Q: My total cholesterol was 132, bad cholesterol (LDL) was below 100, my HDL was 32. My doctor wants to put me on a statin to raise my HDL? Another doctor said that to lower the total was just as bad as it being too high and a statin will lower my total. What do you think?
A: You might want to consider getting one of the newer blood fat tests. These tests look at the size of LDL particles in your blood. Just like total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol can be broken down into good and bad. Small particle LDL is the type associated with heart attacks. To learn more about this kind of testing click here.
(7 votes, average: 3.57 out of 5)
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That and there are more natural ways to increase HDL like aerobic exercise, certain diet changes, etc., that will have more overall health benfits that taking a med.
I agree totally with Church. And, most people can only dream of total cholesterol below 150!! Be thankful!!!
My Total Cholesterol was 147, LDL 92, and HDL 29.
Doctor put me on Niaspan (2 tabs daily) and is now running at 143, LDL 83, and HDL 35. So, things are moving along nicely.
As someone whose cholesterol has just recently gotten below 200, I can say truly that adding flaxseed oil and eating fish 2-3x per week was what did it. Exercise never helped, neither did cutting back on dairy or eating lots of oatmeal and other whole grains. Only adding “good fats” back into my diet made a difference. Try it out. Personally, I think Western Medicine wants everyone to be on some kind of medication! Putting you on statins just to raise your HDL seems pretty silly, considering the risks to your liver and general well-being. I would definitely get more in-depth bloodwork before resorting to pharmaceutical intervention!! Best of luck to you, and seriously, try the fish!!
Depending on how old you are, it isn’t necessarily a good thing to have your cholesterol that low. Statins are never a good idea because the have long term side effects. Diet changes and natural nutritional supplements will help without the drawbacks.
I would recommend reading the paperback “8 week chloresterol cure by R. Kowalski.I had an HDL in the mid 30’s. By using a supplement known as Pantethine-SR, my HDL is now in the mid 50 range.Exercise is important, but this supplement was most helpful.
I would encourage a diet of cheerios and walnuts with skim milk in the morning, walk everyday, do some weight bearing exercises and eat healthy with lots of fruits and vegetables, this regimen should help raise your HDL level. If not, you might need medication to raise it. Good luck! I have followed this plan and my total cholesterol is 170 HDL 81 LDL 77 Triglycerides 67. I’m female in my 50’s.
I love reading these airtecls because theyre short but informative.
better to go for exercise and a pint of wine every day to increase hdl
At what level does one start to wonder about liver function when a total cholesterol is that low? If the mean total cholesterol level is 202mg%, then it is apparent that the arbitrary “normal” as less than 200mg% is in error.
The Dr. in question should be not allowed to treat patients. With the growing body of evidence critical of statin drugs even in people who have very high total cholesterol he recommends it in this case. Probably bought and paid for by the pharm industry.
How should I lower my colesterol since it has now affected my kidneys and the heart?
I also agree with Church, especially the exercise part. I typically had LDL around 80-90 and HDL in the 40s, but HDL fell to 30 in my 2008 exam. I couldn’t see much room for improvement in my diet, but made an effort to get more regular exercise. By the following year’s exam my HDL had increased to 40.
There are easy ways to get your HDL up. Start taking Krill oild. I believe along with dietary chages (no, not cutting out cholesterol!) you could improve the ration of HDL to total cholesterol (the number that really matters) I got my hdl up from 41 to 53 using these methods. Dietary changes refer to lowering your grain and sugar intake for a while. It is amazing how lowering your carbs (especially “bad carbs” like bread, processed flour products, chips and potatoes etc) can affect your cholesterol levels. Now I can enjoy chicken and fish without worrying about putting cholesterol into my body. Nearly 75% of your bood cholesterol is made by your liver. Cut out the sugars and “bad” carbs and watch it go down! And take your krill oil (and exercise!)
the niacin is another way to raise your good cholesterol and lower lpa, a more recently discovered for of bad cholesterol that drugs will not control. I am going to start taking it, working up to 500mg a day. Also, consider the VAP cholesterol test to get a more detailed picture of your cholesterol. Very informative and helpful.
Whatever you do, don’t take a atatin as with your already low total cholesterol, you wouldn’t want to lower it any further-if you do you are asking for serious problems. There are manyt ways to get your hdl up-it will be a piece of cake…get that krill oil (Source Naturals is a good brand)