Total Cholestorol-167
LdL-75
HdL-24
Trig-339

So, I did get the info wrong, but still the trigs are high.Should I still take 40mg of zocor? And how bad are my numbers? This bored is great,I get more info here than from my doctor! How do I get the hdl up and the tris down?Does this mean I can still eat meat!

Sure you can eat meat. In fact the trigs being 339 is an indicator that you may be getting too many carbs. Even though your total cholesterol is low at 167 your HDL is also low making your risk ratio about 7.95. That's too high. Also the trigs being high with a low HDL also puts you at pretty high risk. My husband has had good luck using Tricor to lower the trigs. Exercise should help bring up your HDL but it is sometimes a slow process getting it up.

As NineLives mentioned you may be taking in too many carbs--I just wanted to add, and/or you might not be doing enough (cardio) exercise. Exercise will not only decrease the triglycerides, but also increase your HDL-C.

As far as oral meds go, NineLives mentioned Tricor, which does do a good job of decreasing TG and helping a bit to raise HDL-C. I was on Tricor for a few years without any side effects. Daily exercise and proper diet obviated the need for that or any other cholesterol-altering med (in my case).

I am on zocor and it was just raised to 40mg.Anyway I dont fully understand the trigs.How can my LdL Be so low and yet my trigs high? I mean Ldl at 75 is great right? Doenst that mean I dont have tons of fat in my veins? Please explain the trig number so I can understand it better and what exactly is the risk I have whats 7.5 mean? I thought 167 was a great number,guess not.So to be clear, diet does not raise HDL? I feel I get exercise at a normal amount anyway,what are some other tips to raise Hdl..

Triglycerides can be raised by eating a diet too high in fats and sugars. Alcohol is another example of something that can raise triglycerices also breads especially white breads. A diet too high in transfats can also raise triglycerides and lower you HDL. Transfats are found in alot of baked goods and give added shelf life to foods. Fast food restaurants also may fry your french fries in hydrogenated oils. Margarine has transfat.
Your risk ratio of 7.95 puts you at 2X the normal risk of coronary artery disease. A risk ratio 4 is desirable, but I've heard that some doctors want it lower. An LDL of below 100 is good but comparing your total to your HDL you are at risk. There is so much more to be discovered about heart disease. Some say inflammation is the real culprit and the bad lipids just adds fuel to the fire. It seems that scientists change their minds almost daily when it comes to lipid levels, inflammation and heart disease.
When you say exercise at a normal amount what type of exercise are you doing and for how long? Some people think that because their job requires them to be on their feet maybe walking around a plant or even taking stairs everyday instead of the elevator is enough. This might not be the case with you, but I thought it was worth consideration. Truth is you need to be doing exercise that raises your heartrate and keeps it up for a prolonged period to help raise your HDL.

Well, you beat me to the answer,I work construction and figured that was enough! but I guess not,how does exercise put more good cholestorol in your blood? is a good long walk ok

I think that a nice long walk would be just fine. You don't have to go out and run marathons or train for the olympics.

I see you've already been given some good advice. I may add that a low-carb diet may possibly be best for someone in your situation. You really should cut way back on the starches, sugars, breads, pasta, or any other white flour products. Cut out sweets, junk foods, and anything else that contains hydrogenated fats. Emphasize high protein foods, like meat, fish, and eggs. A low-carb diet works best for lowering triglycerides and raising HDL levels, and that's exactly what your problem is.

Supplemental fish oil will also help lower triglycerides. About 4-6 fish oil capsules per day should be sufficient. A couple of tablespoons of granular lecithin sometimes helps raise HDL. A garlic supplement, standardized to contain a minimum of 4000mcg allicin is also helpful in raising HDL. Take antioxidants vitamin C and vitamin E. They both help minimize the oxidation of LDL. Niacin is great for raising HDL, but I would not advise that you do that since you are taking Zocor. That you would need to discuss with your doctor. In fact, you may be better off switching from Zocor to niacin, but that's up to you and your doctor to decide.

Also keep in mind that all LDL is NOT the same. There is Pattern A LDL, which consists mostly of large buoyant LDL. This is a more benign form of LDL, and is not considered as damaging as Pattern B LDL, which consists mostly of small, dense particles. Pattern B is highly subject to oxidation, and has a higher tendency to be deposited as plaque. Pattern A correlates more strongly with low triglycerides and high HDL, while Pattern B correlates more strongly with high triglycerides and low HDL. With your numbers (high triglycerides and low HDL), it is far more likely that you have Pattern B. But only an actual measurement of your LDL can determine that for certain.

So you see, it's not just how much LDL is present, but which pattern type you are. If you can lower those triglycerides and raise up the HDL, you would also likely be increasing overall LDL particle size. The reason why I favor niacin is because not only will it increase HDL, but it also promotes larger LDL particle size.

Here is a link that you can copy and paste in your browser concerning small, dense LDL.

http://www.preventive-cardiology.com/small_dense_ldl.htm

Well, you beat me to the answer,I work construction and figured that was enough! but I guess not,how does exercise put more good cholestorol in your blood? is a good long walk ok

Bill,

Arizona and NineLives gave you some additional advice that is very good. Niacin is great w/r/t changing the particle size to the more favorable larger, buoyant form. I would say the probability is pretty high that you have the small dense form, characteristic in those of us that have or are susceptible to metabolic syndrome.

I would say if you add in 30-60 mins brisk walking daily it will help, but that will not give you the benefits to your particle size, TG and HDL that running 24-30 min daily will.

My cholesterol numbers were not too far off from yours, once. In fact, in my early 30s, they were worse (290+ total cholesterol, 600+ TG at times, < 25 mg/dL HDL). Even when I had my heart attack at age 35, my cholesterol was around 162, (HDL: 25 TG: 155 LDL: 106). We will leave out particle sizes and numbers for simplicity now, but they are in this forum if you want to search). I was sedentary, essentially. I figured softball twice a week was good enough.

Through running daily, I have had tremendous impacts, including obviating the need for 5 medications (3 hypertension, 1 diabetes, Tricor for triglycerides, later Niacin too). My cholesterol a few weeks ago measured out at 113 (HDL: 49 TG: 47 LDL:55). I am not doing this on a low carb diet either, I take in 380-450 g carb daily (yes, both complex and simple sugars). Last night, I had a few pieces of amaretto cake that I made. As long as the weight is kept in normal range and I exercise, all is well.

The disclaimer is that not everyone is the same. A low carb diet may work for some people, and not for others. My advice to you works in my case, but may not for you. The reason I made the effort to write you, in this case, is because of some similarites that I notice in your case (the metabolic syndrome)--in hopes that you might consider trying this route to see if it will work for you.