Readings? - High Cholesterol Message Board

sblair · 09-02-2003, 06:59 PM

I was wondering, I know my LDL is a little high but is my HDL O.K.? Can anyone tell me if my HDL is high enough to help the LDL not be so bad. Why is the HDL/TC so important?

Total 197
LDL 116
HDL 62
Tri 95
HDL/TC 3.2

ARIZONA73 · 09-02-2003, 08:25 PM

Your HDL is quite favorable. The LDL/HDL ratio should be 2.5 or less. Yours is 1.87, which is very good. In fact, all of your numbers look great. HDL is the good cholesterol, and that is why it is expressed as a ratio against TC, LDL, and triglycerides. HDL is protective because it is believed to prevent the formation of plaque in the arteries, and even to help remove existing plaque. All in all, your numbers place you at low risk.

cutup · 09-04-2003, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by sblair:
I was wondering, I know my LDL is a little high but is my HDL O.K.? Can anyone tell me if my HDL is high enough to help the LDL not be so bad. Why is the HDL/TC so important?

Total 197
LDL 116
HDL 62
Tri 95
HDL/TC 3.2

Your HDL is excellent. As for the LDL, my cardiologist recommended it to be below 100 and if there has already been a cardiac episode they want it in the 70 range.
I've been hearing that a low HDL combined with a high triglyceride level is a risk. That is what happened in my situation.

ARIZONA73 · 09-04-2003, 08:05 PM

I don't think that everyone needs to keep their LDL under 100. That is an overkill as far as I'm concerned. It's just another excuse to prescribe statins and make more money.

cutup · 09-05-2003, 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by ARIZONA73:
I don't think that everyone needs to keep their LDL under 100. That is an overkill as far as I'm concerned. It's just another excuse to prescribe statins and make more money.

According to my cardiologist who specializes in heart disease in women the newest recommendations are LDL below 100 for every woman. My last reading was LDL 83 and I take 40 mg Zocor with no problems. My LDL had been 125. Cholesterol 153 down from 183, HDL 43 up from 33, can't remember trigs right off hand but they were excellent. They were 183 when I had my cardiac episode. I don't believe she told me that to make more money. I was a 41 yr old woman with few risk factors when this all began and I believe she was trying to give me the best chance at life.

------------------
Doctors comments on patient charts:

"The patient refused an autopsy."

"Patient has chest pain if she lies on her left side for over a year."