What are the different types of cholesterol?

Answer 1

well there are two types of cholesterol:

1) LDL (Low - density cholesterol) which is bad cholesterol

2) HDL (high- density cholesterol) which is good cholesterol and it helps get rid of LDL

Answer 2

For the millions of Americans diagnosed with high cholesterol, it's important to understand these medical terms: total cholesterol, LDL and HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides. It's also vital to compare your cholesterol test results with the goal levels for each key cholesterol measure: if your levels don't meet the medical goals, talk with your doctor about creating a (hopefully prescription-free) cholesterol management plan.

What is Cholesterol, Anyway?

According to the National Institute of Health's article, cholesterol is "a waxy, fat-like substance that's found in all cells of the body. Your body needs some cholesterol to make hormones, vitamin D, and substances that help you digest foods. Your body makes all the cholesterol it needs. However, cholesterol also is found in some of the foods you eat."

What is LDL Cholesterol and HDL Cholesterol?

A total cholesterol 'score' is broken into two different types of cholesterol: LDL and HDL. Interestingly, though two kinds of cholesterol are frequently measured and discussed, it turns out that there's only one waxy substance called cholesterol. What's different is the protein that carries the cholesterol through blood. Some cholesterol travels through the blood attached to low-density lipoproteins (LDL) while some travels as part of high-density lipoproteins (HDL). Thus, total cholesterol is often broken out and discussed as either LDL or HDL cholesterol.

LDL cholesterol is often referred to as "bad" cholesterol because too much LDL cholesterol can cause plaque to build on the artery walls. The more LDL cholesterol there is in the blood, the greater the risk of Heart disease.

HDL cholesterol is often called "good" cholesterol because it delivers cholesterol to the liver, which removes it from the body. A higher HDL cholesterol level is good; if HDL cholesterol is low that increases the risk of heart disease.

What Are Triglycerides?

In a fasting cholesterol blood test, in addition to Total Cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and HDL cholesterol, a third "type" of cholesterol is reported: triglycerides. Triglycerides are a type of fat found in blood, and high triglycerides can also increase heart disease risk.

What Are Healthy Cholesterol Targets?

To minimize the risk of heart disease, there are goals or targets for each of the major cholesterol measures:

TOTAL CHOLESTEROL: at or under 200 mg/dL (milligrams (mg) of cholesterol per decileter (dL) of blood). Borderline high is 200-239 and high is 240 and over.

LDL (bad) CHOLESTEROL: at or under 100 mg/dL is the goal. Borderline high is 130-159 and high is over 160.

HDL (good) CHOLESTEROL: at or higher than 60 mg/dL is best. A score lower than than 40 is considered a heart disease risk factor.

TRIGLYCERIDES: normal is under 150. Borderline high is 150-199, and high is 200 or over.

According to the CDC, roughly 30 million Americans age 45 and over take statins to lower their cholesterol. That's about 25% of the adult population being medicated, even though statins can have serious side effects including liver damage and muscle inflammation or damage.

If your cholesterol levels don't meet these "goals" be sure to discuss with your doctor. For those without other heart disease risk factors, you may be able to lower your cholesterol with lifestyle changes like diet and exercise.

Answer 3

• It is said that there are 2 types of cholesterol, but medically speaking there is only one. There is low density lipoprotein (LDL) which is referred to as 'bad cholesterol' Then there is high density lipoprotein (HDL) which is referred to as 'good cholesterol.' Very low density lipopretein (VLDL.) Some people refer to these lipoprotein complexes as different, but, the cholesterol inside them is the same; complexes are just different in how much else they are transporting and where they transport to. LDL is almost all cholesterol and transports cholesterol to the tissues that need it. VLDL has a lot of triglycerides along with cholesterol and it's main function is to transport triglycerides to the cells that need it. HDL also is mostly cholesterol, but this cholesterol complex is considered good because it picks up the extra cholesterol that was dropped off by the LDLs and brings it to your liver and the liver can change it to use it later or simply get rid of it.