How do I check the levels, & what do the numbers mean?
All HIV-positive people – especially those taking anti-HIV medications – should have their cholesterol and triglyceride levels checked regularly (at least every six months). Chances are that your doctor already orders blood tests to monitor your cholesterol and triglyceride levels. If you're not sure of this, be sure to ask your doctor.
If you know that you are having blood drawn to check your cholesterol and triglyceride levels, it's best to have blood drawn 9 to 12 hours after your last meal – this is called a "fasting state". For most people, this might simply mean having blood drawn before the first meal of the day.
Here are the most important tests you need to know about. All of these tests appear on the report generated by the laboratory testing your blood sample(s). If you'd like to see a sample of your lab report, be sure to ask your doctor for a copy or to go over the results with you:
Total cholesterol: This is the total amount of cholesterol in the bloodstream and includes both LDL and HDL cholesterol. The desirable total cholesterol level is anything below 200 mg/dL (cholesterol levels, at least in the United States, are measured in milligrams [mg] of cholesterol per deciliter [dL] of blood). If your total cholesterol level is between 200 and 239 mg/dL, you have a borderline-high total cholesterol level. If your total cholesterol level is 240 mg/dL or higher, you have high cholesterol.
HDL cholesterol: This is the total amount of “good” cholesterol in the bloodstream. A normal HDL cholesterol level is between 40 and 59 mg/dL. An HDL cholesterol level below 40 mg/dL can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, as there isn't enough good cholesterol to manage the clogging of the arteries by LDL cholesterol. Maintaining higher-than-normal HDL cholesterol levels – meaning an HDL cholesterol level above 60 mg/dL – can actually help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
LDL cholesterol: This is the total amount of “bad” cholesterol in the bloodstream. The optimal LDL cholesterol level is anything below 100 mg/dL. LDL cholesterol levels above 160 mg/dL are considered to be high and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Triglycerides: Triglyceride levels should be below 150 mg/dL. A triglyceride level above 200 mg/dL is considered to be high. If your triglyceride level is high and you do not have any other risk factors for cardiovascular disease – such as increased LDL cholesterol, decreased HDL cholesterol, cigarette smoking, or elevated blood pressure – it's not clear if you are at a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. The risk of pancreatitis is highest when the triglyceride level is in the thousands, most notably above 5,000 mg/dL.
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