Approximately 40% of adult Canadians have unhealthy cholesterol levels.
Cholesterol is a soft, waxy substance found in your blood. Cholesterol comes from food sources and is also produced by your liver. About 20% of your blood cholesterol comes from the food you eat. Although we often think of cholesterol as a health problem, it is actually an important part of the body that contributes to cell-building.
You may have heard of “good” and “bad” types of cholesterol. There are two main types of blood cholesterol:
High density lipoprotein (“HDL”): This type takes excess cholesterol back to the liver to be removed by the body. You’ll want to keep this “good” cholesterol high.
Low density lipoprotein (“LDL”): This leaves deposits of plaque in your arteries, which can become clogged, representing a health risk. This is the “bad” type of cholesterol and you should strive to keep this type low.
A good way to remember the difference between HDL and LDL cholesterol is to use the first letter of each and associate it with either “High” or “Low”: You’ll want to keep HDL “High” and LDL “Low.”
Another type of fat figures into your overall lipid health: triglycerides. These substances are the most common form of fat in the body, circulating in the blood. You should aim to keep triglycerides low as they have been associated with health risks. High triglycerides come from consuming excessive amounts of refined sugars, carbohydrates, trans and saturated fats, along with excessive intake of alcohol.
Cholesterol is measured by a blood test and is reported as “millimoles per litre of blood,” or “mmol/L.”
Healthy Cholesterol Levels
Target cholesterol levels will be individualized for your personal situation by your health care provider, taking into account such factors as your age, medical history and gender. General recommended targets are listed here and are expressed in “mmol/L.”
The above-listed targets are general and your specific situation might call for different targets; for example, your LDL target may be lower if you are at high risk for heart disease due to a family history or another medical condition.
Risk Factors for Unhealthy Cholesterol
There are some specific risk factors for unhealthy cholesterol levels, including:
- People with a medical history of vascular-related problems such as peripheral arterial disease or stroke
- Family history of heart problems
- Smoking
- Men over age 45 and women over age 55
- Waist circumference (WC): men with a WC over 40 inches (102 cm) and women with a WC over 35 inches (88 cm)
