What is HDL Cholesterol?

Like a game of good cop, bad cop, cholesterol has both a good part and a bad part. Good cholesterol is called HDL. HDL stands for High-Density Lipoprotein. HDL is a type of cholesterol that is dense and can help take bad cholesterol (LDL) out of your system.

Your liver creates cholesterol and you get cholesterol through foods that you eat. You need a certain amount of cholesterol for cell growth, but too much cholesterol can cause a heart attack. This is because it can sit in your arteries blocking your blood from flowing to your heart. HDL helps to move the cholesterol out and get it into your liver where it then moves on to excretion.

HDL  (the good cholesterol) is not something you can have too much of. Since your body has both good cholesterol and bad, there is a balance of the two that needs to be achieved. Exercise, weight loss and reduced smoking can raise your good HDL cholesterol and lower your bad LDL cholesterol. Good HDL levels are between 40 mg/dL and 60 mg/dL.

There are medications on the market that help to reduce LDL and increase HDL cholesterol. Your primary care physician can discuss the possible treatment options with you.