Total cholesterol and triglycerides- a type of fat the body uses to store and give energy to muscles.

It determines the risk that the patient is at for a heart attack. The desirable amount of total cholesterol in patients is typically 200 mg/dL, if the patients shows a total cholesterol of anything higher than 240 mg/dL then that patient is at a high risk for heart attack and/ or stroke.

Way to increase HDL levels in the blood and decrease LDL or change either of them include: a healthy diet with less LDL and more HDL, a diet low on sodium and fats, total cholesterol intake should be reduced to less than 200 mg/dL per day, medications, and exercise or physical activity for at least 30 minutes a day for 5 days of the week.

Although all high cholesterol diets lead to high cholesterol levels, unsaturated fats do elp to improve them as they make blood flow easier. While saturated and trans fats harden the blood flow through veins and increase cholesterol levels and the risks for heart attacks and stroke.