The More You Know - What Are Those Total Cholesterol Numbers?

It can be very confusing to understand those numbers the doctor reads off your chart when he talks about cholesterol. HDL, LDL, and triglycerides. What does it all mean?

A million concerns and questions fly through our heads when we get those results. Let me break down into some very easy math terms how they come up with the apparently random number of 200. In just a few words, I hope to shed some light on that very question. What do those numbers mean?

Your body produces two types of cholesterol LDL (bad cholesterol) and HDL (good cholesterol). A blood cholesterol level test easily reveals both of these averages to your physician, and the results determine if you are leaving with a lollipop or a scolding.

Okay, so here comes the basic math part, be prepared. Total Cholesterol Number (TCN) = Bad Cholesterol (LDL) + Good Cholesterol (HDL) + VLDL. Now isn't that a very simple formula?

What? So, what is VLDL you're asking? Ok, VLDL is the level of Triglycerides in your blood serum. The word triglycerides is just simply the medical term for fatty acid or plain old fat cells in your blood. Your VLDL is calculated as your Triglyceride level divided by five.

Now you may be asking what is this VLDL number that is in the formula. VLDL is the doctor's abbreviation for the Triglyceride level in your blood. A triglyceride is a fatty acid or fat cell that is in your blood stream. VLDL is the triglyceride level in the bloodstream divided by five. Therefore, you total cholesterol number is the Good Cholesterol number + the Bad Cholesterol Number + the triglyceride level/5.

The doctor does not have to use calculus to find your total cholesterol number. If that number is well below 200, your doctor may congratulate you. If it is above 200 he may start a new medication or diet. If it has increased and is moving closer to the 200 mark, he may also give you a warning. You are better off knowing the number even if it is bad. Then you can start treatment.

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