High Cholesterol Is Bad For You

Cholesterol level above 200 milligrams per deciliter of blood is considered high. Very high cholesterol is any reading above 240 mg/dL and one that puts you at risk for heart disease, liver failure, and other health problems. Some facts about cholesterol:
 - about 38 million more have levels above 240 mg/dL
 - 107 million, or 1 in 5 adults, has cholesterol levels above 200 mg/dL
 - diet and lifestyle changes, without the use of drugs, have been shown to decrease LDL cholesterol in one year’s time by 40 percent on average
 - more women over age 45 have high cholesterol than men
 - 30 million prescriptions are written each year for cholesterol lowering drugs, accounting for $20 billion in annual sales for the pharmaceutical industry
 - Americans spend $10 billion per year on the statin drug, Lipitor alone
 - Asians on average have an LDL cholesterol level of less than 95 because of their low fat diet. Anything under 100 for LDL cholesterol is considered good
 - Most drugs prescribed today to lower cholesterol are statin drugs

Cholesterol is a fatty substance present in most meaty foods and some vegetables.

Do not take doxycycline without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby. In normal amounts it is an important building block of bile acids, which help digestion, and steroid hormones. In the blood, cholesterol is found in particles containing both lipids and proteins. They are referred to as lipoproteins. Maintaining healthy cholesterol levels is important for everyone.

Adults 20 years and older should have their cholesterol measured at least once every five years. Those found to have elevated cholesterol requiring changes in diet or drug therapy, or who have been diagnosed with heart disease will require more frequent lipid profile testing, at least every year. As one of the major risk factors for developing heart disease, your blood cholesterol level affects your chances of having a heart attack. Do not take doxycycline without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby. It is important to find out what your cholesterol levels are because lowering cholesterol levels that are too high lessens the chance of having a heart attack or dying from heart disease, even if you already have it.