Guide to healthy levels for different types of cholesterol; Result Healthy level; Total cholesterol: Below 5mmol/L: HDL (good cholesterol) Above 1.0mmol/L for men or above 1.2mmol/L for women: Non-HDL (bad cholesterol) Below 4mmol/L Cholesterol: Top foods to improve your numbers. Diet can play an important role in lowering your cholesterol. Here are some foods to improve your cholesterol and protect your heart. By Mayo Clinic Staff Cholesterol circulates in the blood. As the amount of cholesterol in your blood increases, so does the risk to your health. High cholesterol contributes to a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases, such as heart disease and stroke. That's why it's important to have your cholesterol tested, so you can know your levels. High cholesterol is when you have too much of a fatty substance called cholesterol in your blood. It's mainly caused by eating fatty food, not exercising enough, being overweight, smoking and drinking alcohol. It can also run in families. You can lower your cholesterol by eating healthily and getting more exercise. Too much cholesterol in the body can clog arteries. Total cholesterol is the sum of all the cholesterol in your blood. Your risk for heart attack and stroke increases with higher cholesterol levels. Other risk factors include smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, and family history of heart disease or stroke. High Cholesterol Facts Print Find up-to-date facts about high cholesterol in the United States. High total cholesterol in the United States Between 2017 and 2020, 10% of adults age 20 or older had total cholesterol levels above 240 mg/dL and about 17% had high-density lipoprotein (HDL, or "good") cholesterol levels below 40 mg/dL. 1 Cholesterol is a fatty substance your liver makes that can be bad or good for your heart health. Learn the recommended cholesterol levels by age, sex, and risk factors, as well as the treatment options and lifestyle changes to lower your cholesterol. Find out the difference between LDL, HDL, triglycerides, and more. Cholesterol numbers show how much cholesterol is circulating in your blood. Your HDL (good) cholesterol is the one number you want to be high (above 60). Your LDL (bad) cholesterol should be below 100. Your total should be below 200. Learn more about normal, high and low cholesterol levels, how to measure them and how to manage them. Why High Cholesterol Remains a Problem. There are many things that can keep your numbers high. One is not owning up to cholesterol problems and making the necessary lifestyle changes. m2CGqMB.