HI everyone. I had my cholesterol levels checked recently b/c of chest pains. I am going on the 12th to do a stress test.

My levels were:
total cholesterol- 188
HDL- 31- this is lower than range
LDL 120
Triglycerides were 184 this was higher than range.

The doc said on the paper " not bad, eat more vegetables".
Isn't it bad to have low HDL???

Thanks.
J

Yes, that is a low HDL. It should be at least 40 and higher is better. Many people can increase HDL by increasing exercise, by decreasing sugar in the diet, or by drinking up to one glass of red wine daily (for women and small men) or up to two glasses daily (for larger men). You aren't allowed to "save up" for a weekend binge, either. :D

Your triglycerides are also high. They should be under 150. To lower trigs, eat less sugar and white potatoes, white pasta, white rice, white bread, etc. It is better to get your carbohydrates in whole grains and in legumes. Also lower your fat intake, especially saturated fats and trans fats. Trigs can be easily lowered and yours aren't that much too high, so you shouldn't have any trouble with making this change at all.

And, like the doctor said, eat more vegetables. The more of them you eat, the less of the bad things you are likely to eat. They are good for blood pressure, too, if you happen to have a problem with that.

Well, I guess Atkins was right all along. A low carb diet really does work.

OK.... I will try.

Is this normal for a 28 yr old? Diets suck! I am overweight (not terribly) but any weight loss/exercise will be beneficial I am sure.

Your results aren't that bad that I even think you need to go low-carb, just lower-carb and low-junk-food-carb. I'm assuming that you are eating a typical American diet at the present.

Yep!
I was just worried b/c I was reading about the ratios...and how the HDL is a good indicator for women.

Oh, if you are a woman, you might have to work a little harder at this, as the HDL should really be at least 50. Yes, losing a little weight should help. Actually, some people do better at the lower end of the acceptable weight for their height than at the middle. (sigh) Sorry about that. I'll bet you can do it, though. You just have to decide if you think it is worth it.

I've changed my diet to an almost vegetarian one with almost no sugar, lots of soups and salads, legumes and whole grains. I don't go through one cube of butter or margarine in a month. Giving up my two or three Mr. Pibbs daily and my ice cream and cheese were the really hard part. But once I got over that, I find it really a quite pleasant way to eat.

A glass of orange juice every day is also reported to raise HDL.

Jon,

A low HDL, by and of itself, is a risk factor for heart disease. I think that if you don't drink, then 2 glasses of wine every day...or beer, or a cocktail will be the best "medicine" to get the HDL's up.
Of course, if you already drink that amount then you must move to "Plan B"...my particular plan B is niacin.

Other than those HDL's, I think all is well.

My HDL has been stubbornly low all my life.

It has never responded noticeably to exercise or to alchohol.

I have noticed a slight nudge recently, and it could be due to being on Inositol Hexanicotinate (a form of Niacin) for the past several months, but the increase in HDL was not that great...

I'd give anything to have a level some on this board have posted (in the 70s, 80s or even higher).

I think HDL for some iss largely determined by genetics - at least that's been my experience.

HubbleRules
:cool:

Hubble - Have you really given a try to cutting out all sucrose? I could be wrong, but I seem to recall that you have a sweet tooth that gets the best of you. Apparently research has shown that sugar decreases HDL. I'm sure you are right that heredity is a very big factor, but I'm just wondering if you really are doing all you can do regarding dietary changes. (Of course, we all have to determine just how much change we are willing to live with, like me and my eggs.)

Hubble - Have you really given a try to cutting out all sucrose? I could be wrong, but I seem to recall that you have a sweet tooth that gets the best of you. Apparently research has shown that sugar decreases HDL. I'm sure you are right that heredity is a very big factor, but I'm just wondering if you really are doing all you can do regarding dietary changes. (Of course, we all have to determine just how much change we are willing to live with, like me and my eggs.)


Uff-Da!,

No - I haven't completely eliminated sucrose. I never add any sugar to foods I eat, but some of them contain it nonetheless. I have significantly cut back on sweets - and only have them very occassionally.

However, back in 1995 I completely eliminated all sugars, sweets, and alcohol for a solid year (got sick on alcohol on a trip to Brazil, and it burned out any desire for alcohol for quite some time), and was jogging 15 miles/week, and my HDL never got above 45...

I'm hoping that Niacin will eventually do the trick for me. But, I think that everyone has different stories to tell, because we all have a different genetic makeup...

HubbleRules
:cool:

WHat about diabetes? Does that have impact on cholesterol levels? I am prediabetic. Fasting sugars typically between 100-115 range.

However, back in 1995 I completely eliminated all sugars, sweets, and alcohol for a solid year (got sick on alcohol on a trip to Brazil, and it burned out any desire for alcohol for quite some time), and was jogging 15 miles/week, and my HDL never got above 45...

Bummer! Well, sounds like you gave it a good old college try. And you are right, we are all different and HDL can be very difficult to increase for some people.

I hope the niacin works for you. You are taking the flush-free, though, aren't you? Some of the research says that isn't going to work, though people claim that it does. If you don't get the results you want from it, you might want to give immediate-release or sustained-release a try before you give up on niacin.