What does a high "good cholesterol" mean?

My doctor called and said my cholesterol is a little high (223), but my "good cholesterol" is very high, so she is not concerned. I thought if your cholesterol is over 200, that's bad. Does this mean I'm unhealthy or have anything to worry about?

Yes you have a good ratio but in my book, cholesterol is just an indicator that there is damage or inflammation happening. 223 is actually a very normal cholesterol. When I was in school, anything less than 250 was "normal". Since we are the same animal as 30 years ago, I would have to say that it is still normal. Did you know that in some studies, people live longer with high cholesterol than with low? Don't fall for the drug companies propaganda and you will be smarter and healthier than 99% of the population, including your doctor.
Pharmacist who's life was almost ruined by Lipitor

He's probably referring to Total Cholesterol to HDL ratio.

The total cholesterol to HDL ratio is determined by dividing the HDL cholesterol by the total cholesterol. For most people, the goal is to keep this ratio below 5:1, with the ideal being below 3.5:1.

鈻篒t should be noted that research scientists and doctors are divided on the effectiveness of using cholesterol ratios (including the total cholesterol/HDL ratio) to predict the chances of developing heart disease.

read more here:
http://cholesterol.emedtv.com/cholestero...

your HDL or "good cholesterol" is an indication of good physical fitness and health. The HDL or high density lipids, work to actually keep your veins and arteries clear of plaque buildup, so the more you have, the better. HDL's are made by the liver in response to regular vigorous physical activity.

If your HDL good cholesterol is high ie over 40 you are healthy. In fact it remove bad fat in your blood arteries and protect your heart against bad fat.