Title : Heart risk: Total Cholesterol, HDL, LDL
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| Total Cholesterol
Cholesterol is an important component in the blood used by the body for several essential functions. Sources of cholesterol are found in the diet of a person and produced by the liver. Excessive intake of cholesterol-rich food, such as animal fats and egg yolks, may result in increased level of cholesterol, leading to a condition known as atherosclerosis. When artherosclerosis occurs, the fats are deposited on the inner walls of blood vessels and causes the narrowing of the blood vessels. These deposits may cause blood clot and may block off blood supply to vital organs resulting in strokes or heart attacks. The higher the level of cholesterol above recommended level, the higher the risk of an attack. Very low level of cholesterol may not be beneficial and may suggest other medical conditions. There are two other important fractions of cholesterol known as HDL and LDL cholesterol described below |
Reference range: 140 - 200 mg/dL
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HDL(High density lipoprotein) Cholesterol
HDL Cholesterol is known as the good cholesterol because it helps remove cholesterol from the tissue and transport it to the liver for excretion. High level of HDL cholesterol lowers the risk of artherosclerosis and low level increases the risk of artherosclerosis and coronary artery disease.
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Reference range: 35 - 86 mg/dL
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| LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein) Cholesterol
This is the bad cholesterol as it transports cholesterol to be deposited as fats in the wall of blood vessels. Increase in LDL cholesterol is associated with increase risk of coronary artery disease.
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| Reference range: < 130 mg/dL |
Cholesterol Ratio
This ratio is derived from Total Cholesterol value divided by the HDL Cholesterol value. It is a useful indicator to assess the risk factor of a heart attack. Higher ratio above normal range indicates higher risk of an attack while lower ratio means lower risk.
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| Reference range: adult: < 4.5 |
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