Good Cholesterol

HDL, or high-density lipoprotein, is referred to as the "good cholesterol." Good cholesterol, also known as "HDL cholesterol," picks up excess cholesterol dropped off by low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) and transports it to your liver. You want your good cholesterol to be as high as possible -- an HDL level of 60 mg/dL or higher is considered protective against heart disease. You can raise your good cholesterol levels by losing weight, exercising, and quitting smoking. Certain medications can also help increase HDL.

 

What Is "Good Cholesterol"?

High-density lipoprotein, or HDL for short, is also known as the "good cholesterol." HDL, a substance found within the body, is used to transport cholesterol.
 

Good Cholesterol: Understanding Cholesterol and Lipoproteins

In order to understand why HDL is known as the "good cholesterol," it may be helpful to know a little more about cholesterol and lipoproteins.
 
 
Cholesterol is a soft and waxy substance found in all of your body's cells. Your body needs some cholesterol in order to work properly. However, in order to get to all of your cells, cholesterol needs to travel through the bloodstream. But because cholesterol is a fat, it separates from the blood similar to the way that oil separates from water.
 
To keep this from happening, proteins form a shell around the cholesterol, making a "cholesterol complex." It is then released into the bloodstream and travels to where it needs to go.
 
A protein that is linked to cholesterol to form this cholesterol complex is called a "lipoprotein." There are several different types of lipoproteins. When talking about cholesterol, though, we normally focus on two: HDL (the good cholesterol) and LDL (the bad cholesterol). When it comes to HDL and LDL, the cholesterol is the same; what makes it good or bad is the type of lipoprotein that it is inside.
 
(Good Cholesterol Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD