Screening tests

How to Find Out if You Have High Cholesterol

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By Tomás Vicente
Publicado:


Key Points

  • Excessive agitation, dry mouth or bad breath, headache, chest pain, swelling in the arms and legs, and upset stomach are all signs associated with high cholesterol.
  • But the truth is that high cholesterol does not cause symptoms. The only way to detect it is through a blood test.
  • Watching your diet, maintaining a healthy weight, and exercising regularly are all key to managing your cholesterol.

Cholesterol and triglyceride levels are measured in milligrams (mg) per deciliter (dL) of blood. 

You can find the ranges for each type below:

Ranges for total cholesterol:

  • Desirable: Below 200 mg/dL.
  • Borderline high: Between 200 and 239 mg/dL.
  • High: 240 mg/dL and above.

Ranges for LDL or “bad” cholesterol:

  • Optimal: Below 100 mg/dL.
  • Near optimal: Between 100 and 129 mg/dL.
  • High: Between 160 and 189 mg/dL.
  • Very high: 190 mg/dL and above.

Ranges for HDL or “good” cholesterol:

  • Considered to provide protection against heart disease: 60 mg/dL and above.
  • Lower than recommended: Between 40 and 59 mg/dL.
  • Risk factor for heart disease: Below 40 mg/dL.

Ranges for triglycerides:

  • Normal: Below 150 mg/dL.
  • Borderline: 150 to 199 mg/dL.
  • High: 200 to 499 mg/dL.
  • Very high: 500 mg/dL.

How you can manage your cholesterol levels

High levels of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood are a risk factor for developing cardiovascular diseases. Fortunately, you can keep your levels under control by establishing healthy habits:

  • Watch your diet: Avoiding processed, refined, or sugary products, especially those high in simple carbohydrates, is key to managing cholesterol and triglyceride levels. You should also replace saturated fats, such as those in meat, with healthy fats, such as those in avocado, fish, olive oil, and nuts.
  • Limit or avoid alcoholic beverages.
  • Maintain a healthy weight: It is important to consume fewer calories to prevent them from being stored as fat.
  • Do regular physical activity: The recommendation is to do moderate-intensity exercise 30 minutes a day, five days a week. However, any activity, such as going for walks, or walking instead of driving to go shopping, is a good start.

Remember:

Until there is significant scientific evidence from studies in humans, people should be very careful when using herbal therapies and supplements.

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Don’t stop or change your medications or treatments before speaking to a doctor about the potential effects of complementary or alternative therapies.

Don’t forget that the medicinal properties of herbs and supplements can also interact with prescription medications and other herbs and supplements and may even affect your diet.

Sources: American Heart Association; Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database; National Library of Medicine; Mayo Clinic; U.S. Department of Agriculture; National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.

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