There are specific amounts of cholesterol that are considered normal when the test results come back. In addition there are cholesterol levels chart for men and cholesterol levels chart for women as well as an HDLcholesterol levels chart for each. HDL cholesterol is considered friendly cholesterol as it works with your body to keep your blood vessels, veins and arteries clean. LDL cholesterol is the kind that is considered bad because it blocks the arteries and is said to lead to a variety of heart disorders. While there have been a few theories to suggest otherwise, the general consensus is still that having bad cholesterol levels can increase your risk of stroke, blood clots or heart disease. The only way to be sure whether or not your cholesterol levels are good is to have them checked by your doctor every so often. Levels may change slightly as a result of the foods you eat on a daily basis. You may eat a large plate of fried foods and see your levels soar through the roof when the very next day they seem almost normal after you have eaten nothing but a salad for lunch.
Cholesterol levels are a funny thing and for this reason having them monitored regularly is a good idea. This is especially true for people who are above a certain age. After years of eating the wrong foods LDL cholesterol can build up in a person’s blood to almost unmanageable levels. The wisest choice if your doctor ever tells you that you have high cholesterol is to begin eating a good and healthy diet that is low in saturated fats. Most of the time, your doctor will put you on a restricted diet if your levels warrant this. He/She may also give you some kind of medication that has been created to help lower the amount of harmful cholesterol in your blood. The most important thing for anyone who has been diagnosed with high cholesterol is that they change their total way of life in terms of eating and exercise. Years of a sedentary lifestyle as well as eating the wrong foods and indulging in other poor habits can really affect the levels of cholesterol in a person’s blood. In the same way taking care of yourself and eating right can render lower levels of cholesterol later in life as the person ages.