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| If your cholesterol level is less than 5.2 mmol/L, that is reassuring. Unless you have other risk factors, such as a family history of heart disease, low HDL cholesterol, high blood pressure, cigarette smoking or diabetes mellitus, your risk of heart attack is relatively low. Even with a low risk cholesterol level, it is still a good ideal to follow a heart-healthy diet, since keeping your cholesterol level well below 5.0 mmol/L reduces your heart disease risk even further.
If your total cholesterol is in the 5 to 6 mmol/L range, you have twice the risk of having a heart attack as compared to your risk if your level was well below 5 mmol/L. But don’t feel alone: 45% of Canadian adults are in this group. Cholesterol readings in this range mean you should watch out for other risk factors, have your cholesterol re-checked, and modify your diet and activity to attempt to reduce your level to below 5 mmol/L. LDL Cholesterol: Your LDL-cholesterol level greatly affects your risk of heart attack. In fact, LDL-cholesterol is a better predictor of heart attack risk than total blood cholesterol. When your LDL-cholesterol is over 4.5 mmol/L you are at high risk; when it’s between 3.5 and 4.5 mmol/L, you are at borderline-high risk. Ideally your LDL-cholesterol should be below 3.5 mmol/L. However, as with total cholesterol, the lower the level, the less the risk. If you have a history of heart disease, stroke, vascular disease, aneurysm or type 2diabetes, the ideal LDL-cholesterol is between 1.5 and 2.5 mmol/L. Medications will likely be required to achieve and maintain these levels. HDL Cholesterol: In the average man, HDL-cholesterol levels are usually in the range of 1.1-1.4 mmol/L; in women from 1.3-1.6 mmol/L. HDL-cholesterol levels less than 1.0 mmol/L are considered abnormally low. Increasing HDL-cholesterol levels can significantly reduce the risk of heart disease. Weight loss, quitting smoking and most importantly, increasing aerobic exercise, are the best ways to raise the level of HDL-cholesterol. Having high triglycerides also reduces HDL-cholesterol and thus, increased the risk of heart attack. Female sex hormones (estrogens) and moderate alcohol intake are two other factors which can increase HDL levels. Triglycerides: To obtain an accurate measurement of your triglyceride level, it is necessary to have a blood sample taken after an overnight fast. Triglyceride levels above 2.0 mmol/L are considered elevated. Excess body fat, poorly controlled diabetes and excessive alcohol intake are common causes of elevated blood triglycerides. The clustering or risk factors including high triglycerides, low HDL, obesity, hypertension and impaired fasting blood sugar are called the Metabolic Syndrome. Weight loss, reduction in alcohol intake, increased activity and better control of diabetes often normalize triglyceride levels. |
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