With all of the bad publicity cholesterol gets, people are often surprised to learn that it’s actually necessary for our existence.

What’s also surprising is that our bodies produce cholesterol naturally. But cholesterol is not all good, nor is it all bad — it’s a complex topic and one worth knowing more about.

胆固醇是肝脏中对人类生活至关重要的物质。您也可以通过食物获得胆固醇。

因为植物无法创造它，所以您只能在肉类和乳制品等动物产品中找到它。

在我们的体内，胆固醇可用于三个主要目的：

  1. 它有助于产生性激素。
  2. 这是人类组织的基础。
  3. It assists in bile production in the liver.

这些是重要的功能，都取决于胆固醇的存在。但是，太多的好事根本不好。

有不同类型的胆固醇会影响您的健康。可以通过筛查和血液检查来确定它们。

当人们谈论胆固醇时，他们经常使用术语“LDL和HDL。” Both are脂蛋白，，，，which are compounds made of fat and protein that are responsible for carrying cholesterol throughout your body in the blood.

LDL

LDL is low-density lipoprotein, often called “bad” cholesterol.

LDLis known as the “bad” cholesterol because too much of it can lead tohardening of the arteries。

According to the American Heart Association (AHA) ，，，，LDL leads to plaque accumulation on the walls of your arteries. When this plaque builds up, it can cause two separate and equally bad issues.

首先，它可以狭窄您的血管，使整个体内富含氧气血液的流动扭曲。其次，它可能导致blood clots，这会破裂并阻止血液流动，导致心脏病发作或中风。

当涉及您的胆固醇数量时，您的LDL是您要保持低位的LDL - 理想情况下 每分解仪不到100毫克（mg/dl） 。

HDL

HDL是高密度脂蛋白或“好”胆固醇。

HDLhelps keep your cardiovascular system healthy. It actually aids in the removal of LDL from the arteries.

它将不良胆固醇带回您的肝脏，在那里它被分解并从您的身体中消除。

High levels of HDL have also been shown to protect against中风and心脏病发作，尽管已显示低HDL会增加这些风险。

根据疾病控制与预防中心（CDC），HDL水平 60 mg/dL and higher 被认为是保护性的，而40 mg/dl的人则是心脏病的危险因素。

When you have your cholesterol checked, you’ll receive measurements for both your HDL and LDL, but also for your total cholesterol andtriglycerides。

The screening involves a simple验血，也称为脂质曲线。在测试之前，您不应最多吃12个小时。您的医生会建议您在抽血之前要做其他事情。

The test will help doctors determine your levels of HDL, LDL, and triglycerides. Measuring these types of cholesterol can help determine if you need to make lifestyle changes to try to normalize these levels.

典型的血液胆固醇水平

An ideal total cholesterol level is lower than 200 mg/dL. Anything between 200 and 239 mg/dL is borderline, and anything above 240 mg/dL ishigh。

有一些危险因素会影响您的胆固醇水平。这些可以包括：

What are triglycerides?

Triglycerides是血液中的另一种脂肪。像胆固醇一样，太多是一件坏事。但 专家 这些脂肪的细节仍不清楚。

高甘油三酸酯通常伴随着高胆固醇，并且与心脏病的风险增加有关。但是目前尚不清楚高甘油三酸酯是否是危险因素。

医生通常权衡甘油三酸酯数量的重要性与其他测量值，例如肥胖，胆固醇水平等。

Risk factors that can impact your triglyceride levels can include:

There are several things that influence your cholesterol numbers, some of which you have control over. While heredity and weight may play a role, lifestyle choices around diet and exercise can also raise or lower your overall numbers.

吃胆固醇和饱和脂肪低的食物，定期运动并管理体重 有关联 降低胆固醇水平并降低心血管疾病的风险。