About Cholesterol Counts
The American Heart Association has estimated that approximately one in three individuals in the United States suffers from high cholesterol. As there are no physical symptoms associated with an abnormally high cholesterol level, many of these individuals remain undiagnosed. Your physician may order a routine cholesterol count as a part of your annual physical examination.
Your cholesterol count will basically cover four types of cholesterol levels - total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein (HDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL) and triglycerides. The significance for each type of cholesterol count is different from the other. For example, a total cholesterol level that is lower than 200mg/dL implies represents a desirable level. A cholesterol count between 200mg/dL and 239mg/dL implies borderline risk and a total level abov 240mg/dL or higher implies a much greater risk. On the other hand, HDL with cholesterol counts of 60mg/dL or higher implies good health, while a HDL below 40mg/dL is absolutely non-desirable.
There are several ratios which have been developed based on cholesterol count and serve as diagnostic tools fro your physician. One such ratio is obtained by dividing the total cholesterol count (TLC) by high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) count. The higher the ratio is, the higher the health risk is. As an example, a ratio of 3:1 is considered acceptable, while 5:1 is considered ideal. However, a ratio value over 5:1 may be considered as a health concern. Another is determined by is obtained by dividing HDL cholesterol count with LDL count. Many doctors find this to be a more reliable indicator of possible coronary disease risk. For this ratio, a count less than 2.5 implies an optimally acceptable condition.
