and what are bad or unacceptable levels…my cholesterol is hi but i am told my hdl is also hi which offsets it a bit…but i don't know how hi is considered good not to worry about it
With HDL (good) cholesterol, higher levels are better.
Low HDL cholesterol (less than 40 mg/dL for men, less than 50 mg/dL for women) puts you at higher risk for heart disease. In the average man, HDL cholesterol levels range from 40 to 50 mg/dL.
In the average woman, they range from 50 to 60 mg/dL. An HDL cholesterol of 60 mg/dL or higher gives some protection against heart disease.
The lower your LDL cholesterol, the lower your risk of heart attack and stroke. In fact, it's a better gauge of risk than total blood cholesterol.
LDL (bad) Cholesterol Levels
*Optimal:Less than 100 mg/dL
*Near Optimal/ Above Optimal: 100 to 129 mg/dL
*Borderline High:130 to 159 mg/dL
*High: 160 to 189 mg/dL
*Very High: 190 mg/dL and above