hi my husband 45 had a heart attack earlier this month, actually several . anyway when he went in for one week check up. the doctor said that is HDL was very low and she was concerned (it is L24 mg/dl) all his other are cholesterol 126mg/dl triglyceries 68 mg/dl LDL 88 mg/dl

she said he may have a disorder but i cant remember the name of it. it has something to do with the body not making the HDL .

any advice or what treatment is available if this is the case would be appreciated. he goes back march 23, for more blood work

ts

The medical community considers the ratio of chol/HDL to determine a heart attack risk. The expected and normal for less risk is a range of 3.5 to 5.5...high total cholesterol and a low HDL is medically undesirable. Your husband has a total of 124 and HDL 24 with a ratio of 5.25. That would be in the acceptable range according to my source...Range for HDL is 30-70 and 24 is low and apparently that is an issue for your doctor notwithstanding the normal ratio.

HDL is supposed to clear away the LDL and prevent a buildup of plaque in the arteries. If the ratio is not with specs, there may some inefficiency with the system to maintain a healthy artery. If HDL is very low there may be a problem with the liver (source). I'm not suggesting, alcohol will raise HDL, but too much can damage the liver!

I just talked to my dr. about this today. She is recommending Omega3 pills, 1,000 mg twice a day. I also drink a glass of grape juice (100% grape juice) because I don't drink alcohol (they say a glass of wine is good - but the grape juice does the same thing). Good luck!

oh thank you so much, i have some omega 3 at home , now i just have to choke them down him,

i like the grape juice thing, i heard wine was good for you, but i just got him to quit smoking i dont want to have to trade that off for a whino LOL.

kenkeith thank you for explaining that in terms i can understand. the more i try to read the more i get confused, making it short and simple helps me alot he has a complicated illness and i have ADD trying to read up on this can take me hours just for one bit of info.

thanks.
ts

I don't see where his numbers are all that bad. They say to shoot for LDL below 100 which his is considerably lower. The one thing I see is that the ratio 5.25 is high. Anything above 4 should be a concern. Since the total cholesterol is decent and the trigs are respectable the thing to improve on would be the HDL. Does he exercise?

he does not exercise like in a athletic way, he is a plumber for new construction, so he does lift, climb ladders, shovel. he is not overweight, but i am going to make him take the cardiac rehab classes anyway.

i dont know what went wrong. but his one main front artery of the heart was blocked 96% all i can think is that there was not enough HDL ?

he does not exercise like in a athletic way, he is a plumber for new construction, so he does lift, climb ladders, shovel. he is not overweight, but i am going to make him take the cardiac rehab classes anyway.

i dont know what went wrong. but his one main front artery of the heart was blocked 96% all i can think is that there was not enough HDL ?


Please do some research on cholesterol.. Everyone seems to think that the only thing that causes heart attacks is cholesterol... THis is not true...he also could be low in magnesium of which he will need and INTRACELLULAR magnesium test, or he could also be low in CoQ10. Also low metabolism can build plaque up in the arteries. Plaque has very little cholesterol in it. Just a small amount at its core. The cardiac rehab will include aerobic activity. THat is good for everyone. Hope he does well.

The work he does I'm sure is hard work but not the same as getting out there and really getting that heart pumping and creating a good sweat. He needs to do some exercise that will raise his heart rate for an extended period of time. The maximum heart rate should be 220 minus his age.

strange you say that a couple years ago i was giving him mag. and potasium vits. i cant remember why something i read i am sure , the he was having diahrea, dizziness, and all sorts of other stuff, he of course quit taking them,

his doctor told him about the cardiac rehab being different than what everyone considers exercise, she what he does is just energy like a football palyer, she said to exercise you would have to play basketball 4 quarters straight.

ts

There appears to be some confusion: Ttlsims's husband has a NORMAL ratio of LDL/HDL (2.5-4.0) and Chol/HDL (3.5-5.5).

In spite of being in the normal ranges, the issue is a low HDL (15-35) and is medically termed hypo-alphaprotein-emia. Meaning a condition with a deficiency of protein (cholesteryl) found in the liver. Hyperalphaproteinemia would describe overly abundance of cholestryl with an abnormally high HDL. There may be other reasons for the low HDL but regardless it deserves medical attention.

The cause can be familial with the HDL range of 15-35, and primary or secondary to obesity, physical inactivity, type2 diabetes, severe liver disorder. The hypo....condition can cause a rapid breakdown with a metabolic change of complex molecules to a simpler molecule (catabolism). Tangier disease is HDL less than 5 mg/dl, and there is a VERY rapid catabolation.

Low HDL in a system usually does not have any symptoms, but there may be a early history of artery disease and pre-mature heart attacks.

thanks kenkeith, his doc was concerned about the HDL, he is going back in on the 23rd for more blood work, this will be the first blood work he will have done with fasting before hand, (i dont know if that matters that much or not, but i would like to see the difference for my curosity anway).

she said it may be a rare disorder, but she wont make a decision or pursue until the 23rd test.

thanks for names i could not remember it, and still not sure of it everything happened so fast. i will look those up though,

i want to be prepared for next visit just in case his HDL does not get better and this disorder is brought up again.

ts

My doc advises the Total/HDL be less than 5 and the HDL be more than 40.

I just joined the board and was wondering if you got a diagnosis of Tangier disease? I have Tangier disease but the neuropathy is more of a problem that the heart.

no he was dx with it, the meds seem to be helping everything stay within limits.