What is non hdl cholesterol?
Even someone who is far from medicine knows that high cholesterol is bad. Articles in popular magazines tell how a balanced diet helps to reduce it, we call fast food as “cholesterol food” and, perhaps, each of us heard how important it is to take a blood test for lipoprotein level from time to time.
It is known that this substance refers to lipids. Approximately 80% of this substance is produced in the liver, the rest comes from food. It is a vital “component” of our body, this compound is actively involved in the synthesis of certain sex hormones and bile, and also gives elasticity and strength to cell membranes. Cholesterine is present in the body in the form of fractions — triglycerides — High-Density Lipids and Low-Density Lipids.
LDL is called “bad cholesterine”, but such a name does not mean that it is really so harmful and dangerous. For example, it neutralizes toxins dangerous for our organism functioning. At the same time, when the level of this compound is extremely high, it generates abnormal fatty (so-called sclerotic) deposits. Triglycerides, that are part of Very Low-Density Lipids (VLDL), are involved only in building up of plaques. HDL is sometimes called “good lipoprotein,” since this substance dissolves cholesterine plaques on the blood vessel walls. The function of this “good” lipoprotein is the delivery of cholesterine from the far areas of the human's body back to the liver for further processing. It ought to be mentioned that “good lipoprotein” is also involved in the construction of cell membranes, vitamin D metabolism as well as a number of hormones synthesis.
Cholesterine level is one of the main indicators of the fat metabolism processes in our body. A blood test for cholesterine level plays a great role in diagnosing of such diseases as atherosclerosis and determining the risk of cardiovascular disease developing. Indications for analysis are as well particular endocrine pathologies including diseases of the liver and kidneys, obesity, and diabetes. The study is conducted to monitor the effectiveness of treatment with statins and other lipid-lowering drugs. And finally, even healthy people should do such an analysis from time to time in order to notice changes in the level of this compound in time and correct own nutrition regime. To obtain a complete picture, one has to measure not only the total level of this substance but also the level of all its types separately. The ratio of LDL, HDL and VLDL can say about the state of health more than the lipids level in the blood as a whole.
It should be said that not so long ago, scientists began to apply another indicator, which is called Non-HDL C indicator. It shows the amount of cholesterol tolerated by all lipoproteins that contribute to the development of atherosclerosis. The formula for calculating it is quite simple: HDL-C should be subtracted from total cholesterol. As a result, we get the value, carried exclusively by “bad” lipoproteins, which is called Non-HDL C.
