Everyone knows that high cholesterol is not a good thing, but what about the good type of cholesterol? What is good cholesterol and how, exactly do healthcare profesisonals determine the difference on a lab report?
Cholesterol levels can be confusing because lab reports breakdown the results into various categories or types of cholesterol. So how do we crack the code to decipher, what’s good and what’s bad when it comes to cholesterol level?
What is Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a fat that is carried in the bloodstream via small packages called lipoproteins. These lipoproteins function to carry the fat because fat is oil and oil doesn’t dissolve well in the liquid that makes up blood.
The body must make a subtance called lipoprotien in order to transport the fat through the bloodstream. There are 2 primary types of lipoproteins called low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL). HDL is the good type of cholesterol that moves cholesterol from the cells into the liver.
Good vs. Bad Cholesterol Levels
Having a high level of LDL (sometimes referred to as “bad cholesterol”) can result in plaque buildup in the arteries which causes high risk for stroke and heart attack.
HDL sometimes referred to as “good cholesterol” helps to carry LDL away from the arteries to the liver to be broken down and stored or used for energy.
The triglycerides are yet another type of fat made by the liver. This type of fat oftentimes appears on the cholesterol test in high levels in people who are overweight. High levels of triglycerides can also result in an increased risk for vascular dementia, cardiovascular and Alzheimer’s disease.
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