Proteins carry cholesterol through your blood. This combination of protein and cholesterol is called lipoprotein. There are two different types of lipoprotein:
👉 HDL (high density lipoprotein) takes cholesterol from cells to your liver, which breaks it down as a waste product so your body can get rid of it. Doctors often call HDL the “good” cholesterol, high levels of HDL mean you have less risk of heart disease. But too high HDL cholesterol levels don’t protect you any more, they might be harmful.
👉 LDL (low density lipoprotein) brings cholesterol to your cells so they can use it. When you have too much cholesterol, it builds up in your cells and can lead to disease. High levels of LDL (the “bad” cholesterol) mean you have excess cholesterol in your body.
👉 When these numbers are off and total cholesterol gets too high, your chances of health problems go up.
Unhealthy cholesterol level is silent, you could have too many lipids in your blood and not know it for many years. Your doctor uses a simple blood test as the only way to find out. For healthy cholesterol levels, your test result should be:
✅ HDL: more than 50 mg/dL
✅ LDL: 70 - 130 mg/dL
✅ Total cholesterol: less than 200 mg/dL
