This is a must have book.
Barnes & Noble.com - Image Viewer: The Schwarzbein Principle, by Diana Schwarzbein, Paperback
She's a Endocrinologist in Santa Barbara. In this book she has a chapter on cholesterol levels and how not all HDL, LDL, VLOL levels are the same for everyone. It's an amazing book on a lot of other things too, but you really should read this.
OK, I MUST post this information that is a section of the chapter on cholesterol:
The following two examples show hypothetical ideals of HDL, LDL, and VLDL lipoproteins.
EXAMPLE ONE: Which cholesterol panel do you think is better?
Panel 1: Total cholesterol 240 = HDL 80 + LDL 140 + VLDL 20
Panel 2: Total cholesterol 240 + HDL 40 + LDL 170 + VLDL 30
When evaluating the three lipoproteins, higher HDLs and lower VLDLs are desirable. By following a healthy lifestyle, HDLs increase and VLDLs decrease. So Panel 1 is much better than Panel 2. But note that the sum of the lipoproteins of each panel both arrive at the same total of 240. Hence total cholesterol levels are meaningless.
EXAMPLE TWO: Which cholesterol panel do you think is better?
Panel 1: Total cholesterol 240 + HDL 60 + LDL 160 + VLDL 20 Tg = 200
Panel 2: Total cholesterol 180 = HDL 60 + LDL 80 + VLDL 40 Tg= 200
In comparing these two cholesterol panels, you want the VLDLs and the triglycerides to be lower even if this means accepting higher total cholesterol and LDL levels. Therefore Panel 1 is the better panel.
The last example illustrates why cholesterol panels do not show your risk for heart disease. Furthermore, it demonstrates how easy it is to misinterpret cholesterol profiles.
EXAMPLE THREE: This example is from two different people. Which one has the lower risk for a heart attack?
Person 1: Total cholesterol 180 = HDL 60 + LDL 100 + VLDL 20
Person 2: Total cholesterol 180 = HDL 60 + LDL 100 + VLDL 20