What is Cholesterol?
17/10/2006

 What is cholesterol
Cholesterol is found in every cell of the human body and is needed to make vital chemicals and hormones. The liver produces all the cholesterol we need. Certain foods. especially those high in saturated fats. create excess cholesterol. Too much cholesterol can be harmful.

Total cholesterol (TC)
Whilst it is important to know your total cholesterol level, it is more important to know how this figure is made up.

High density lipoproteins (HDL)
HDL is known as the ‘good’ cholesterol. It helps ‘mop up’ excess bad cholesterol and carries it to the liver where it is broken down. The higher your HDL level the better.

Low density lipoprotein (LDL)
LDL cholesterol is known as the ‘bad’ cholesterol. High levels of LDL can lead to cholesterol being deposited in the walls of the arteries causing them to narrow and harden (atherosclerosis – see diagram). A high level of LDL cholesterol combined with one or more risk factors increases your risk of a heart attack and stoke.

Triglycerides
Most of the body's fat tissue is in the form of triglycerides, stored for use as energy. Triglyceride levels are connected with the consumption of saturated fats in the diet. The more saturated fat you eat the higher the level of triglycerides in the blood.

TC/HDL Ratio
When looking at your cholesterol level it is important to measure the amount of good cholesterol as a proportion of the total e.g. if you have a TC of 5.5 and a HDL of 1.5 your ratio is 3.6. e.g., 5.5 divided by 1.5 = 3.6. You should be aiming to keep your ratio below 5.0.

A quick way to remember the good from the bad

High density lipproteins (HDL) should be High
Low density lipproteins (LDL) should be Low

What you should aim for

Total cholesterol	Less than 5.0 mmols/l
HDL cholesterol	Greater than 1.0 mmols/l
LDL cholesterol	Less than 3.0 mmols/l
Triglycerides	Less than 1.5 mmols/l
TC/HDL ratio	Less than 5.0