LDL Levels

my total cholesterol is 217 and my ldl is 126, what does this mean

[muki123]

cholesterol at 217 - is borderline because high risk starts at 240 and up. You should keep your cholesterol levels below 200.     126 ldl (that is the bad cholesterol) is optimal but not desirable because desirable should be below 100.

This is not a level for medication but changes in diet and exercise.  This will help a great deal. Now let me suggest somethings that will help lower your cholesterol.

1. Buy cinnamon and add it to your tea.  Take at least a tea spoon a day all together.  (make sure that the cinnamon is good quality - brown color and not red color)
2. add three table spoons of oat meal to a glass of drinking water and stir - let it seat overnight then drink the water in the morning.  If you want to cook the oatmeal residue and eat it then you can.  However, drink the water from the mix.  
3.  Eat low fat food - no pizzas  and exercise.  

You should be good to go.  Do the test again after 3 months to see the change...

[Flycaster305]

Total Cholesterol counts are relative to other factors, including exercise, tobacco use, whether you are diabetic, and much more.

The LDL/HDL cholesterol level ratio is important.  HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol pushes the LDL (bad cholesterol out of the blood vessels.  I think the ratio of 3:1 (LDL:HDL) is ideal.  HDL levels can be raised by exercise and also by eating fish such as fatty salmon, mackeral, tuna, or taking high quality fish oil tablets.  

Triglyceride count is also important, and trigs can be brought down with exercise, diet control and also fatty fish or fish oil.  

Most medical research reports tight diet and exercise controls can reduce cholesterol by about 30%, UNLESS it's a genetic issue.  If diet and exercise don't reduce your cholesterol, and statin drugs are offered, I'd listen.  I didn't, and paid a very heavy price.
My LDL level is to be no more that 75, and my HDL is to be at least 50, or I have to hear quite a lecture, as I've had a lot of heart procedures and problems because I refused to take medication for a number of years.