2012年7月15日星期日
Lipoproteins themselves are not cholesterol.
Cholesterol ratio is generally used to refer to the ratio between the total amount of cholesterol you have and your HDL. There is some disagreement over the usefulness of this number as a predictor of health risk. Most experts in this area, though, believe it is worth keeping track of it.
Some experts believe that the amount of bad cholesterol you have is a more important marker. Bad cholesterol refers to low-density lipoprotein while good cholesterol refers to high-density lipoprotein. The total is the sum of the high and low density proteins with the addition of VLDL.
The cholesterol ratio is found by taking the total cholesterol in your body and dividing it by your HDL. The ideal ratio can vary depending on where you look but it usually somewhere between 5 to 1 and 4 to 1 at the highest. When the ratio is higher, it is felt to indicated that the risk of heart disease is also higher.
Lipoproteins themselves are not cholesterol. However, they transport cholesterol in the blood. When the density of the lipoprotein is low, it carries more cholesterol. HDL is believed to return cholesterol to the liver to be eliminated, therefore, it is considered to be good.
When the total cholesterol to HDL ratio is higher, there is more LDL in the body. This is felt to put you at greater risk for hardening of the arteries or atherosclerosis. This condition can result in heart attacks as well as strokes.
One can also look at the ratio between LDL and HDL. This may be a better indication of risk because total cholesterol also includes VLDL. However, it is easier to get a total cholesterol level, so this marker is what is normally used. Regardless of the total cholesterol to HDL ratio, it is still advisable to get as low a level of LDL as possible.
What cholesterol levels should be considered dangerous are partly due to whatever other risk factors are present. For the most part, however, people are generally advised to lower the amounts of fat and cholesterol in their foods, especially trans and saturated fats.
It is recommended by the American Heart Association that everyone over 20 have their cholesterol checked. This should include the cholesterol ratio. Finding out about problems early on can give a person the warning needed to make changes to diet and lifestyle that can prevent health issues.
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