Suffering from low HDL

[eytonxav]

Yeah, mine also went way up with a LCHF diet. So did my LDL. And my triglycerides dropped dramatically, so my Trig/HDL ratio became stellar.

Yes before LCHF I saw improvement with regular exercise.

What is a good Trig/HDL ratio? I'm at 1.11

 

[MRG]

I have read that niacin raises HDL and lowers LDL. My HDL is low. I am giving it a try.

As you know, I am trying LCHF ketogenic diet myself.

Time will tell.

I take 1500mg of slow release niacin daily. It helps my inner ears properly "level", prior I had persistent vertigo. The doctor who suggested it had me scale up to 1500mg as some folks have negative reactions like flushing. Good luck.

 

[VanWinkle]

HDL has been 33-38 for the last 10 years. My LDL is low, so the corresponding # with the HDL is still in the good level. I was on Niacin for several years, but then the Dr stated there was no evidence of niacin improving HDL so I quit taking the niacin. I kind of miss the "flush" effect from the niacin, but now I get it through the stair stepper and treadmill.

 

[audreyh1]

What is a good Trig/HDL ratio? I'm at 1.11

That’s very good. Anything below 2 is considered optimal. I recently reached a 1.0 ratio.

 

[eytonxav]

That’s very good. Anything below 2 is considered optimal. I recently reached a 1.0 ratio.

Thanks! I've had a couple of 0 calcium score heart scans over the past ten years, but keeping that ratio down should continue to help keep that part of me healthy.

 

[audreyh1]

Yes, a sub 2 ratio correlates with low risk of heart disease.

 

[pdxgal]

A study just came out this week that said a higher HDL is not necessarily a good thing. This isn't the study I'm talking about, but related: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180825081724.htm

This study is a good example of "the devil's in the details". High HDL wasn't necessarily a good thing among a sample of people "most of whom [already] had heart disease." Major detail there!

I've ready other studies that say there are different sub-types of LDL and HDL, with smaller vs larger particles. Some sub-types are apparently worse for one's health than others. An analogy that comes to mind is weight/BMI. Very muscular people can weigh relatively more and thus have relatively high BMI. Doesn't necessarily mean they're unhealthy. They just have a lot of muscle mass. Not all weight is created equal, nor all cholesterol.

Seems like most of the posters on this thread are male. Females tend to have higher cholesterol, as I recall, and certainly ours fluctuates pre-menopause with our menstrual cycle. So many of the studies that have been done on heart disease, cholesterol, etc. have not included women that I discount their relevance for me as a woman. There are a few good longitudinal studies out there with women (i.e. with nurses, nuns, and the Kaiser women's health initiative). It seems that for women, higher cholesterol isn't as much of a health risk. Here's one paper on the subject:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3042201/

My total cholesterol is always a bit over 200, but my HDL is around 80-90 and triglycerides 40-50. I eat a 'flexitarian' diet without a lot of meat and virtually no processed food. I'm not worried about heart disease. Time will tell!

 

[RAE]

In my own case, mine was generally in the 50s until I started a LCHF diet. Since then it has been in the 80s.

Same experience with me, and my numbers are similar also. I try to avoid most junk food - most of the carbs I consume come from things like potatoes (and other veggies), and occasionally some white rice. Exercise probably helps boost HDL also, and I try to exercise daily (long walks and some bodyweight exercises).

 

[explanade]

Last physical in November, Dr. told me to take fish oil and multivitamin of some kid for low HDL, not enough Omega-3.

So been eating more smoked salmon too.

 

[Tom57]

My low HDL is hereditary

I am 71 and always had HDL <40 just like my 3 brothers. I was on OTC and then prescription Niacin for about 30 years which brought up my HDL to 42-45.

My Endocrinologist told me to discontinue Niacin since studies have shown Niacin does not help low HDL. Since Niacin has been discontinued, my HDL has remained around 45.

Moral of the story...do what your Doctor says to do not what other people tell you to do.

 

[Time2]

A number of things can affect your HDL level.

In my own case, mine was generally in the 50s until I started a LCHF diet. Since then it has been in the 80s.

DW has HDL levels that were all over the map, and when she started reducing her carbs they have pretty much stabilized in the 80s.

I have read that exercise can also have a beneficial effect on HDL levels, but I'm not sure exactly how that works.

My HDL is always low, 33 to 36 range, I started Keto and at about 3 months it measured 39, not a huge increase, but higher. My wife's runs in the 90's.

 

[COcheesehead]

Some of its hereditary. I exercise for 60-90 minutes a day. I started a low carb, intermittent fasting diet about 6 months ago. My HDL is now 110, blows my doctor’s mind. Triglycerides are about 50. Cholesterol ratio about 1. Still have wine 3-4 nights a week. He said to keep on doing what I am doing.

 

[O2Bfree]

I've ready other studies that say there are different sub-types of LDL and HDL, with smaller vs larger particles. Some sub-types are apparently worse for one's health than others. An analogy that comes to mind is weight/BMI. Very muscular people can weigh relatively more and thus have relatively high BMI. Doesn't necessarily mean they're unhealthy. They just have a lot of muscle mass. Not all weight is created equal, nor all cholesterol.

I had a test for particle sizes a couple years ago, which I mentioned to a cardiologist I saw a year or so later. He shook his head and said that maybe I'd wasted my money because the theories behind particle size haven't been proven yet. It was interesting nonetheless. My total cholestoral was 218, with an HDL of 74. Over risk of cardiovascular disease was listed as very low.

I liked the chart provided with the test results:

 

[PatrickA5]

Last test had my HDL at 50 and LDL at 42, however I'm on a high dosage statin due to coronary artery disease and carotid artery disease. Losing 70+ pounds over the last couple of years helped too, I'm sure. No longer take any kind of supplements.

 

[garyt]

My numbers: Cholesterol 196
HDL 42
LDL 139
Ratio 4.7

From what I'm gathering here, my numbers are terrible?

 

[Lakedog]

Not terrible at all. A lower ratio (Total/HDL) is better but from what I read, under 5.0 is the target with under 3.5 being ideal.

 

[COcheesehead]

Not terrible at all. A lower ratio (Total/HDL) is better but from what I read, under 5.0 is the target with under 3.5 being ideal.

The LDL/HDL is 3.3 which is high.

 

[braumeister]

As always, "terrible" would depend on who you ask.

There are also several ratios considered, such as Total/HDL (should be under 5), Trig/HDL (my favorite) (should be under 3), LDL/HDL (should be under 4.5), so you really ought to discuss it with your doctor and find out what he or she thinks.

Probably the majority of docs would be satisfied with your HDL being over 40, but some would like it much higher. There are a lot of moving parts to consider when looking at a lipid profile, so it's worth doing some research and then talking with your doc.

 

[Lakedog]

The LDL/HDL is 3.3 which is high.

From what I read, LDL/HDL of under 4.5 is the general target level with something closer to 2.0 being ideal, but guess that depends on the source/study/doctor.

 

[COcheesehead]

From what I read, LDL/HDL of under 4.5 is the general target level with something closer to 2.0 being ideal, but guess that depends on the source/study/doctor.

The chart I consulted says anything over 2.6 is in the warning zone.

See below

 

[jayanu]

Over many years, my HDL levels typically run between 35 - 38 and on occasion have hit 40. Earlier this year I started taking a 2 a day multi-vitamin and have had two consecutive blood tests at 44 and 45 separated by a three month period. The only thing I can think is that the multi-vitamin boosted my levels. It does have niacin in it, so whether it was that or something else in the vitamin I do not know. Anyhow, I have been delighted to see this improvement. Has anyone else experienced a boost in their HDL after going on a multi-vitamin?

Exercise is the best way to increase HDL.Some nationality have genetically lower HDL. Excercise helps in many ways too!

 

[LA_Newsboy]

On the advice of a doc, I've been taking a therapeutic dose of niacin for 11 years--3,000 mgs a day. It's a lot, I know, but I've had no ill effects. I take 1,500 in the morning and 1,500 in the evening. It's the industrial-strength stuff from Costco, not the slow-release stuff. I started with a very low dose and worked up slowly to adjust to "flush" effect, which I got over years ago. That seems to derail a lot of people of this great, non-statin way to control cholesterol. My HDL is 65, triglycerides are 64. Age 75, no Rx meds. Lots of cardio at the gym.

 

[eytonxav]

My Dr always told me that increasing cardio would improve it, although that never worked for me. I suspect there is a genetic predisposition for those that run very low levels, and I always attributed it to that. I have not changed my diet over this period and my exercise level actually decreased significantly due to not being able to go to the gym or play softball.

I do believe that if you are on a statin, which I am, will lower both LDL and HDL.

Exercise is the best way to increase HDL.Some nationality have genetically lower HDL. Excercise helps in many ways too!

You probably did not see this other post I made. Exercise, and I worked out pretty vigorously for many years pre-Covid and it did nothing for my HDL levels.

 

[Bongleur]

Niacin is supposed to cause cholesterol which is adhered to your arteries to come loose, so levels should rise then fall when you start taking it.

And all these numeric values derived from studies -- were all on people eating the traditional American diet, right? And the worst versions of that diet since some of the data comes from the 1960s - 1970's, right?

Are there any lipid profile numbers derived from people on a Keto / LCHF diet?

 

[Beststash]

Alcohol Consumption Raises HDL Cholesterol Levels