High cholesterol is a medical condition that affects almost 45 million Americans each year. Although many people are aware of the harmful effects of eating too much fatty foods as well as preserved foods, there are some who are not cautious about this. Soon, it is too late for preventive measures as they are already at risk for high cholesterol. Cholesterol is important to the body, but too much can pose a serious threat. But how can high cholesterol be determined?

A person is considered to have high cholesterol if there are too many lipoproteins in the bodys bloodstream. This means that if you have more than the ideal level for total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, you have high cholesterol. Thus, you have high risk for both heart attack and stroke.

The total cholesterol is the combination of HDL cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. The ideal level for this should be approximately 200mg/dL or less. The HDL, or the good cholesterol, on the other hand, should be at least 40mg/dL. And the LDL, or the bad cholesterol, should be below 130mg/dL to be considered desirable. These numbers should be maintained or at least be in the less desirable level. If your reading is far more than these numbers, then you are suffering from high cholesterol. You should waste no time and consult a physician at once.

High cholesterol is a condition that you should never take for granted especially if you are obese. You should be cautious at all times with what you eat, and you should exercise regularly. You should avoid eating foods that are rich in saturated fats and trans-fatty acids because these are the main causes of high cholesterol. Remember that maintaining healthy levels of cholesterol is much easier than dealing with the effects of a heart attack or stroke.