Articles by ArticlesBase.com, All rights reserved. (0.44, 17)

All About Good and Bad Cholesterol

Article Comments

Related Articles

Got a Question? Ask.

Latest Diseases and Conditions Articles

More from Suzi Parsell

Need Help?

Site Links

Webmasters

Business Info

Sign up for our email newsletter