Need help making sense of cholesterol numbers

[LageNomAi]

I've been following Atkins strictly since late April/early May and had fasting blood work done a week ago as part of an annual physical. My HDL is up from 62 to 70, while my LDL is up from 145 to 153.

My doctor wasn't thrilled about the LDL, and I'm a bit mystified as to why it's gone up. High cholesterol does not run in my family. I do eat a fair amount of butter and red meat now and wonder if I should start replacing these with olive oil and turkey.

I realize that going by the ratio method (total cholesterol divided by HDL), my ratio is 3.19 and therefore below the recommended 3.5 mark... but not by much, particularly not given my relative youth and very high exercise/activity level.

I had really hoped my LDL would be lower than this and am unpleasantly surprised it increased. Needless to say, my doctor recommended a lower-fat diet.

Any thoughts/words of wisdom?

[imagood1]

Re: Need help making sense of cholesterol numbers

My numbers went up when I had them done a couple months ago -- I'm waiting for next month to have another set of labs done and am hoping they will go down. There are some of us who have this problem when others have their numbers drop dramatically.

I have continued to eat red meat but I try to get more fish and chicken in my meals. Other than that I really haven't changed anything.

Good luck.

[LageNomAi]

Re: Need help making sense of cholesterol numbers

Thanks, ima. I really am disappointed but I'm glad to read that I'm not the only one whose LDL went up. My doctor even floated the potential of high-cholesterol medication if the number doesn't eventually come down.

[phil h]

Re: Need help making sense of cholesterol numbers

What was your VLDL? Your triglycerides? I wouldn't be too thrilled with your Dr if he didn't bother to check these.Above all else you want the VLDL and triglycerides to be lower.I would suspect they are pretty decent if you have been low carbing for a while.

[Jonniboy]

Re: Need help making sense of cholesterol numbers

people relax
after switching from a diet high in carbs to one high in fat your total cholesterol will most likely, definitely increase.
But these figures should start to come down once you have been low carbing for a while.
If you have been lowcarbing for a while (at least 3 months) and your cholestrol levels (LDL (the bad ones) in particular) are still high, then I suggest you lower the amount of saturated fat in your diet

[phil h]

Re: Need help making sense of cholesterol numbers

Keep in mind with a high fat, low carb diet total cholesterol will almost always rise. Both HDL and LDL will rise.Triglyceridies should lower.A VAP test should be ordered to look at the VLDL's. These are the markers for potential cardiovascular disease. If a doc just looks at HDL/LDL and says you have high cholesterol and need statins, a bell should ring that he is not current.Demand that a VAP test be done and go over results before taking any statins.

[LageNomAi]

Re: Need help making sense of cholesterol numbers

Keep in mind with a high fat, low carb diet total cholesterol will almost always rise. Both HDL and LDL will rise.Triglyceridies should lower.A VAP test should be ordered to look at the VLDL's. These are the markers for potential cardiovascular disease. If a doc just looks at HDL/LDL and says you have high cholesterol and need statins, a bell should ring that he is not current.Demand that a VAP test be done and go over results before taking any statins.

Thanks, Phil. I called my doctor today and requested that the results be mailed to me and include results for all tests that were performed. I'm not sure what else was included but I was told that all of my numbers were good except for the LDL.

[imagood1]

Re: Need help making sense of cholesterol numbers

Keep in mind with a high fat, low carb diet total cholesterol will almost always rise. Both HDL and LDL will rise.Triglyceridies should lower.A VAP test should be ordered to look at the VLDL's. These are the markers for potential cardiovascular disease. If a doc just looks at HDL/LDL and says you have high cholesterol and need statins, a bell should ring that he is not current.Demand that a VAP test be done and go over results before taking any statins.

I've been taking 4gm of Lovaza for high triglicerides for over a year and even with a change in diet my numbers are still high.....I'm waiting to get another lipid panel done to see if they come down this time.

[LageNomAi]

Re: Need help making sense of cholesterol numbers

So I got my test results in the mail (I've been out of town, hence the delay) and my triglycerides were 43, which seems to be pretty low. I guess the question is what role this plays in the overall picture. Any thoughts from those more knowledgeable?

[phil h]

Re: Need help making sense of cholesterol numbers

Triglycerides 43! That is eye popping good.Beyond outstanding.If I were you I would be very happy with my overall lipid profile results.

[LageNomAi]

Re: Need help making sense of cholesterol numbers

Triglycerides 43! That is eye popping good.Beyond outstanding.If I were you I would be very happy with my overall lipid profile results.

Well, that certainly is good to know, thank you. I guess my next question is whether the good results for my triglcerides offset at all my high LDL?

I appreciate your guidance on all of this! I've tried Googling this stuff but I'm not getting much help on the interation between the two results.

[phil h]

Re: Need help making sense of cholesterol numbers

Was LDL calculated or directly measured?I bet it was calculated.Was LDL broken down into low density and very low density lipoproteins?The latter are the ones that adhere to inflamed arterial lining.Saying you have high LDL doesn't give enough info to determine risk factors for CV disease.

[WetBanana]

Re: Need help making sense of cholesterol numbers

Your LDL is needed to protect the lining of your arteries (it does not CLOG arteries contrary to popular belief). It's like a "waterproof barrier" to protect your cells from invasion by bacteria and virus's. It's not the "BAD" cholesterol. Your body makes 80% of it anyway, the more you eat of it, the less your body will produce to make up for.

There are no cases that PROVE having high cholesterol is bad for your heart or will cause heart disease. There are just as many people with heart disease that have low cholesterol levels then those that have high levels.

There was even a Men's Health Magazine article blasting the myth Doctor's and the AMA in particular have been trying to push upon us for the last 50 years.

The AMA is now recommending even LOWER amounts of cholesterol in our diets and are refusing to look at documented evidence pointing to the contrary. It's actually the AMA that is killing us - though I always believed they had an alterior motive - look at the big Small Pox vaccine scandal that went on just after the AMA was formed during the 20's. Creating a false pandemic just to push their agenda.

Did you know that low cholesterol levels actually DO cause Depression and Suicidal Tendencies? Look it up - the Big Cholesterol Myth. You'll find a plethora of information related to it. If you also want to read about some interesting facts, look at this link printed in the NY Times: What if It's All Been a Big Fat Lie? - The New York Times

[LageNomAi]

Re: Need help making sense of cholesterol numbers

Was LDL calculated or directly measured?I bet it was calculated.Was LDL broken down into low density and very low density lipoproteins?The latter are the ones that adhere to inflamed arterial lining.Saying you have high LDL doesn't give enough info to determine risk factors for CV disease.

It says right on my report that the total was calculated, so you are correct.

I also noticed something else: the numbers don't seem to add up. It lists my HDL as 70 and my LDL as 153, yet my total cholesterol is 232. Shouldn't it be 223? Or is something else factored into my total cholesterol?

Thanks again for all the help, Phil. It's greatly appreciated (and reassuring).

WetBanana - funny you should mention the NY Times article. I was just reading it for the third time a few minutes ago.


ETA: I just figured out why the numbers don't add up, which brings us back to what Phil pointed out, that my LDL was calculated rather than measured.