• When it comes to cholesterol and personal health, the issue usually is the amount of "bad" cholesterol found in the blood stream. This "bad stuff" includes both VDL and LDL cholesterol. On the other hand, cholesterol itself- once again is a normal and "good' component of many tissues in the body - when it is not laid down in areas improperly. In fact, "good" cholesterol is also found circulating in the blood- that's called HDL cholesterol.
• Because high cholesterol levels have been correlated with coronary artery disease, (which is the major cause of heart attacks) it is reccommended that all adults know their cholesterol level. Although a high cholesterol level may be a sign of an increased risk of heart disease; there are several different forms found in the blood - and some types are protector rather than promotors of coronary artery disease.
• So, what exactly is a "cholesterol level"? The Total Cholesterol level includes HDL, LDL and VDL cholesterol. Since HDL is actually protective against heart disease, then more has to be known about your cholesterol number than simply the total cholesterol.
  • It's important to know these numbers: Total Cholesterol, HDL & LDL

When lipoproteins were frst identified in blood, they were noted to fractionate out in different layers of centrifuged blood samples, depending on how dense each layer was, that's actualy how many cell components and other biological molecules have also been separated from each other. The lowest density components float at the top in these spun tubes, the highest density items sink to the bottom - and the layers are a dependable way to purify each sort, or at least to begin the process of purification.