![]() ![]() ![]() LDL cholesterol. The LDL measurement is usually considered the most important for assessing risk and deciding on treatment. With LDL, the main form of "bad" cholesterol.Causes build-up of plaque inside arteries.Moves cholesterol from arteries to the liver.In contrast, LDL deposits the harmful fat in vessel walls.Īn HDL level of 60 or above is associated with a lower risk of heart disease, and below 40 is associated with a higher risk. HDL cholesterol. HDL wins its laurels as the "good" cholesterol because it sponges up cholesterol from blood vessel walls and ferries it to the liver for disposal. Abnormal readings may also lead to tests for other medical problems. So, if your cholesterol levels are unusually high or low, your doctor will probably want to repeat the test some weeks later. An injury, cancer, stroke, or heart attack may have the same effect. Doctors are not supposed to make any treatment decisions based on this number alone.Ĭholesterol levels can be lowered by stress (physical or psychological) or infection. Think of total cholesterol as a first glimpse, a peek. So, if your total cholesterol is in the desirable category, it's possible that you may have unhealthy levels of HDL (too low) and LDL and VLDL (too high). The simple, do-it-yourself home cholesterol tests measure total cholesterol.īut total cholesterol includes both "good" high-density lipoprotein ( HDL) cholesterol, and the "bad" varieties, chiefly low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL). The test doesn't require any sophisticated lab work, either. Total cholesterol. This is the simplest and least expensive test. Here is a rundown of some of the choices and their pros and cons: Okay, but which test should you get? It's not so simple anymore. The pros and cons of total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, and triglyceride testing. ![]()
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