How to lower LDL and raise HDL cholesterol..........

naughtoj

naughtoj

Cathlete
Hi guys!!

Just wanted to ask any of you that have experience with this, cholesterol and heart disease that is, how to lower LDL significantly and substantially raise HDL.

I have a high risk for CHD. I am looking into improving my stats. I had a blood test done recently and was dissapointed with my cholesterol levels at 26..They are...


Total cholesterol...140
HDL.................49
LDL.................80
VLDL................11
I know these are all normal, but i have read so many other posts about many of you having HDL levels of 70 or more. I already exercise aerobically, eat well, avoid saturated fat and eat good fats such as salmon and olive oil. What is it that I am not doing that is keeping my HDL lower?? Should I take flax seed?? What do you all take this for?? I did a search and found Keta's post and her cholesterol was awesome!!! Keta!! Are you out there?? I need advice!!

Any helpful hints would be appreciated, as already I am getting intermittent high blood pressure readings. The other day I almost could not give blood as the tech said my blood pressure was 145/100!!!! I have a strong type "A" personality with a strong family history so I really need to watch this.....anyone?????
 
naughtoj,
Your cholesterol levels seem very good. Your HDL could be a little higher, but sometimes people have lower HDL levels due to genetics and there is not much you can do about it. I have always been advised that to raise HDL levels you must exercise consistently and aerobically (which you alreay do), eat what you are already eating (low sat fats), and not smoke. Hopefully the others will have more helpful advice for you.
Linda
 
Not sure why you're concerned since recommended levels are:
Total <200
HDL >35
LDL <130

Your numbers are very good. This is a gross generalization, but in nutrition classes we were taught that a good diet lowers LDL & exercise raises HDL. Genetics plays a big role too.

The high blood pressure is a concern. It doesn't go hand in hand w/ a type A personality (exhibit 1: me). Sodium intake may affect your blood pressure but restricting sodium intake doesn't always help lower blood pressure. If you eat a lot of prepared foods, consider some changes there. Other than that, a healthful diet, regular exercise & other stress management tools are the typical defenses against high blood pressure.

Debra
 
I guess I should explain that I really am not "concerned" about my cholesterol readings, it is just that I have seen on this and some other forums, women who have gotten their HDL to 70 and sometimes above. I thought flax seed helped this...did some research on the net, but didn't find much.

I guess I am overly paranoid being that my blood pressure is high sometimes. I need to start seeing a PCP about it. I just thought there might be something I could do now to prevent problems later that I wasn't already doing...Guess not..

Ok, well thanks for the replies!! Janice
 
I have a very high HDL level (85). Because of that, my total cholesterol is quite a bit higher than yours. When I try and lower my total cholesterol my HDL goes down as well.

There are three recognized ways to raise your HDL. They are:

1. Exercise

2. Drink a moderate amount of alcohol, especially red wine

3. Consume olive and canola oil as your fats of choice. These fats raise HDL levels.

I do all three of these things. Did you know that the people of the island of Crete consume a diet of at least 40% fat but have very little heart disease because their diet is olive oil based.
Fat still carries calories but you do need some in your diet and it should be this type.
 
I thought that this is how it works. My grandmother has high cholesterol, yet has a HDL of 47, and i couldn't figure out why her HDL would be so high if she never exercised and ate badly. BUT her total cholesterol, especially LDL, is WAY higher than mine.

Jane, that information was very good to know, thank you!! I guess as I get older, my cholesterol will increase as will probably my HDL if I continue with my healthy habits. Thanks again everyone....Janice
 
I was trying to get the same type of information at the Ya Ya Board. Everyone was quite helpful. I recently received by cholestorol results in the mail and it had me a little nervous to say the least. A few of the ladies over there said that since my Cholesterol/HDL Ratio was under 4.0 and my HDL was so high that I should not be as worried as someone with a higher ratio. I still really want to get my LDL number down some. My results were...

Total Cholesterol 256
HDL................82
LDL...............156
Triglycerides......88
Cholesterol/HDL Ratio....3.1
LDL/HDL Ratio.....1.9
VLDL...............18

What do you ladies think?
I did have my bowl of oatmeal this morning. :D

Aerika J.
 
[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Jul-27-02 AT 05:12PM (Est)[/font][p]Hi there ...

The key is the fiber in your diet. You see … fiber binds to the fats and LDL in your intestines during digestion and carries it out during elimination.

The more whole grains, legumes, veggies, and fruits you get into your diet (in that order) the higher you HDL will go.

Keta. ;-)

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One more thing ...

YOUR CHOLESTROL DOES LOOK AWESOME!

Keta. :D

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Keta..

I was hoping you might reply!! Well, I am glad you think my cholesterol is "awesome". I didn't really think there was anything wrong with Aerika's either, did you?? The higher HDL seems to compensate for the higher LDL?? My ratio, well, I don't know if it really was my "ratio" or just my heart attack risk, but it was 2.3 out of 4.5 or 5, but I am only 26 years old, so I didn't imagine there would be any problems.

Keta...I am working on the fiber. I need to be more consistent. While fiber intake as a whole does not seem to be a problem for me, I think I am inconsistent on a day to day basis. Some days I can take in 50 grams easy and some days 15. Need to pay a little more attention there. Some nights when you are tired it is sometimes so easy to go for those "totally processed no fiber" quickie foods. Gotta watch that. Fortunatly I do not buy too much of that kind of thing, so there is a limit.

I appreciate your advice Keta, as I know your cholesterol levels ROCK...Thanks, Janice
 
Lowering LDL to 100 or less.

My MD says that the new guidelines (he didn't say who they were from) state that everyone should strive to keep their LDL cholesterol at 100 or lower, regardless of what their HDL level is. My levels are very similar to aerikaj's and he wants me to to take drugs to get them lower even though my HDL is very high.

So far, I'm kind of resisting the idea of taking drugs, but I thought I'd pass on the information because that's what I was told.
 
RE: Lowering LDL to 100 or less.

Very interesting, Jane.

I did a search on the Ya-Ya (Firm) forum and found Aerika's post. Dana always has some good info about cholesterol on that forum and says that the reason Aerika's total cholesterol is so high is because of her HDL being so high...but shouldn't that be the other way around. Once your LDL gets so high, your body somehow manufactures more HDL to "clean it up"??? If I can raise my HDL somehow...say through much more "good" oils in my diet, am I all of a sudden going to see my LDL raise as well?? I am under the impression it should not. I understand my total cholesterol will rise, because of the rise in HDL. If I can keep my LDL at 80 than I guess I do not expect my HDL to rise much more. Is it possible to have an LDL value of 80 and an HDL of 80??? Does anyone???

Just some more rampant thoughts...Janice

PS...Aerika, I think Dana is right, you should not be as concerned as you are because it does look like your ratio is good BUT I would still try to lower your LDL number..just try to cut out the red meat and fast food, which you really should be doing anyway..cholesterol or no cholesterol!!!! But good job on your HDL..you must be doing something right!!!!
 
Hi everyone,

Wow, a topic I can actually respond to with some authority! I do clinical research in preventive cardiology, and my main focus is in lipids (cholesterol, triglycerides). I recommend to my patients to aim for an LDL level between 60-85, and an HDL >35 (>60 is excellent). So to have an LDL of 80, and an HDL of 49 is wonderful (especially with such a low total cholesterol). I am currently involved in a study testing families (internationally) with a genetic predisposition to low HDL. I have had people seen with HDL of as low as 4. Having an HDL of 49 would indicate to me that there is no genetic reason for low HDL in your family. Also, the main way to increase HDL is through omega-3 oils. I recently found out that flax seed (although I love it) is not a good source of getting these oils, despite previously published reports. So look carefully for omega-3 oils on the supplements you are buying. Also, niacin is wonderful. Most importantly, exercise. It is the best thing for your heart. Hope this helps.
 
P.S.

And to echo everyone else out there who knows their stuff, add soy, oatmeal, whole grains, tea, and plently of vegetables (a little of each color group). Avoid animal products. Good luck!
 
Fullhouse - That makes me really feel like my LDL number is astronomical. What do you think? Also, can you get a bit more specific on foods to add to your diet and foods to avoid?

Thanks,
Aerika J.
 
Hi Aerika,

Your HDL is good, as are your triglycerides. Your total chol and LDL need a little work, but I think you seem to have the incentive to change it. Astronomical? Not by a longshot, believe me. My first suggestion is to look at your diet. I am an advocate of clean, vegetarian eating. If that is too radical for you, avoid as much red meat and dairy as possible. They are the first things you should cut out. An egg now and then won't kill you, but it's amazing how a portion of meat or dairy here and there will jack up your cholesterol. Cholesterol is only found in animal products. And please don't fry foods. If you need to fry, use canola or olive oil, or just saute in some soup broth or water. Add whole grains such as brown rice or millet, and get plenty of vegetables in every color (greens, orange carrots, red tomatoes, etc). I don't know where you live, but farmer's markets at this time of year have beautiful produce, and you should introduce a new vegetable in your life weekly. Drink lots of water. Buy omega-3 oil, which by the way needs to be kept refrigerated. Have a couple of tablespoons a day. It is wonderful for you. It loses its nutrients if it is heated, however, so please don't cook with it. Also, check your B vitamins. Niacin has been shown to help lower cholesterol. You should get a physical and blood work up before adding anything, but I have patients who do wonderfully with anywhere from 500-1500 mg a day of niacin. Secondly, increase your activity level. Exercise will definitely help lower chol, especially if you are currently needing to lose any weight. Thirdly, and I hope I don't even have to mention this, don't smoke. A combination of eating right, daily activity, and a smoke-free environment are the 3 steps that work together for a healthy heart. (As for activity, if you get a pedometer, remember to try to aim for at least 10,000 steps a day! You'd be amazed at how many steps you can do in a Cathe workout. Start the day with one of her tapes, and you can practically sit out the rest of the day! LOL).
Hope this helps. Good luck!
 
Very good advice given already - thanks for starting this topic - I had a blood test recently and wanted to know more about it! One thing I've read about that is supposed to be very good with regards to HDL is soy - try adding some soy products to your diet - soy milk / cheese / icecream / tofu - it's not as bad as it's often made out to be and when coupled with fresh vegetables, chili or other flavourings makes a very healthy meal!

I eat a mainly vegetarian diet, lots of soy!, beans, whole grains with some eggs and fish (salmon, sardines and tuna mostly) thrown in and my HDL was 90 which the Dr. said was very good! - can't remember the other numbers :(

Good Luck!
 
Thanks fullhouse for all the great information. I have already printed it out and passed it around to some other people in my office. All your advice was very helpful.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. :-jumpy

Aerika J.
 
WOW!!


I never expected to get so much great info!! Thanks so much Fullhouse!! I will look into the Omega 3's!! I eat some soy in cereal and I lately have taken up with soybeans ( they are so fun to pop out of that little pod) but sometimes I reject it as an inferior protein. That is the stupid little bodybuilder in me..always searching for the highest bioavailability!! LOL..

My husband, who forceably eats like me now, had a cholesterol level of about 165 and an HDL of 33. Is this bad?? When they calculated his heart disease risk it was relatively high because of this. He has recently started exercising. How long do you think it takes to see differences in your HDL from something?? For example, if I start to exercise aerobically, how long before I see a numbers improvement?? My grandmother started taking flax seed and then ran back to the lab after 3 months, which I thought would be too soon to see appreciable results. Also, everything on her lab report was better..her cholesterol went down, her HDL went up 1, but her triglycerides went up quite a bit. Is this due to the flax seed supplementation?? She asked me, but I had no clue why triglycerides would rise but everything else would get better. And she did fast,so what gives??

Any info you get a chance to post will be wonderful....Janice
 
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