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Q: I just recently received blood test results and everything is within normal limits, except my HDL level. It is 72. What might this mean? I'm a 38 yr. old female of normal weight, cholesterol of 166.
A: Cholesterol in the blood is bound to a certain class of proteins, referred to as apoproteins, and then transported in the form of molecules containing cholesterol and these apoproteins and which are referred to as lipoproteins. In general, one may distinguish the low density lipoproteins, referred to as LDL, the high density lipoproteins, referred to as HDL, and the very low density lipoproteins, referred to as VLDL. The LDL is the also called "bad cholesterol", since it has been shown that an elevation of this type of cholesterol leads to atherosclerotic plaque formation in the arteries. On the other hand, the HDL is the also called "good cholesterol", since an elevation of this quantity actually leads to a decrease in the risk of atherosclerotic plaque formation. In other words, the higher the value of this quantity, the lower the risk of atherosclerotic disease. In particular, an HDL level of less than 35 milligrams per deciliter of blood is considered a major risk factor for atherosclerotic disease. On the other hand, a value of HDL higher than 60 milligrams per deciliter of blood is actually a "negative" risk factor, since it actually decreases the risk of atherosclerotic disease rather than increase it.
In your particular case, you have been tod that you have an HDL of 70 milligrams per deciliter. Hence, you should be happy since, as stated above, this implies that you have a rather low risk of atherosclerotic disease, assuming that you also do not have the other risk factors. In other words, assuming that you also do not smoke, do not have high blood pressure, do not have diabetes, and do not have a family history of coronary artery disease, you have a minimal risk for atherosclerotic disease.
Updated: 08/28/99
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