Normal Cholesterol Range

Perhaps you are about to have a cholesterol test, or have had one and may be wondering what is the normal cholesterol range. The levels in the UK are measured as follows:

* Total cholesterol levels need to be less than 5.0mmol/l
* LDL cholesterol levels need to be less than 3.0mmol/l

LDL is low density lipoprotein. It carries the cholesterol from the liver to cells and can cause large build ups of cholesterol if there is more that is needed by the body. This is considered as the most harmful type of cholesterol.

If you have a family history of heart problems it is recommended that you have lower levels of cholesterol. In Europe the normal cholesterol range levels are lower for everybody and a lot of people in the medical profession recommend that everyone takes drugs to lower their cholesterol because they have no side effects and the risks if it does rise too much are very serious. However, some studies have observed side effects of the medication and that they have no effect of people who have low cholesterol levels already so at the moment this recommendation hasn’t been taken up.

So the normal cholesterol range is still being debated between different countries in the world, so it is difficult to be certain of what this actually is. However, what is clear is that it is a good idea to try to keep your levels as low as you can, and to do this you need exercise and a healthy diet. In this case a healthy diet means lowering your fat levels especially trans fats. There are also some foods which are said to help lower cholesterol and these are oats, soya, corn, garlic and selenium-enriched cereals. So even if you aren’t at risk at the moment, a diet change would be beneficial.