By Carol Gelatt, RN, BSN
There are two types of grocery shoppers—those who race in with a list in hand and meticulously grab every item on the list before checking out and leaving, and those who meander up and down every aisle, not sure what they want until they see it on the shelf.
But within those two types, there’s another shopper you may have seen—the label-reader. This person is health-conscious and examines the nutrition labels of food items before placing them in the cart.
One of the most important categories to check for on a food label is cholesterol.
Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance found in your blood. Your body needs some cholesterol, but too much can build up on the walls of your arteries and can lead to heart disease and stroke. Checking your risk for heart disease and stroke is as simple as getting a lipid panel, which tests your blood cholesterol.
There are four important things checked in a lipid panel:
- Total cholesterol
- High-density lipoproteins (HDL)
- Low-density lipoproteins (LDL)
HDL is known as the “good” cholesterol because it helps remove cholesterol by carrying it back to the liver where it can be eliminated from the body. It’s good to have a high HDL number. LDL is known as the “bad” cholesterol because having too much LDL may cause a buildup of plaque in your blood vessels. Triglycerides are also a type of fat found in your blood. High triglycerides, low HDL, and/or high LDL numbers can increase your risk for heart attack and stroke.
Generally speaking, normal lab values are:
- Total Cholesterol: <200
- HDL: Males > 40 and Females >50
- LDL: <130
- Triglycerides: <150
To reduce your risk of a heart attack or stroke you should:
- Eat a healthy diet
- Refrain from smoking
- Reach and maintain a healthy weight
- Exercise as advised by your primary care doctor
Based on your health history, your doctor will determine what your numbers should be.