What is HDL cholesterol?
HDL cholesterol is a high-density lipoprotein (HDL) transport system for cholesterol in the blood. It transports cholesterol from the body’s cells to the liver, where the blood fat can be broken down. In addition, HDL is able to remove excess cholesterol that has been deposited in the walls of blood vessels. HDL cholesterol thus protects against “hardening of the arteries” (arteriosclerosis or atherosclerosis) and is therefore often referred to as good cholesterol.
Dangerous consequences of arteriosclerosis are circulatory disorders in various tissues and organs, for example coronary heart disease (basis for heart attack) and stroke.
When is HDL cholesterol determined?
The HDL level is determined when the physician wants to assess the risk of atherosclerosis and specifically coronary heart disease (CHD). This risk is increased if the HDL cholesterol is too low. But the risk of atherosclerosis is also apparently increased at extremely high levels (above about 90 mg/dl).
HDL cholesterol: standard values
To measure HDL cholesterol, the doctor takes a blood sample. Since fat enters the blood through the intake of food, the blood sample should be taken on an empty stomach, at least for the first determination. Excessive consumption of fatty foods or alcohol in the days before should also be avoided, as it can falsify the results. However, according to current expert opinion, follow-up checks in particular can also be performed without fasting.
|
Age or gender |
Normal values HDL cholesterol |
|
Newborn |
22 – 89 mg/dl |
|
Infants |
13 – 53 mg/dl |
|
Infants |
22 – 89 mg/dl |
|
Women |
45 – 65 mg/dl |
|
Men |
35 – 55 mg/dl |
For simplification, one can remember: the blood concentration of HDL cholesterol in women should be at least 45 mg/dl, in men 40 mg/dl.
In addition to HDL cholesterol, the doctor also determines total cholesterol and “bad” LDL cholesterol – for a better estimation of the risk of atherosclerosis. For this purpose, he can also calculate the quotient of total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol (target: < 4.5) as well as the LDL/HDL quotient. For the latter:
The LDL/HDL quotient has meanwhile lost some of its importance when it comes to estimating cardiovascular risk. Apparently, extremely high levels of “good” HDL cholesterol (above about 90 mg/dl) do in fact increase the risk of atherosclerosis. With HDL cholesterol, therefore, the rule is not: the more, the better.
How can I increase HDL cholesterol?
If HDL is too low, there is a need for action. Patients with other risk factors for atherosclerosis in particular should increase their HDL cholesterol. These include diabetes mellitus, congenital lipid metabolism disorders and obesity.
Abstaining from nicotine also causes the HDL blood value to rise. If these basic measures are not effective, additional cholesterol-lowering drugs are used, but their influence on HDL cholesterol is less than on LDL cholesterol.
What if HDL cholesterol is too high?
HDL cholesterol is only too high in the rarest of cases: according to studies, values above approx. 90 mg/dl could increase the risk of atherosclerosis and possible secondary diseases such as heart attack.
