What is your cholesterol level?

Hi Shirley,

I just had my cholesterol checked recently and it was 149, triglycerides 49, HDL 66, and LDL 73.

According to the information I received from my doctor, the following is considered desirable or optimal:

Cholesterol....less than 200
Triglycerides..less than 150
HDL............greater than 60 (the good cholesterol)
LDL............less than 100 (the bad cholesterol)

HTH :)

JJ
 
Thanks for the reply.
Well, the reason I asked is because I donated blood last week and received a letter in the mail today stating that my cholesterol is 260! :eek: I am kinda in shock! I think I need to go see my doctor.
 
Get checked, yes, but keep in mind that the results are likely to be higher if you ate before the test. Most labs will have you come in for a cholesterol test first thing in the morning--before breakfast and even coffee. So get tested by your doc, but don't panic.
 
Also, the ratio of HDL (good cholesterol) and LDL (bad cholesterol) matters, as well. My total cholesterol last time it was checked was at 229 -- HDL = 82, LDL = 127. My HDL is high so my doctor wasn't worried. I did not fast before the test (and had pizza the night before!).

I agree you shouldn't panic. Get a complete workup so that you have all the information.
 
Cholesterol can be too low. People with total cholesterol below 160 (mg/dl) are about as likely to die prematurely as those with levels above 220, according to studies published last year in such prestigious journals as the Archives of Internal Medicine and Circulation.

Mine is 175
Bill
 
The last physical I had, mine was HDL 117 and LDL 86. It seems that was good.
Diane Sue
 
Hmm.. mine is quite low and dr was not concerned it was low

Cholesterol 128 , HDL 69 , LDL 50.

Triglycerides 47. Usually my HDL is higher but with all we have been through with my son this year, I haven't been living as health.
 
My cholesterol was 194 last time I had it checked...about 4-5 months ago. I know the nurse said the other numbers were good...I just don't remember them...I have them written down at my job.

Have a great work out!

~Wendy~

I smoked my last cigarette on March 17, 2004 at 10:00 pm!

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http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?WENDYMIN
 
Mine's high but I've been told the ratios are OK - total 220, HDL 76, LDL 135, triglycerides 43.

This seems to run in the family (the high LDL but good HDL and tris)- both my mother and brother have similar numbers.

Allison
 
Wow......I have never heard of them checking your cholesterol for a blood donation!! I did not think that was something that was routinely done. I guess it must be just where you live. My mom has given blood several times and she recently went to the doc to find her cholesterol was thru the roof. Hmmm. Yeah, you have to find out your LDL and HDL to really start to worry about it.


Mine was 82 LDL and 92 HDL. That is all I remember.:)
 
Incidentally, I found getting on the Pill really helped my cholesterol levels immensely. Estrogen is great for that! (and ONLY that, right?):)
 
>Hmm.. mine is quite low and dr was not concerned it was low
>
>Cholesterol 128 , HDL 69 , LDL 50.
>

According to the Farmingham (Framingham?) heart study, that is an epidemiological (observation of the habits of a population) study that has been conducted for about 20 years, those with Cholesterol under 120 had no risk of having heart disease.

While one could theoretically have "too low" cholesterol, 120-ish isn't there.

And I think that 200 as a level is too high. I've always thought that 180 or below is recommended (though a bit lower is ideal). The HDL/LDL ratio is also important, as others have metioned.
 
Janice,

Estrogen also helps us to have a healthy sex drive, keeps skin and bones healthy also. It's a very good thing.
 
A health risk has been associated with total cholesterol levels lower than 180. In a recent study of about 4000 individuals, the risk of hemorraghic stroke was more than double those with higher levels. This data was presented at a Heart Association meeting. Although this is only a correlation and there is no proof that low cholesterol increases the risk of this type of stroke, there is some sense to it as blood vessels need cholesterol to maintain their integrity and not enough may result in leaky or fragile blood vessels. On the other side of the coin, those with high levels of cholesterol were more likely to have an ischemic stroke.
I don't know what mine is, but all this talk has made me decide I better get it checked.
 
Thanks for your input everyone; I really appreciate it!
I'm going to call the Dr. tommorrow and see if I can get bloodwork done sometime soon. I spoke with my mom yesterday and she told me that her cholesterol level was over 300. Yikes! I told her she should quit smoking and start eating healthier, blah blah blah. My grandmother died from heart disease and I don't want to see my mom die of the same thing.

As to taking the BC pills, well, I don't think I need to since we have six children and I've had hubby fixed. DH would not be happy to see me taking those; that would sure bring up some questions and/or suspicion.:p

Shirley
 
I haven't a clue. My doctor has me take the tests, but never really shares the results. I figure if it's bad, he'll let me know. I do know my blood pressure is "digustingly normal". The best internist in the greater Buffalo area, and all he can say about my blood pressure is it's "digustingly normal". Good thing he's got a funny moustache, or I might not be so fond of him.
 
As a Medical Technologist, I have noticed over the years that the definition of "normal" cholesterol has changed over the years. Unfortunately, research is continuing and the definition of "normal" will also change. It will also depend upon the laboratory that does your test. Not all laboratories have the same normal values.

The general conscience is that the total cholesterol should be under 200 mg/dl, the LDL under 100 mg/dl, and the triglycerides should be under 200 mg/dl (some agencies prefer a value under 100). Many labs also report an HDL/LDL level. Genetics play a large factor, as well as diet. I know my Mother is slender and eats well, but has trouble with a high cholesterol level, whereas my Dad is overweight, eats poorly and has a low cholesterol value. Your doctor should help you with the complexities of evaluating your cholesterol level.
 
He's just trying to be humorous, I guess. He really is a very personable man. He was my internist when I broke my hip at 19 and developed a blood clot in my leg. When it was time to choose a primary care physician for my HMO, I remembered him because he had this wild curly red hair and a huge red moustache. I've actually referred about 4 or 5 people to his practice over the years and everyone loves him (and his totally hot partner, who is a young osteopath/internist - hubba, hubba).

He is AMAZING with my daughter when she comes in with me, but tells me he decided not to become a pediatrician because the parents were not pleasant to deal with. I can totally imagine that! It's a bummer, because I'd love him to be my daughter's doctor.
 
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