Question: My bad cholesterol is 158 and my good cholesterol is 36. I don’t understand why my doctors are making an issue of the bad cholesterol. Isn’t 158 pretty much normal?
Dr. Hibberd's Answer:
LDL (low density lipoprotein) is the bad cholesterol and targets are under 130 for the general population. Targets are under 100 for those with or at high risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, or diabetes. A recommended soft target of 80 is recommended in these latter conditions. Your LDL is too high! This is the circulating fragment that deposits in our vessels and plugs blood supply!
The good cholesterol is the HDL (high density lipoprotein). Targets for HDL are the higher the better. Treatment is recommended for those with increased risk of premature vascular disease, especially when HDL is under 40. Your HDL is too low. Most men are happy with an HDL over 60 and women with an HDL over 80. The HDL is the fragment that mops up the small LDL and broken lipoprotein components that are otherwise deposited in blood vessel walls.
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