Types of Cholesterol

The types of cholesterol in your bloodstream, as well as their relationship to one another, can tell doctors more about your body than the words, "high cholesterol" alone. Your cholesterol levels can be measured with a single blood test. When the results are viewed, the different types of cholesterol in your body, as well as their amounts, can help paint a clearer picture of what's going on in your arteries. How efficiently is blood traveling through your body and to and from your heart? The types of cholesterol in your bloodstream hold the answer.

Total Cholesterol

When you ask about your cholesterol, your doctor may give you a total cholesterol level. You want this level to be below 200. However, don't fret if this one number is high--it's not necessarily indicative of a problem unless you examine the results more closely. Total cholesterol doesn't break down the different types of cholesterol in your system, some of which aren't bad for you. For a clearer picture of your cholesterol and heart health, you'll need to look at your HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and even your triglycerides, separately.

HDL Cholesterol

High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is typically seen as the good cholesterol to have present in your body. You want your HDL cholesterol to be a high number (so the idea that high cholesterol is necessarily bad is misleading if you don't understand the different types of cholesterol). HDL can transport LDL out of particles and result in the loss of LDL as a waste product. You can raise the amount of HDL cholesterol in your body through exercise and a healthy diet.

LDL Cholesterol

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is commonly referred to as the bad cholesterol. A low LDL cholesterol number is desirable; high LDL levels put you at increased risk of heart disease. LDL is absorbed from the foods that you eat. It circulates through the blood and can deposit in the walls of the blood vessels. This leads to plaque buildup and increases your risk of heart attack and stroke.  High LDL levels may be hereditary. However, you can still work to reduce your LDL cholesterol through a healthy diet, restricting alcohol and tobacco, and exercising on a regular basis.

Triglycerides

Triglycerides are not a type of cholesterol, though they are often lumped into the same category with one another. Triglycerides are a type of molecule made from consumption of starches, or they can be found in foods like vegetable oils. You'll often find that people with a high LDL cholesterol level will also have a high triglyceride level, in part due to a diet high in fatty foods.

So while triglycerides aren't a type of cholesterol, they often go hand in hand in helping doctors get a clear picture of your overall heart health. High triglyceride levels do put you at risk for cardiovascular disease.

Cholesterol Ratio

At a glance, you may learn more about your heart health from your cholesterol ratio than from the numbers independently. Divide your total cholesterol by your HDL to get your cholesterol ratio. A number close to 3.5 is the ideal cholesterol ratio. A ratio dramatically higher may increase your heart disease risk.

Reviewed by Dr. Jennifer Monti, MD, MPH