Heart disease is the number one killer of women in the U.S. but it can be prevented. One way is to control cholesterol levels. Women should know their numbers for their good cholesterol, the HDL cholesterol, their bad cholesterol, the LDL cholesterol and another blood factor, the triglycerides. The American Heart Association has put out a set of guidelines for cardiovascular prevention in women. They recommend that the HDL cholesterol, be more than 50; the LDL cholesterol, be lower than 100; and the triglycerides be below 150.