Hi, all--

Can someone help me, please? I've got these two sets of cholesterol results
in front of me but I have no idea what they mean. Here they are:

MALE (48 year old, caucasian, has been vegetarian for many years):
Cholesterol..................157...............[<200].......mg/dL
Triglyceride.................111...............[0-200]......mg/dL
HDL Cholesterol...............28............................mg/dL
-----------HDL Reference Range (male):
-------------Favorable:.............>55
-------------Average risk:...........35-55
-------------Above average risk:....<35
LDL..........................107................[<130]......mg/dL
CHOL/HDL Ratio..............H 5.61.............[2.90-4.40]..mg/dL
-----------Chol/HDL ratio interpretation
-------------Ideal:.................<3.5
-------------Average risk:..........<4.5
-------------2x average risk:.......10.0
-------------3x average risk:.......20.0
LDL/HDL......................3.8
-----------LDL/HDL ratio interpretation:
-------------Ideal:................<1.0
-------------Average risk:.........<2.0
-------------2x average risk:.......6.0
-------------3x average risk:.......8.0

FEMALE:
Cholesterol..................153...............[<200].......mg/dL
Triglyceride..................91...............[0-200]......mg/dL
HDL Cholesterol...............37............................mg/dL
-----------HDL Reference Range (female):
-------------Favorable:.............>65
-------------Average risk:...........45-65
-------------Above average risk:....<45
LDL...........................99................[<130]......mg/dL
CHOL/HDL Ratio...............4.14.............[2.90-4.40]...mg/dL
-----------Chol/HDL ratio interpretation
-------------Ideal:.................<3.5
-------------Average risk:..........<4.5
-------------2x average risk:.......10.0
-------------3x average risk:.......20.0
LDL/HDL......................2.6
-----------LDL/HDL ratio interpretation:
-------------Ideal:................<1.0
-------------Average risk:.........<2.0
-------------2x average risk:.......6.0
-------------3x average risk:.......8.0

1. First question: What do each of the items in these sets mean?
2. Second question: What does it mean where they say that the HDL
cholesterol is 28 for the male and 37 for the female but that the reference
range says that >55 is favorable for a male and >65 is favorable for a
female? Is this a problem?
3. Third question: What does it mean on the set for the male where it says
CHOL/HDL Ratio H 5.61, Range 2.90-4.40? Is this a cause for concern?
4. Fourth question: Where it says LDL/HDL, on the male it's 3.8, and on the
female it's 2.6. These are both above the ideal. Is this also a problem?
5. Fifth question: On each, what is the good cholesterol result and what is
the bad one?
6. Sixth question: Is there any other way to lower the cholesterol than
through diet or {*filter*}?

Thanks very much. Please email as well as post your reply.

Katherine

--
"We're not into crime and evil around here. You got a problem with that?"
Superman, by way of Scott Ostler