What do hdl levels mean

Learn how liver damage can affect cholesterol and what treatments you can explore. Diabetes can cause long-term damage, from foot to nerve complications. A subset of individuals get increased cholesterol on a low-carb, high-fat diet.

Here are some actionable tips to get those levels down. Testosterone therapy may be used for a variety of medical conditions. It may also affect cholesterol levels. Learn more. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Medically reviewed by Graham Rogers, M. Recommended HDL range. High HDL cholesterol issues. Testing HDL levels. How to decrease your cholesterol levels. About Cholesterol. Causes of High Cholesterol.

Prevention and Treatment of High Cholesterol. Cholesterol Tools and Resources. Cholesterol Podcasts. Cholesterol: The good and the bad Two types of lipoproteins carry cholesterol to and from cells. Written by American Heart Association editorial staff and reviewed by science and medicine advisers.

See our editorial policies and staff. About Cholesterol. Causes of High Cholesterol. Prevention and Treatment of High Cholesterol. Cholesterol Tools and Resources. Cholesterol Podcasts. Understanding your cholesterol levels Maintaining healthy cholesterol levels is a great way to keep your heart healthy. But first, you have to know your cholesterol numbers. The American Heart Association recommends All adults age 20 or older should have their cholesterol and other traditional risk factors checked every four to six years.

Physical Activity. Not being physically active is a risk factor for heart disease. It also helps you lose weight. You should try to be physically active for 30 minutes on most, if not all, days.

Cigarette smoking lowers your HDL good cholesterol. HDL helps to remove bad cholesterol from your arteries. So a lower HDL can contribute to a higher level of bad cholesterol. Things outside of your control that can also affect cholesterol levels include: Age and Sex. As women and men get older, their cholesterol levels rise. Before the age of menopause, women have lower total cholesterol levels than men of the same age. After the age of menopause, women's LDL bad cholesterol levels tend to rise.

Your genes partly determine how much cholesterol your body makes. High blood cholesterol can run in families. Certain races may have an increased risk of high blood cholesterol. How can I lower my cholesterol?