Your health care provider will look at three numbers when they check your cholesterol levels: your total cholesterol, your HDL, and LDL.

A total cholesterol level over 240 is high, a level between 239-200 is borderline, and a level under 200 is good. If your total cholesterol is higher than 240 your risk for heart disease and stroke is higher.

Your HDL, or good cholesterol, carries extra cholesterol away from the artery walls. An HDL of 35 or greater is acceptable. An HDL of 60 or greater is very good.

Your LDL, or bad cholesterol, tends to build up in the walls of your arteries. The LDL number you want is determined by how many risk factors for heart disease you already have. An acceptable LDL number can be as low as 100 or as high as 160.