Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, and high cholesterol is one of its biggest risk factors. The tricky part is that high cholesterol usually has no symptoms. You can feel completely fine while it quietly builds up in your arteries. The only way to know your numbers is to test.

When your results come back, you'll see a handful of different values. In this blog, we'll break down what each one means and what ranges are generally considered healthy for adults.

What Is Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance your body uses to build cells and make certain hormones and vitamin D. Your liver makes all the cholesterol you need. You also get some from foods like meat, eggs, and dairy.

Cholesterol can't travel through your blood on its own, so it rides in packages called lipoproteins. The two main types are LDL and HDL, and they do very different jobs.

The Four Numbers on a Lipid Panel

A standard cholesterol test, called a lipid panel, usually reports four values.

LDL Cholesterol (the "Bad" Cholesterol)

LDL carries cholesterol to your tissues. When there's too much of it, cholesterol can build up in the walls of your arteries and form plaque. Over time, plaque narrows arteries and raises the risk of heart attack and stroke. For LDL, lower is generally better.

General adult ranges for LDL:

• Less than 100 mg/dL: optimal
• 100 to 129 mg/dL: near optimal
• 130 to 159 mg/dL: borderline high
• 160 to 189 mg/dL: high
• 190 mg/dL and above: very high

People with diabetes or existing heart disease are often given lower LDL targets by their providers.

HDL Cholesterol (the "Good" Cholesterol)

HDL works like a cleanup crew. It picks up extra cholesterol and carries it back to the liver to be removed. For HDL, higher is generally better.

General adult ranges for HDL:

• Less than 40 mg/dL for men or less than 50 mg/dL for women: low, linked to higher heart disease risk
• 60 mg/dL and above: considered protective

Triglycerides

Triglycerides are a type of fat in your blood. Your body turns extra calories, especially from sugar, refined carbs, and alcohol, into triglycerides and stores them for energy. High triglycerides combined with high LDL or low HDL add to heart disease risk. Very high triglycerides can also raise the risk of pancreatitis.

General adult ranges for triglycerides:

• Less than 150 mg/dL: normal
• 150 to 199 mg/dL: borderline high
• 200 to 499 mg/dL: high
• 500 mg/dL and above: very high

Total Cholesterol

Total cholesterol combines your LDL, HDL, and a portion of your triglycerides. A total under 200 mg/dL is generally considered desirable. But total cholesterol alone can be misleading. Someone with a high total driven by high HDL is in a very different spot than someone with a high total driven by high LDL. That's why the breakdown matters.

Non-HDL Cholesterol

Some reports also show non-HDL cholesterol, which is your total cholesterol minus your HDL. It captures all the cholesterol carried by the particles that can build plaque. Many providers find it a helpful single number, especially when triglycerides are high.

What Affects Your Numbers

Several things can push your cholesterol up or down:

• Diet. Saturated fat and trans fat tend to raise LDL. Fiber from oats, beans, and vegetables can help lower it.
• Activity. Regular exercise can raise HDL and lower triglycerides.
• Weight. Losing extra weight often improves all four numbers.
• Smoking. Smoking lowers HDL and damages blood vessels.
• Alcohol. Heavy drinking can raise triglycerides.
• Genetics. Some people have inherited conditions, like familial hypercholesterolemia, that cause high LDL even with a healthy lifestyle. If high cholesterol or early heart disease runs in your family, that's worth mentioning to your provider.

How Often Should You Check?

The American Heart Association recommends checking cholesterol at least every five years starting in young adulthood. You may need it more often if you have risk factors like diabetes, high blood pressure, a family history of heart disease, or past high results. If you're making lifestyle changes or starting a medication, retesting helps you see whether it's working.

Know Your Numbers With eNational Testing

eNational Testing's Cardiac Risk Monitoring Panel lets you check a key factor of your heart health without waiting for an annual appointment. Order online, visit a collection site near you, and get your results sent directly to you.

Start at enationaltesting.com or call 866-766-1631.