Most of us know that to keep our hearts happy, itâs important to keep our blood cholesterol levels healthy. But what is a high cholesterol number? And, what should our cholesterol levels be?
We at BenecolÂŽ want to clear up any confusion over what a high cholesterol number really mean, helping you take steps to look after your cholesterol levels and avoid health problems later on in life.
If not, youâre far from alone. 4 out of 10 people in England are living with high cholesterol [1], but as there are no obvious signs or symptoms, many of us donât even realise it. No matter how fit and healthy you feel, itâs a good idea to find out your cholesterol numbers; when too much cholesterol circulates in your blood, your risk of coronary heart diseases, such as heart attack and stroke can increase [2]. Measuring your blood cholesterol is a great first step in becoming heart healthier.
The good news is that getting your cholesterol checked is easy, and involves a simple blood test – carried out by your GP, practice nurse or pharmacist. You can get your results within a few minutes and once you know your cholesterol numbers, you can take action to lower your cholesterol levels, or keep them in the healthy range. So, what are you waiting for – now is the time to crunch those cholesterol numbersâŚ
In the UK, cholesterol levels are measured in units called millimoles per litre of blood (mmol/L). As a general guide, itâs recommended that healthy adults should have a total cholesterol level of below 5 mmol/L. So, anything above 5 is considered high!
When you get the results of your blood test, you may only be given the number for total cholesterol (TC) – or in other words, the total amount of cholesterol in your blood, but itâs important to remember that itâs not all about your total cholesterol number. Your results will also include different types of cholesterol â and itâs the balance between these different types of cholesterol thatâs also important for your heart health, because they do different things. There are two main types:
Your non-HDL (non-high density lipoproteins) number is your total cholesterol number minus your âgoodâ HDL cholesterol number. So, basically all the âbadâ cholesterols in your blood added together, including harmful LDL (low-density lipoprotein). They are called âbadâ cholesterols because when there is too much of them, they can slowly build up inside the walls of the arteries, making them narrower, which increases the risk of coronary heart diseases such as heart attack or stroke.
Ideally they should be as low as possible:
HDL (high-density lipoprotein) is known as âgoodâ cholesterol. It’s âgoodâ because it takes excess cholesterol from the bloodstream and returns it to the liver, where it is broken down and passed out of the body.
Now is the time to take actionâŚ
Donât worry if any your cholesterol test numbers are outside the normal range, high cholesterol is something we can and should do something about. A healthcare professional will advise on next steps, based on your overall cholesterol results. This may include offering you help and advice on making healthy changes to your diet and lifestyle, as well as possibly prescribing medication to lower your cholesterol.
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A high âgoodâ HDL cholesterol number can help keep your âbadâ LDL and non-HDL cholesterols in check, so ideally this figure should be:
Generally speaking, for a healthy, happy heart the goal is to have LOWER LDL and non-HDL numbers and a HIGHER HDL number.
So, even if you have a high total cholesterol test number, itâs possible to have a healthy balance of the âgoodâ and âbadâ types of cholesterol. With this in mind, always ask for a full breakdown of your cholesterol numbers – or at the very least your total and HDL cholesterol results, so you can work out your non-HDL cholesterol and TC: HDL ratio. And, to prevent any unnecessary worry or misunderstandings, get a healthcare professional to properly explain your cholesterol results to you [3].
Hereâs a roundup of the numbers to aim forâŚ.
| Total cholesterol | Below 5 mmol/l |
| Non-HDL or âbadâ cholesterol | Below 4 mmol/l |
| LDL or âbadâ cholesterol | Below 3 |
| HDL or âgoodâ cholesterol | Above 1 for men and 1.2 for women |
| TC: HDL ratio | The lower the better â above 6 is considered high |
Itâs important to realize these numbers are only a guide for ideal cholesterol levels for healthy adults living in the UK. Your doctor or practice nurse may recommend different numbers for you, depending on other risk factors for coronary heart disease you have such as smoking or being overweight, and other medical conditions such as type 2 diabetes.
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The only accurate way to know your cholesterol levels is to have your GP or other health professional take a blood cholesterol test.
 Many pharmacies offer cholesterol tests too, although you might have to pay for them. You can also buy home-testing cholesterol kits from shops or online but these may not be as reliable as a cholesterol test carried out by a health professional. Itâs always better to contact your surgery or health centre and arrange a cholesterol test through them.
Donât forget, if youâre aged 40-74 years, living in England youâre entitled to a free NHS Health Check every five years, which includes a blood cholesterol test, along with a blood pressure check, blood tests for blood sugar levels and kidney function, as well as being weighed (to work out your body mass index (BMI).
Links to resources below where you can test your Cholesterol levels
Visit your local GP or Pharmacy
Like high blood cholesterol, having high blood pressure is not usually something you can notice, but it can damage your arteries, making them stiff or narrower, and easier for cholesterol and other fatty material to clog them up. So thereâs even more reason to keep your cholesterol levels and blood pressure under control, as they both can increase your risk of having a coronary heart disease.
As well as eating a healthy, balanced diet, exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy weight, one of the most important things you can do to look after your blood pressure is eat less salt. Yet, most of us are still consuming way over the recommended maximum of 6g a day (about 1 teaspoon). But itâs not only important to cut back on the amount of salt we add to our food, but also to watch the salt in the foods we buy. Thatâs because around three quarters of the amount of salt in our diet comes from processed foods, fast food and restaurant meals. So where possible, itâs a good idea to check food labels and choose products that are low in salt (0.3g of salt or less per 100g).
Reassuringly, thereâs no added salt in any of our Benecol yogurt and soya drinks, and yogurts so they are naturally low in salt. We do add a small pinch of salt to our Benecol spreads (and in the UK, our Fruit and Oat Benecol bar (hazelnut and dark chocolate)) to obtain the delicious taste that you are accustomed to. However, the amount of salt in our Benecol products is comparable to other products on the market, and only provides a small percentage of our daily recommended salt limit.
Always check the ingredients list and nutrition label on the back of the Benecol packaging for the most up-to-date and detailed nutrition information (Including salt and plant stanols), as well as on the Benecol product pages.