Cholesterol Calculator

Rates of cholesterol in the blood has been used for many years as a good indicator of cardiovascular health. Scientists have now clarified some of these tests to be a more accurate predictor of heart conditions and specific blood flow and diseases.

Traditionally doctors measure three levels in the blood and from the other two they calculate. They test for total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein and triglycerides. From these readings, they can determine the low density lipoprotein and very low density lipoproteins in the blood.

The low density lipoprotein is developed by a simple calculation. It is done this way because of the cost implications of precision, it measures individually. Take your total cholesterol and the removal of high density lipoprotein and twenty per cent of your triglyceride level - giving you your score low density lipoprotein. It was found the best way to measure the density or LDL low and the result becomes unreliable if your triglyceride levels are really high.

Individual countries will also express these measures differently. In the United States levels are given in millimoles per liter or milligrams per deciliter, while other countries including the United Kingdom tend to use the system of the international unit of measurement. By comparison, the international equivalent of 5.18 to 200 milligrams per deciliter. Physicians of the United Kingdom recommends a level of less than 5 people with normal health and below 4 if there is no evidence or family history of cardiovascular disease or illness.

Some doctors also use your Cholesterol Ratio as another way to indicate the health of your circulatory system and is the pump, your heart. Your Ratio is calculated by dividing the total cholesterol by high density lipoprotein. Doctors like to see this ratio cholesterol to less than 5 to 1 against, it is your HDL or high density must be at least twenty percent of your total cholesterol.

Now researchers have developed new techniques for calculating the cholesterol, which they say are more accurate in predicting the onset of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease. They have identified two specific lipoprotein in the blood that are linked to these diseases. The first they called and apolipoprotein levels in the blood beyond thirty milligrams per liter are a warning sign of coronary artery or heart disease. The second test is for apolipoprotein B and what they found out the onset of plaque deposits in blood vessels and is a predictor of atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries.

Scientists have now developed specific tests to measure apolipoproteins A and B, which will become the standard for calculating the cholesterol level in the future.

Sue Roberts

http://www.CalculatingCholesterol.com