Low HDL

KMinami62

I have never had an issue with cholesterol and NOW after losing weight, I had to have blood work done for other medical condition.....my "good" cholesterol is low! What the heck, now I am told to lose another 9 pounds to be at the "normal BMI" range. HELP, I need a pep talk!!

Missjulesdid

Double check the ldl:hdl yourself. I was told my HDL was low for a woman but then I asked my doctor. "isn't it all about the ratio and not the absolute number?" And he agreed that yes, it is indeed the ratio that is important. That's when I pointed out that my overall cholesterol was only 120 so although my HDL was in the "poor" category that was only because my overall cholesterol was so low. When he actually took the time to calculate the ratio by hand instead of relying on the automated lab report, it turned out that I had a 3.3:1 ratio which is considered "optimal"

robertf57

And remember, exercise is a big promoter of HDL. SO do't just starve. Work out!

JoeCampbell85

http://eatingacademy.com/nutrition/the-straight-dope-on-cholesterol-part-i

I recommend reading this. All 8 sections. It's long, so spread it out over a long time. The guy has done his research and is a very knowledgeable MD. He links all his sources and goes into great detail.

Long story short, HDL isn't as important as people think (drugs that increase HDL do not decrease risk of cardiovascular diseases). Focus on your LDL. Is it in a good range? Is it LDL-C or LDL-P that was measured? If it was LDL-C I'd ask for LDL-P or ApoB readings.