My Cholesterol has gone up! Has this happened to anyone here? Labs included
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ferret150
Posts: 75 Member
Hey everyone this is my first time posting?
I recently took a lipid panel and my numbers have gone up bit.
I started Keto in late July, before then my labs were ok my LDL's were a little high, but everything else was fine. Has this happened to anyone? I think I read somewhere that a person's cholesterol can go up while on keto, but I am not sure.
I'm thinking of asking my doctor to get retested in a month, but until then here are my labs.
I recently took a lipid panel and my numbers have gone up bit.
I started Keto in late July, before then my labs were ok my LDL's were a little high, but everything else was fine. Has this happened to anyone? I think I read somewhere that a person's cholesterol can go up while on keto, but I am not sure.
I'm thinking of asking my doctor to get retested in a month, but until then here are my labs.
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Replies
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Are you currently losing weight? Fat loss can elevate your cholesterol regardless of diet. It might be best to recheck after you finish losing!0
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The only real problem I see is your HDL went down which is odd and not good. Generally on keto it will go up. The ratios are more important than the numbers. Ideally your total should be no more than 3x your HDL. Triglycerides should be less than 2x HDL and ideally equal to or less than HDL. HDL should be above 40 at a minimum.
Most people see their HDL go up on this WOE while triglycerides go down and LDL may go up or down or stay the same but will generally stay or get to a number that makes the total to HDL ratio good.
Exercise will also raise your HDL.2 -
cstehansen wrote: »The only real problem I see is your HDL went down which is odd and not good. Generally on keto it will go up. The ratios are more important than the numbers. Ideally your total should be no more than 3x your HDL. Triglycerides should be less than 2x HDL and ideally equal to or less than HDL. HDL should be above 40 at a minimum.
Most people see their HDL go up on this WOE while triglycerides go down and LDL may go up or down or stay the same but will generally stay or get to a number that makes the total to HDL ratio good.
Exercise will also raise your HDL.
Yes I see what you mean about my HDLs. I've been trying to exercise a lot more. I've been moving more than I have been in years given that I have alot of chronic illness that limit my mobility. I was concerned about everything overall though. I know that when LDLs rise, HDLs take a nose dive. Mine have been on the low side for years it seems.0 -
Was your doctor concerned?0
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Might want to give us a breakdown of the types of dietary fat you are consuming & estimate of daily carbohydrates. Triglycerides typically fall, LDL & HDL typically increase, but TC/HDL ratio usually improves. Too much vegetable oil could be the culprit2
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Unfortunately, the standard lipid panel you present doesn't give enough information to make an accurate determination of risk to tell you whether you should be concerned or not. They're what most doctors order, and they're certainly less-expensive than VAP or LPP tests - but they don't give the whole picture.
If you have access to advanced lipid testing (either a VAP or LPP test), you may see that your raise in LDL is due to the more-desirable LP(b) which is a larger, lighter/fluffier particle of LDL. In contrast, the other particles - LP(a) - are small/dense particles that are highly inflammatory and have a much-stronger correlation to coronary artery disease.
With the panel you provided, the strongest indicator of risk is the TG/HDL-C ratio. A ratio of < 2.0 is considered ideal, and you register at 1.97 which is just within this range.
If you have access to it (and either have coverage for it or can easily afford it) I'd recommend the VAP or LPP as they can give you MUCH more information. Current 'standard' lipid testing is rather "stone age" by comparison.
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Yep mine went up too. It was perfect before keto, now it's too high, I had an argument with my doctor who wanted to put me on medication. She said she'd let it go for 3 months and test again, if it was any higher I had to take pills. Freaked me out actually as high cholesterol doesn't run in my family and I'd always had perfect bloods in the past.0
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Study says there's no link between cholesterol and heart disease.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/behindtheheadlines/news/2016-06-13-study-says-theres-no-link-between-cholesterol-and-heart-disease/
Higher cholesterol leads to lower risk of death.
http://www.myhealthwire.com/news/breakthroughs/859
Why cholesterol may not be the cause of heart disease.
Dated 2009. One day doctors will catch up. Hopefully
http://life.gaiam.com/article/why-cholesterol-may-not-be-cause-heart-disease
Myth: cholesterol causes stroke
http://www.cholesterol-and-health.com/High-Cholesterol-Causes-Stroke.html
The heart attack culprit. Cholesterol isn't to blame.
http://www1.cbn.com/health/the-heart-attack-culprit:-cholesterol-isn't-to-blame
And here's a lengthy and detailed article that will help clear up why we don't really need to be worried so much about cholesterol.
http://www.zoeharcombe.com/2010/11/cholesterol-heart-disease-there-is-a-relationship-but-its-not-what-you-think/4 -
here's one on how weight loss impacts cholesterol readings:
http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/2012/06/i-lost-weight-and-my-cholesterol-went-up/
—Block insulin–and thereby increase blood sugar. A non-diabetic can even become transiently diabetic during weight loss.
—Increase triglycerides–A starting triglyceride level of, say, 120 mg/dl, can increase to 180 mg/dl during active weight loss. (Triglycerides contain fatty acids.)
—Decreased HDL–Excess fatty acids and triglycerides modify HDL particles, causing their degradation and elimination. A starting HDL of 45 mg/dl can drop to 28 mg/dl, for example.
—LDL measures go haywire–The conventional calculated LDL cholesterol, or even generally superior measures like apoprotein B or NMR LDL particle number, can go in any direction rather unpredictably: They can go up, down, or sideways. Likewise, the (miserably useless) total cholesterol value can go up, down, or sideways.
—Increased blood pressure–This is likely due to the enhanced artery constriction that occurs due to increased endothelial dysfunction, i.e., dysfunction of the normal relaxation mechanisms of arteries.
don't worry about labs until about a month after your weight is stable0 -
Might want to give us a breakdown of the types of dietary fat you are consuming & estimate of daily carbohydrates. Triglycerides typically fall, LDL & HDL typically increase, but TC/HDL ratio usually improves. Too much vegetable oil could be the culprit
I forgot to mention this in my response. For a few decades now, the government has been telling us vegetable oil is healthy alternative when in fact the processing it takes to make it actually makes it essentially poison. Avoid anything that says vegetable oil, soybean oil, corn oil, safflower oil, or any kind of "seed" oil. Seeds are frequently good for you and some of the vegetables used are good for you (minus the corn), but the processing it takes to extract the oil is very bad for you.0 -
dasher602014 wrote: »Was your doctor concerned?
I haven’t heard back from the doctor as of yet, however I did send them a message.0 -
albertabeefy wrote: »Unfortunately, the standard lipid panel you present doesn't give enough information to make an accurate determination of risk to tell you whether you should be concerned or not. They're what most doctors order, and they're certainly less-expensive than VAP or LPP tests - but they don't give the whole picture.
If you have access to advanced lipid testing (either a VAP or LPP test), you may see that your raise in LDL is due to the more-desirable LP(b) which is a larger, lighter/fluffier particle of LDL. In contrast, the other particles - LP(a) - are small/dense particles that are highly inflammatory and have a much-stronger correlation to coronary artery disease.
With the panel you provided, the strongest indicator of risk is the TG/HDL-C ratio. A ratio of < 2.0 is considered ideal, and you register at 1.97 which is just within this range.
If you have access to it (and either have coverage for it or can easily afford it) I'd recommend the VAP or LPP as they can give you MUCH more information. Current 'standard' lipid testing is rather "stone age" by comparison.
My doctor’s office will definitely not be in favor of ordering those expensive test, because my insurance would not cover it.
Thanks for all the information. I wasnt aware of all of this. Very interesting I will do more research0 -
Might want to give us a breakdown of the types of dietary fat you are consuming & estimate of daily carbohydrates. Triglycerides typically fall, LDL & HDL typically increase, but TC/HDL ratio usually improves. Too much vegetable oil could be the culprit
I try to keep my saturated fats under 16g. Once in a while I do go over. I don’t get in much of the mono, polys or others (If that’s what you mean by dietary fats) because my diet is very restricted from having neuro problems and other issues. I try to keep my carbs under 42 but I usually go over to about 48g or 50 g a day a day.
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EbonyDahlia wrote: »Yep mine went up too. It was perfect before keto, now it's too high, I had an argument with my doctor who wanted to put me on medication. She said she'd let it go for 3 months and test again, if it was any higher I had to take pills. Freaked me out actually as high cholesterol doesn't run in my family and I'd always had perfect bloods in the past.
My mom has had a small issue with her cholesterol and gallstones recently. But I’m on 35. Well, I guess that is the age when these things start creeping up on you. Yeah, I would not be open to medication at this point in time, being that I take quite a few at the moment.
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Soluble fiber helps rid the body of cholesterol. It binds with bile in the digestive tract and removes it from the body. The liver must then make more bile from your cholesterol stores. If you are not getting enough soluble fiber you may see a rise in cholesterol. Here is a soluble fiber calculator which helps me.
Also the KIND of fat you eat will matter a lot. When they tell us to get plenty of healthy fat monounsaturated fats are usually what the mean, Avocados, almonds or nuts in general, olive oil. While we need saturated fat too we really need to remember balance is important. So yeah, have butter but also have olive oil and other sources of healthy fats.
globalrph.com/fiber_content_soluble.htm2 -
ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken wrote: »Soluble fiber helps rid the body of cholesterol. It binds with bile in the digestive tract and removes it from the body. The liver must then make more bile from your cholesterol stores. If you are not getting enough soluble fiber you may see a rise in cholesterol. Here is a soluble fiber calculator which helps me.
Also the KIND of fat you eat will matter a lot. When they tell us to get plenty of healthy fat monounsaturated fats are usually what the mean, Avocados, almonds or nuts in general, olive oil. While we need saturated fat too we really need to remember balance is important. So yeah, have butter but also have olive oil and other sources of healthy fats.
globalrph.com/fiber_content_soluble.htm
Thanks for the soluble fiber calculator. Helpful.
OP, I was in the same boat with an increase in LDL. Waiting wasn't an option because of medical insurance for travel. So I changed my diet to include more fiber and more soluble fiber in particular. I have also reduced cheese eating and I am aware of the saturated fat meats and I am trying to eat them a little less often. More oatmeal, less fat bombs. Small changes to find a balance. It also seems to agree with my system more. I know it might not with everyone. YMMV Although the carb count went up, I would still be considered low carb; definitely not keto. I retest lipids in January.1 -
Saturated fats are not all equal. Even those who preach against it will tell you that coconut oil is good for you and it is almost entirely saturated fat.Might want to give us a breakdown of the types of dietary fat you are consuming & estimate of daily carbohydrates. Triglycerides typically fall, LDL & HDL typically increase, but TC/HDL ratio usually improves. Too much vegetable oil could be the culprit
I try to keep my saturated fats under 16g. Once in a while I do go over. I don’t get in much of the mono, polys or others (If that’s what you mean by dietary fats) because my diet is very restricted from having neuro problems and other issues. I try to keep my carbs under 42 but I usually go over to about 48g or 50 g a day a day.
Based on these numbers, unless you are starving yourself, your protein intake is VERY high. I'm not sure what effect that would have. Calories only come from 3 macro nutrients, so if fat is low and carbs are low, then protein must be high. 50 g carbs = 200 calories. 16 g sat fat = 144 calories. If other fats are in that range or a bit higher, 20 g = 180 calories. Combined, that is only 524 calories meaning at 1500 calories you would be getting 244 g protein.
Fat, and in particular saturated fat, in your diet raise HDL. As studies have shown high HDL is shown consistently to be associated with longevity. LDL studies seem to be mixed at best.0 -
EbonyDahlia wrote: »Yep mine went up too. It was perfect before keto, now it's too high, I had an argument with my doctor who wanted to put me on medication. She said she'd let it go for 3 months and test again, if it was any higher I had to take pills. Freaked me out actually as high cholesterol doesn't run in my family and I'd always had perfect bloods in the past.
My mom has had a small issue with her cholesterol and gallstones recently. But I’m on 35. Well, I guess that is the age when these things start creeping up on you. Yeah, I would not be open to medication at this point in time, being that I take quite a few at the moment.
I'm 42 and I don't take any medication. I am not going to start going down that road of pills for this that and the other when I quite frankly don't need them. It's in the doctors financial interest to have us all on pills and unless and until I actually need medication for an actual condition I will continue to say no thank you. My partner is the same age as me and he takes pills for cholesterol, Ventolin for asthma he doesn't have, pills for other things. He spends about $200 a month on pills that a doctor has prescribed him and (not that I'm a doctor) but I'd bet the farm he'd be just fine without them. But his doctor says he needs them so he blindly keeps taking them.1 -
Hey everyone this is my first time posting?
I recently took a lipid panel and my numbers have gone up bit.
I started Keto in late July, before then my labs were ok my LDL's were a little high, but everything else was fine. Has this happened to anyone? I think I read somewhere that a person's cholesterol can go up while on keto, but I am not sure.
Initial, *transitory* lipid changes are to be expected - not only will weight loss skew your numbers, but eating LCHF will cause changes as well - but not for bad reasons!
Here's keto-expert Steven Phinney's explanation:
Reason for LDL Increase for Some on a Low Carb Diet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNfjkTyBUdQ
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