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Cholesterol
Count
A
high cholesterol count has been shown to be a major
risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) - the number
one killer (by far) in the country.
What
is a healthy cholesterol count?
240
mg/dl and over - high risk
200
- 239 mg/dl - borderline risk
less
than 200 mg/dl - desirable
A
count of over 240 is definitely high and puts a person
at a much greater risk of stroke and heart attack. In
fact, people with counts over 240 have twice the risk
of heart disease as those with a count of 200. But,
recent research shows that nearly one-third of all heart
attacks happen to people with 150 to 200 mg/dl. So,
it's only when the count is below 150 that heart attack
virtually ceases to be a threat.
Total cholesterol count is only part of the picture
when determining CVD risk. There's also "bad" and "good"
cholesterol. You want to have a low "bad" low-density
lipoprotein (LDL) count and a high "good" high-density
lipoprotein (HDL) count. A total LDL count under 130
and a total HDL over 40 are considered healthy.
Triglyceride
counts should also be considered. Though some consider
triglyceride levels to be controversial as a risk factor,
many others think triglycerides to be the most important
factor.
These
are their recommended guidelines:
500
mg/dl or higher - very high risk
200 - 499 mg/dl - high risk
150 - 199 mg/dl - borderline high risk
less than 149 mg/dl - normal
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