Good and Bad Cholesterol

The target for cholesterol in adults is less than 100 mg/dl of low-density lipoprotein. The ADA recommends that people with diabetes have blood lipids checked every year.

A lipid profile measures the levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and triglycerides.

HDL (good) cholesterol carries cholesterol from every part of the body back to the liver for disposal. If you have high levels of HDL cholesterol (higher than 40 mg/dl for men, 50 mg/dl for women), you are less likely to have heart disease.

LDL (bad) cholesterol carries cholesterol from the liver to other tissues. Along the way, it forms deposits on the walls of arteries and other blood vessels.

 High levels of LDL cholesterol (above 100 mg/dl) show an increased risk of heart disease. Your body stores extra fat and calories as triglycerides. Good triglyceride levels are less than 200 mg/dl.