What is a High Cholesterol Level

what is a high cholesterol level

Work in a pub kitchen and you’ll soon learn what a grease trap is. That’s sticky, messy, stinky stuff in there and if you’ve ever been around when one is getting changes then you’ll know what we mean. But if all that grease was to get into the sewer line it would be an enormous problem, so grease traps exist. Too much cholesterol in the blood is a reality when there’s nothing to stop it from building up there, and the biggest reason high cholesterol levels are such a problem in North America is because is diet. Not only just food choices, but the portion of the meals too. So what is a high cholesterol level?

Anything more than 200mg/dl is going to be considered borderline high, and above 240 then you’ve got a problem with high cholesterol levels. But when it comes to being healthy in this regard it’s not about just one type of cholesterol levels. There’s good and bad cholesterol, and it has nothing to do with feelings. HDL cholesterol is the one that’s not the problem. It works to prevent heart disease, although it needs to be at the right levels too. LDL cholesterol is the ‘clogger’ stuff that blocks blood vessels. Medications like Lipitor and work to limit cholesterol so that less of it has that potential to block and cause stroke or heart attack.

There are other cholesterol medications that work slightly differently. Another part of what is a high cholesterol level is knowing when you’re HDL levels aren’t high enough. The ideal range for HDL is 60mg/dl or higher, and for men it should be at least 40 or higher (50 for women). Less than that an you may be better on a medication contain Simvastatin (Simcor) that does the same suppressing of LDL but also work to push up HDL cholesterol levels.

We’ll look more at what is a high cholesterol level here as well as explain why both types of cholesterol are needed in order to get then natural benefits of this valuable lipid that’s made in your liver. Good news is high cholesterol levels can be reversed quite easily in comparison to a lot of other health risk conditions.

Good Wax

There are many different types of lipids in the body, but cholesterol may be one of the more beneficial ones. Most people think negatively of cholesterol because of what they’ve heard with health risks, but the fact of the matter this waxy lipid is pretty great as long as there’s not too much LDL cholesterol. For starters, Vitamin D is essential to everyone’s mental vitality and it is a huge part of having a proper sleep / wake cycle. Cholesterol is need for Vitamin D production, and it also factors into how cells develop membrane layers. Interesting stuff and good to know along with what is a high cholesterol level.

In that sense it’s essential for life, and then if we add hormone production and the stomach bile needed to digest foods it makes it pretty clear that you need the good wax, just not too much of the bad wax then is formulated to build up and cause problems. So then the next question around what is a high cholesterol level is what causes HDL cholesterol levels to increase unnaturally. We talked earlier about how cholesterol is made in the liver, and what’s one of the first things you’ll think of when connecting unhealthy lifestyle choices and the liver?

Smarter Choices for Lower LDL Cholesterol

Drinking too much alcohol makes triglyceride fat go up in the bloodstream so you can become more at risk for heart problems that way rather than having more of a risk of clogged arteries. This can mean hypertension (high blood pressure) for the person too and smoking is also something that should be stopped for a whole host of different reasons. With relation to what is a high cholesterol level smoking doesn’t make your arteries more likely to be clogged, but it majorly inhibits good (HDL) cholesterol production and takes away all of the benefits we talked about earlier.

Chantix has helped a lot of people quit smoking, and so those may be two places to start for anyone who have needs to lower their cholesterol levels and be smarter about lifestyle choices when they’re getting older. Good news is most people don’t smoke and only drink in moderation, so here are the remainder of what’s recommended to keep cholesterol in check:

Eat more healthy fats like the ones found in nuts, olive oil, and avocados
Eat more fiber and choose whole grain breads and pasta
Maintain a healthier body weight
Maximize sleep quality

That’s most of what you’ll need to know and for what is a high cholesterol level again – more than 240mg/dl. GECHO!

IMPORTANT NOTE: The above information is intended to increase awareness of health information and does not suggest treatment or diagnosis. This information is not a substitute for individual medical attention and should not be construed to indicate that use of the drug is safe, appropriate, or effective for you. See your health care professional for medical advice and treatment.

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