A waxy substance, cholesterol is created by the liver from fat consumed through a person’s diet. It circulates in the blood and bonds to lipoproteins, which carry cholesterol between cells in the body. Lipoproteins are made up of protein on the outside and fat on the inside.
There are two main types of lipoproteins that carry cholesterol through the body: high-density lipoproteins (HDLs) and low-density lipoproteins (LDLs). Each carries cholesterol to a different part of the body, which determines whether the cholesterol is “good” or “bad.”
HDL, which leads to good cholesterol, carries cholesterol back to the liver. Once at the liver, the cholesterol is reprocessed and flushed out of the body. When a person has high levels of HDL, he or she has a lower risk of stroke and heart attack. This is because HDL removes excess cholesterol from the body so that it does not build up in the arteries.
Meanwhile, LDL, responsible for bad cholesterol, carries cholesterol to the arteries. Cholesterol in the arteries often builds up and causes atherosclerosis, a condition that increases the risk of peripheral artery disease, stroke, and heart attack. It may also deprive certain arteries and organs of the oxygen they need to properly function.
Most people have higher levels of LDL in the blood than HDL, the latter of which only accounts for about one-fourth to one-third of total cholesterol levels. On average, women and men should strive for HDL numbers of at least 55 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter of blood) and 45 mg/dL, respectively.
Meanwhile, LDL numbers should be as low as possible--no higher than 130 mg/dL in people without blood vessel disease, diabetes, or heart disease. LDL numbers should remain below 100 mg/dL for people who do have these conditions.
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