Cholesterol Number - what is normal?
Your cholesterol number indicates the total level of cholesterol in your blood. Cholesterol levels are usually measured as TOTAL CHOLESTEROL LEVELS (total amount of ‘GOOD’ and ‘BAD’ cholesterol). Raised cholesterol is not an illness in itself, but it is associated with a number of illnesses. Like high blood pressure, a raised total level of cholesterol or a raised level of ‘BAD’ LDL-cholesterol is a risk factor for heart disease and strokes. That’s why it is important to KNOW YOUR NUMBER as this will allow you to manage your cholesterol levels. Five used to be the level of total cholesterol that people aimed to be lower than.
Lleading UK heart doctors now recommend that the previous target of 5.0mmol/l should be regarded as a minimum standard. The new target of below 4 is the optimum standard for total cholesterol (ie the ideal level) based on the latest evidence highlighting the benefits of treating to this target.