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Your Cholesterol Numbers
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Know Your Cholesterol Numbers
The lipids in your blood—LDL (bad) cholesterol, triglycerides, and HDL (good) cholesterol—make up your total cholesterol number. The recommended cholesterol test that looks at the main parts of cholesterol is called a lipoprotein (or lipids) profile. It's taken using a small sample of blood from the finger or arm following a 9 to 12-hour period without food, liquid, or oral medications. Cholesterol levels are measured as milligrams of cholesterol per deciliter of blood, or mg/dL.1
NCEP guidelines for cholesterol health
Doctors compare test results to the following set of guidelines established by the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP).2 Once you know your triglyceride, LDL, and HDL numbers, you can work with your doctor to get them to the healthy range.
If you don’t know your numbers, ask your doctor
Your LDL goal depends on how many risk factors* you have.
In General:
| Below 160 mg/dL if you have 1 or no risk factors |
| Below 130 mg/dL if you have 2 or more risk factors |
| Below 100 mg/dL if you have heart disease or diabetes |
| * Risk factors for heart disease include age, family history, high blood pressure, cigarette smoking, and low HDL. |
You want your triglycerides to be lower
| A normal triglyceride level is less than 150 mg/dL |
| Borderline-high is between 150 and 199 mg/dL |
| High is between 200 and 499 mg/dL |
| Very high is 500 mg/dL and higher |
You want your HDL to be higher
| High HDL is 60 mg/dL or higher |
| Low HDL is less than 40 mg/dL |
Understanding the parts of cholesterol—and what each level means—is the first step to working with your doctor to manage your cholesterol. If you don’t know your numbers, talk to your doctor. And if you’re struggling to improve your cholesterol, ask your doctor if part of the problem could be high triglycerides.
Uses and Important Safety Information You Should Know About TRILIPIX (fenofibric acid)
Uses for TRILIPIX® (fenofibric acid) delayed-release capsules
- TRILIPIX should only be used when other measures, such as diet and exercise, have not been enough.
- TRILIPIX is a prescription medication used along with diet to lower triglycerides and raise HDL (good) cholesterol in people at high risk of heart disease who have abnormal cholesterol levels and are taking a statin medicine to manage LDL (bad) cholesterol.
- TRILIPIX is also used along with diet to lower severely high triglycerides. Improving blood sugar control in certain people with diabetes may prevent the need for cholesterol drug therapy.
- TRILIPIX is also used to lower triglycerides and LDL cholesterol, and increase HDL cholesterol in people with abnormal cholesterol levels.
- TRILIPIX has not been shown to lower your risk of having heart problems or a stroke.
Important Safety Information for TRILIPIX
- TRILIPIX should not be taken by people with liver, gallbladder, or severe kidney disease, nursing mothers, or those allergic to any product ingredient.
- TRILIPIX can cause muscle problems. Unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness may be a sign of a serious muscle problem and should be reported to your healthcare provider right away. Rarely, muscle-related problems can cause kidney damage and can be fatal. The risk of these side effects may be higher when TRILIPIX is used with a statin.
- Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take.
- Some people require blood tests to check for kidney problems while taking TRILIPIX.
- TRILIPIX can cause liver problems. Blood tests are needed before and during treatment with TRILIPIX to check for liver problems.
- TRILIPIX may cause inflammation (swelling) of the gallbladder or pancreas. Contact your healthcare provider if you experience abdominal pain, nausea, or vomiting.
- TRILIPIX may cause allergic-type reactions, blood clots, and possible changes in some blood test values.
- If you are pregnant or may become pregnant, talk with your healthcare provider about TRILIPIX. It is not known if TRILIPIX will harm your unborn baby.
- The most common side effects with TRILIPIX include headache, heartburn, nausea, muscle aches, and increases in muscle or liver enzymes that are measured by blood tests.
For more information, talk with your healthcare provider.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
If you cannot afford your medication, contact: www.pparx.org or call the toll-free phone number 1-888-4PPA-NOW (1-888-477-2669) for assistance.
References:
1. American Heart Association. What Your Cholesterol Levels Mean. Available at: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/Cholesterol/AboutCholesterol/What-Your-Cholesterol-Levels-Mean_UCM_305562_Article.jsp. Last update June 13, 2011. Accessed June 20, 2011.
2. National Cholesterol Education Program. Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (Adult Treatment Panel III) Final Report. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Available at: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/cholesterol/atp3full.pdf. Last Update September 2002. Accessed October 25, 2011.
Doctor Discussion Guide
Use this tool to create a list of questions to ask your doctor during your next office visit.
Cholesterol Info Kit
Use this helpful information to understand your cholesterol numbers.
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