Basically, there are two types of cholesterol and understanding the difference between the two, and the figures behind the two types, is the first step for taking responsibility over your body, lowering your cholesterol to a level that eliminates the risk involved and having your blood cholesterol level under control.

What is cholesterol? Well, basically it’s a lipoprotein. There are two main types of lipoprotein. The LDL, which is a Low Density Lipoprotein, also referred to as the “bad” cholesterol. There is also the HDL, which is a High Density Lipoprotein, also referred to as the “good” cholesterol.

Now, basically, lowering your cholesterol and eliminating the risk, all revolves around these lipoproteins, the quantity of each and the ratio between the two. To lower cholesterol, you need to lower the LDL cholesterol to an acceptable level, where it cannot cause the arteries to become clogged with plaque, and potentially exposed you to serious health problems concerning blocked arteries, to heart disease and even stroke.

But that’s not all. To eliminate the risk involved in high blood cholesterol, you must also increase the HDL level in your blood, the good cholesterol that helps cleanse your arteries and prevent diseases along with making sure your total blood cholesterol level meets the standards.

A simple blood test can separate the values of each type of lipoprotein, the LDL numeric value and the HDL numeric value along with the total value of cholesterol in the blood. Each of these figures comes in milligrams per deciliter units. If you have 190 mg/dl that simply means you have 190 milligrams cholesterol in one deciliter of blood.

The ideal level of total blood cholesterol should be below 200mg/dl. LDL should be below 100mg/dl. Above 130 and below 160 is considered borderline high LDL blood cholesterol level. While LDL above 160 mg/dl you are in great risk to develop heart disease and even stroke, and there is no other way, but to start doing something to lower these LDL levels right now to prevent potentially devastating health consequences. The HDL level should be above 40mg/dl.

The ratio between the LDL and HDL cholesterol levels is even more important, but nevertheless, the first step should be the lowering of the LDL cholesterol level according to heart Foundation recommendation. To get the correct ratio between the LDL and HDL, one should simply divide the two numbers.

LDL/HDL Ratio = LDL Cholesterol / HDL Cholesterol Note that a ratio of 3-4 indicates no risk. A LDL/HDL Ratio of 4-7 indicates borderline risk, while a ratio of more than 7 shows you are in fact in high risk of suffering from potential high cholesterol diseases. Note also that the total blood cholesterol and HDL ratio is also important (Total / HDL) and should stay below 4.