Understanding Cholesterol on Your Test Results
Cholesterol is not the villain. What matters is the balance between the different types, and how much of it is settling on your artery walls.
But · 5 min read · Sep 5, 2026
Your body needs cholesterol to build cell membranes and to make hormones and vitamin D. Most of the cholesterol in your blood is produced by your own liver; only part of it comes from food. That is why some people eat very carefully and still have high numbers — heredity plays a considerable role.
How to read the result sheet
- LDL, often called bad cholesterol: it carries cholesterol from the liver out into the blood vessels. The higher it is, the more plaque builds up on the artery walls. For a healthy person, a level below 100 mg/dL is considered good
- HDL, good cholesterol: it clears excess cholesterol and brings it back to the liver to be processed. Here a high number is what you want, usually above 40 mg/dL for men and above 50 mg/dL for women
- Triglycerides: the storage form of fat, which rises quickly when you eat a lot of starch and sweets and drink alcohol. Below 150 mg/dL is the level usually considered normal
- Total cholesterol: the overall figure, which means little on its own without the three above
How food and movement come into it
Saturated fat in animal fat, chicken skin, organ meats, butter and coconut milk, and trans fat in commercially fried foods and pastries, are what raise LDL most clearly. Eggs and shrimp were unfairly blamed — for most people they matter far less.
Things that help:
- Eat more soluble fibre: oats, beans and pulses, vegetables, whole fruit
- Eat fish several times a week and use vegetable oil instead of animal fat
- Regular brisk walking raises HDL and lowers triglycerides
- Cut down on alcohol and sweets if your triglycerides are high
- Quit smoking, because it both lowers HDL and damages the artery walls
When to get tested
Adults should have their blood lipids checked periodically, usually every few years, and more often if you are over 40, overweight, or have high blood pressure, diabetes or a family history of early heart disease.
Signs you need care right away
High blood lipids cause almost no symptoms, so do not wait until you feel unwell to get checked. But if you have chest pain or tightness, shortness of breath on exertion, pain spreading to the jaw or down the left arm, weakness on one side of the body or difficulty speaking, go to a medical facility immediately.
If you are taking lipid-lowering medication, do not stop it on your own when the numbers look good — ask your doctor first.
This information is for general reference only and does not replace advice from your doctor.
