The usual term, which is used for the description of high blood cholesterol and high level of blood triglycerides is hyperlipidemia. To avoid hyperlipidemia it’s rather important for you to constantly consult your physician, who would monitor the LDL and HDL cholesterol levels. Regular monitoring will give your physician all necessary information and state your risk for cardiovascular disease. Thus you could take all necessary measures to prevent it.

 

Scientists do not give a single number, which precisely represents the norm of cholesterol level in the blood. But still they state that normal ranges are:

1) Total Cholesterol: less than 200 mg/dL
2) LDL: 100 mg/dL to 129 mg/dL
3) HDL: more than 40 mg/dL
4) Triglycerides: 100 mg/dL to 150 mg/dL.

It should be taken into account that the mentioned normal ranges are rather unstable, because they are changing with age. If the normal level of LDL of a 25-year-old is 160 mg/dL, for a 75-year-old it would be too small.
That is why the American Heart Association and the National Cholesterol Education Program have tried to establish a sort of measures, which would pass each person, no matter how old he or she is. Regarding LDL Cholesterol Levels in the blood scientists distinguish 5 of them: 1) optimal (less than 100 mg/dL), 2) near optimal (from 100 to 129 mg/dL), 3) borderline high (from 130 to 159 mg/dL), 4) high (160 to 189 mg/dL), 5) very high (more than 190 mg/dL). At the same time HDL Cholesterol Levels fall into 1) low (for men – less than 40 mg/dL; for women – less than 50 mg/dL) and 2) high (more than 60 mg/dL for both men and women). The desirable total level of cholesterol in the blood is less than 200 mg/dL. If the concentration of cholesterol in the blood is greater than 240 mg/dL, it is considered to be high. Besides, there are 6 levels of Triglyceride concentration in the blood: 1) ideal (less than 100 mg/dL), normal (from 100 to 150 mg/dL), borderline high (from 150 to 200 mg/dL), high (from 200 to 500 mg/dL), very high (from 500 to 1000 mg/dL) and extreme (more than 1000 mg/dL).

Usually it is recommended for all people over 20 to have their cholesterol measured at least once in 5 years. The most effective way to measure your cholesterol level is by a so called lipid panel, a specific blood test. Patients are as a rule asked not to eat fat foods and drink alcohol before the test, because the results may be not precise.