The food items we eat greatly influence our health. In today’s food market, processed and junk food is quite high in consumption. This leads to a variety of diseases including high cholesterol. Cholesterol is a waxy substance in the lipids in your blood. While cholesterol is a necessity when it comes to building healthy cells, having high levels of cholesterol in the body increases your risk of the onset of heart diseases. Cholesterol level diagnosis is a necessity when it comes to determining the cholesterol levels in your blood. The only way to determine cholesterol levels in your blood is a blood test. High cholesterol in your blood may lead to the development of fatty deposits in your blood vessels. These deposits hamper the flow of blood through your arteries. Having a decreased flow of oxygen-rich blood increases your risk of heart disease and may lead to a stroke as well. We have covered the course of cholesterol level diagnosis and treatment.
Cholesterol level diagnosis
LDL cholesterol level diagnosis – Mentioned below is LDL cholesterol level diagnosis.
- Having cholesterol levels below 70 mg/dL is best suited for people suffering from diabetes or heart disease.
- Having cholesterol levels between 100 mg/dL and 129 mg/dL is near optimal if you are not suffering from heart disease, and high if you are.
- Having cholesterol levels between 130 mg/dL and 159 mg/dL is borderline high if you are not suffering from heart disease and high for those suffering from heart disease.
- If your LDL cholesterol levels are between 160 to 189 mg/dL, it is considered to be high. If you are suffering from heart disease, these levels are dangerous.
- If your cholesterol levels are above 190 mg/dL, they are very high. You should seek immediate treatment for the same.
HDL cholesterol level diagnosis – The lower the amount of LDL in your blood, the better it is for your health. Having high LDL levels increases your risk for several diseases. Similarly, having high levels of HDL in the blood is a necessity. Mentioned below is HDL cholesterol level diagnosis.
- For men, having HDL levels below 40 mg/dL is extremely poor.
- For women, having HDL levels below 50 mg/dL too is poor.
- Maintaining HDL levels between 50 mg/dL and 59 mg/dL is not recommended, but it may be good enough.
- Maintaining HDL levels above 60 mg/dL is best suited. Having high HDL levels can help prevent you from the risk of contracting several diseases.
High cholesterol treatment
The best course of treatment for high cholesterol is exercising for at least 150 minutes every week and maintaining a healthy diet. Avoid eating processed food and junk food and try to eat lots of fruits and vegetables. If you have lifestyle changes and are still suffering from high cholesterol levels in the blood, your doctor may recommend you to take medications. Your doctor may recommend medications based on your risk factors, your current health, possible side effects, and your age. Here are a few of the best options for high cholesterol treatment.
- Statins – Statins block one of the substances needed by the liver to make cholesterol. This causes the liver to start removing cholesterol from the body. They can have a reversing effect as well. They may reabsorb cholesterol from fatty deposits in your artery walls and potentially reverse coronary heart disease. There are several popular statins choices in the market so choose one that suits you best.
- Injectable medications – There are several injectable medications on the market that help the liver absorb higher amounts of LDL cholesterol. This helps regulate and lower the amount of cholesterol circulating in the blood. People suffering from a genetic condition causing high levels of LDL in the blood should use injectable medications. People who have an intolerance to statin or other cholesterol medications too should make use of these medications.
Bile acid binding resins, cholesterol absorption inhibitors, fibrates, niacin and other medications may be used for high cholesterol treatment.
The two types of cholesterol suffice different purposes. While LDL is ‘bad cholesterol’, HDL is ‘good cholesterol’. Having lower amounts of LDL, and high amounts of HDL in the blood is the preferred option. While some people are at a higher risk of having higher cholesterol levels in the blood due to inheritance or through unhealthy lifestyle choices they practice, you can definitely do your bit to ensure that you are healthy. Practicing a healthy diet could go a long way in helping you reduce your cholesterol levels. While a couple of portions of alcohol per day is good for health, avoid consuming too much alcohol. You should also avoid smoking. Exercising on a daily basis and medications too can go a long way in helping you treat cholesterol. Keeping the aforementioned points in mind, seek cholesterol level diagnosis and get yourself treated today.
