Maintaining the right levels of cholesterol in your bloodstream is a key part of sustaining your overall health in the long run. Consequently, many people want to know what a normal cholesterol level is. Unlike many other physical traits, the correct level of this one does not vary with size or age. However, there is some terminology that needs to be explained in order to properly understand your own cholesterol levels.How to Read Cholesterol LevelsWhen a physician tells you about your cholesterol level, it reads like a score. He or she will basically tell you a number or a series of numbers. These numbers refer to the number of milligrams of cholesterol in each deciliter of your blood. For example, if you had 70 milligrams of a type of cholesterol in each deciliter of blood, this would read as 70 mg/dL.Types of CholesterolThere are essentially two types of cholesterol. They are colloquially known as good and bad cholesterol. Low-density lipids (LDL) cholesterol is the bad cholesterol. Too much of this in your blood can lead to clogging of the arteries and an eventual heart attack. High density lipid (HDL) cholesterol is the good cholesterol. This substance helps to keep the LDL cholesterol from attaching to the sides of your arteries. You actually want to maintain high levels of HDL cholesterol.Normal LDL CholesterolDoctors would like to see their patients maintain an LDL level at around 60 mg/dL. This is ideal, especially for people at risk of Heart disease. This ideal is very hard to reach on an average North American diet. For this reason, doctors are often satisfied if patients can keep their levels below 100 mg/dL. Anything above that level is considered risky.Normal HDL CholesterolYou should maintain your good cholesterol level at around 50 or 60 mg/dL. As long as patients can keep this level above 40 mg/dl, they are considered safe. The level of HDL cholesterol can be raised through changes in diet and exercise