HDL (the good one)

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gnicolecan
gnicolecan Posts: 293 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So my score was 45, which I think is good. The doc was not too impressed. Total cholesterol 135, LDL 70.
Am I missing something here?

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  • gnicolecan
    gnicolecan Posts: 293 Member
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    So my score was 45, which I think is good. The doc was not too impressed. Total cholesterol 135, LDL 70.
    Am I missing something here?
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
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    It's not bad, especially considering how low your total is. HDL should be above 40. But if you could get it higher than your LDL, your doc would really be impressed!
  • gnicolecan
    gnicolecan Posts: 293 Member
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    So what do I eat to raise it? She mentioned almonds, which i do enjoy, but they are high in cals!
  • memuellerpa
    memuellerpa Posts: 18
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    You overall lipid ratio (Total cholesterol/ HDL) is excellent.
    Any LDL below 100 is great. An HDL of 45 is good. Depending on which guidelines I read, the HDL goal for women is > 40 or >45 or (rarely) >50. So maybe your doctor is looking for >50 to be impressed. But 45 is FINE and your overall lipid picture, as I said, is excellent. i would love it if my patients would have your lipid profile!

    To raise HDL:
    -Quit smoking if you do (but I'm guessing you don't)
    -Exercise more- aerobically
    -Eat more omega-3's such as nuts (you are right, they are calorie-dense, but if you can control the amount, they are nutrition-packed), salmon, tuna, flaxseed oil, olive oil, canola oil, dark greens such as spinach
    -Pick parents who have great HDLs (oops, too late)\

    Good luck!
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
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    So what do I eat to raise it? She mentioned almonds, which i do enjoy, but they are high in cals!

    Avoid trans-fats that are found in margarine and some diet foods.....they're also known as hydrogenated or partially-hydrogenated oils. These will actually lower your HDL cholesterol.
    Peanut butter, nuts, egg yolk, salmon and olive oil will all increase your HDL levels. If you can get your HDL levels above 60 while keeping your LDL the same, you will actually be protecting yourself.

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