What is your Cholesterol Level?
IslasLorax
Posts: 22
Last year my cholesterol was 225!! I thought I was decently healthy but really I was extremely unhealthy. After 1 year I dropped it to 117 (oh yeah, that's right)!
Here are some interesting facts and information I've found about cholesterol:
Level Interpretation
< 200 Desirable level corresponding to lower risk for heart disease
200–240 Borderline high risk
> 240 High risk
Average cholesterol level in the US regardless of diet: 210 mg/dL
Average omnivore cholesterol level in the US: 214 mg/dL
Average vegetarian cholesterol level in the US: 161 mg/dL (3.2% of population)
Average vegan cholesterol level in the US: 133 mg/dL (0.5% of population)
Leading Cause of death in US is heart disease at 25.4% of population
Risk of heart disease in vegans is 37% lower than non-vegans
Here are some interesting facts and information I've found about cholesterol:
Level Interpretation
< 200 Desirable level corresponding to lower risk for heart disease
200–240 Borderline high risk
> 240 High risk
Average cholesterol level in the US regardless of diet: 210 mg/dL
Average omnivore cholesterol level in the US: 214 mg/dL
Average vegetarian cholesterol level in the US: 161 mg/dL (3.2% of population)
Average vegan cholesterol level in the US: 133 mg/dL (0.5% of population)
Leading Cause of death in US is heart disease at 25.4% of population
Risk of heart disease in vegans is 37% lower than non-vegans
0
Replies
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How do you get this checked?0
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Blood test. Next time that you go to your doctor ask for a blood workout.0
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Actually, your overall cholesterol is a pretty rough measure and doesn't tell the whole story. What you really need to know is your HDL, LDL and Triglycerides. They should be:
HDL: > 50 mg/dL
LDL: < 130 mg/dL
Triglycerides: < 150 mg/dL
On top of that, the link between high cholesterol and heart disease is tenuous at best. What is really an issue is how dense your LDL cholesterol is. And, while it's simple to test this, hardly anyone does because the medical establishment is so obsessed with lowering overall cholesterol.
Some info on what good levels are from the Mayo Clinic:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cholesterol-levels/CL00001
My personal experience is that when my overall cholesterol is low, my HDL is also low. I have been able to raise my HDL number into the good range while dropping my triglyceride and LDL number into the optimal range. But my overall cholesterol number went up slightly. So, if all you knew was that, you'd say that mine got worse when it actually got better.0 -
Before I started at MFP my cholesterol was 217. After cutting out all fried foods and sticking to MFP, when I had blood work done in March it had dropped to 168! I was so surprised and pleased at the same time.0
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Great point MacMadame! Triglycerides are a big factor in your cholesterol count as well which is only a snapshot of your diet within the last 48-72 hours. More fried fatty foods = higher triglyceride count = higher over cholesterol level. Getting the breakdown of HDL, LDL, and Triglycerides is essential to determine what to do if you need to make changes.
Great job ltldeb61!!0 -
Actually, your overall cholesterol is a pretty rough measure and doesn't tell the whole story. What you really need to know is your HDL, LDL and Triglycerides. They should be:
HDL: > 50 mg/dL
LDL: < 130 mg/dL
Triglycerides: < 150 mg/dL
Good information! My husband has a good all over number (190) but his "bad cholesterol" (LDL) was high. A few diet tweaks and he is at a good level.
For the record, last I had it checked mine was 191 and my HDL/LDL/Triglycerides are all in balance.0 -
Last time I had mine checked was last summer during a wellness fair at work.
Total cholesterol: 150
LDL: 67
HDL: 55
Triglycerides: 50
Eating foods high in Omega-3s is an easy way to raise your good cholesterol. My husband takes fish oil pills for this reason, but I've been adding flax meal to my diet on a nearly daily basis and expect that my HDL level should be up this year.0 -
On top of that, the link between high cholesterol and heart disease is tenuous at best. What is really an issue is how dense your LDL cholesterol is. And, while it's simple to test this, hardly anyone does because the medical establishment is so obsessed with lowering overall cholesterol.
Some info on what good levels are from the Mayo Clinic:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cholesterol-levels/CL00001
My personal experience is that when my overall cholesterol is low, my HDL is also low. I have been able to raise my HDL number into the good range while dropping my triglyceride and LDL number into the optimal range. But my overall cholesterol number went up slightly. So, if all you knew was that, you'd say that mine got worse when it actually got better.
As part of the "medical establishment" I need to protest this one. I'm a Nurse Practitioner in a Women's Heart Clinic and I spend my day treating women with and at risk for heart disease. At my clinic (with 150 cardiologists), we are not focused on the total cholesterol. In fact, I spend a great deal of time explaining to women how the other numbers are more important than the total cholesterol. And in fact, we also will take this farther and look at particle number and size.
The connection between LDL cholesterol and heart disease is quite substantial. Both the AHA and the ACC (American College of Cardiologists) have stated this in their official guidelines. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/cholesterol/atp3xsum.pdf. These are guidelines that are based on well qualified studies and are taken very seriously. There are other lesser studies out there with contrived data for the general population that state things differently.
As far as your cholesterol numbers, your triglycerides are driven by processed foods, fried foods, sweets, high fat foods and lack of exercise. Genetics can play a roll as well. The triglyserides are not part of your total cholesterol number. Your LDL ( I refer to this as the lousy cholesterol) is driven by lack of exercise, general diet, and genetics. This is part of your total cholesterol number. The other part of the total cholesterol is the HDL ( I refer to this as the happy cholesterol). This one is cardioprotective. In men, we want this number to be over 40, in women, over 50. Exercise is the only thing that will drive this higher. If you smoke it will bring your HDL lower. So, the HDL and LDL added together make your total cholesterol. If your HDL is 88 and your LDL is 115, your total cholesterol is 203. This is overall a nice combination for a young, healthy person with no heart disease or other heart risks. For that same 203, the HDL could be 31, with an LDL of 172. This is a whole new story!! I would give you three months of hard work to see what you could do to improve the situation, then we would need to discuss medications if things didn't get better.
I promise you, I don't like putting people on medications. The first step in the guidelines is lifestyle modifications- this is diet and exercise. Patients need to take this the same as a medication prescription. It is that important! Lately there have been quite a few posts casting doubts on medical professionals and the treatment of cholesterol. I'm really not sure why or what the nidus of this is, but this is one of the most important factors in heart health.
I would love to work my way right out of a job. And the people here on MFP are making all the right changes to do that.0 -
Hmm, when I got my blood work it said that my total cholesterol is 185, LDL 87 and HDL 69, and my triglycerides 44. But from what you are saying kacarter, my total cholesterol should be 156 if it was just LDL + HDL. Wonder where the extra value came from? It's definitely not trigs either, interesting.
It's also interesting how genetics come into play with cholesterol. My poor hubby (hispanic) eats the same as I do, works out with me, and his is substantially higher than mine, with about the same HDL levels, but much higher LDL.
~~Veronica0 -
That's awesome. Most places don't look at particle size.At my clinic (with 150 cardiologists), we are not focused on the total cholesterol. In fact, I spend a great deal of time explaining to women how the other numbers are more important than the total cholesterol. And in fact, we also will take this farther and look at particle number and size.
I've read up plenty on this and I don't agree. There is a lot of good clinical data published in peer reviewed journals that shows no link between cholesterol or even just LDL cholesterol and heart disease.The connection between LDL cholesterol and heart disease is quite substantial. Both the AHA and the ACC (American College of Cardiologists) have stated this in their official guidelines. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/cholesterol/atp3xsum.pdf. These are guidelines that are based on well qualified studies and are taken very seriously. There are other lesser studies out there with contrived data for the general population that state things differently.0 -
Hmm, when I got my blood work it said that my total cholesterol is 185, LDL 87 and HDL 69, and my triglycerides 44. But from what you are saying kacarter, my total cholesterol should be 156 if it was just LDL + HDL. Wonder where the extra value came from? It's definitely not trigs either, interesting.
It's also interesting how genetics come into play with cholesterol. My poor hubby (hispanic) eats the same as I do, works out with me, and his is substantially higher than mine, with about the same HDL levels, but much higher LDL.
~~Veronica
We use a different form of the LDL that is a bit more accurate so we get all the LDL. The general LDL that gets the majority of the LDL, but misses the very smallest and biggest particles. The guidelines are based on the general LDL, so with no heart disease or other heart disease risks, a general LDL under 130 is great.
And genetics can be a godsend and can be cruel. Mine are cruel. My HDL is unbelivable low- with exercise mine can get all the way up to 32. (please hear the sarcasm.). Without exercise, mine has been as low as 21.0 -
204 total, HDL 62, TriG 115.
By that "total" number I should be on statins, but I think, like the above poster suggests, that our current infatuation with total cholesterol is utter nonsense.
So, should my doctor prescribe me statins, I'll kindly throw the prescription in the trash.0 -
kacarter1017, you have some great points. I agree that overall medical professionals and specialists like to find the root of the problem and FIX it. Smetimes (from just my shoes) general practitioners like to prescribe with the assumption that you will see a specialist but often times we do not because (ie.) "I have high blood pressure, but I am on these pills and therefore my blood pressure is normal, it doesn't matter how I got there." Medications are the answer for serious genetic issues that are not fixed by diet and exercise, but should not be (and often can be) the answer for people who just don't want to try.
We should all be skeptical to a safe point, but understanding the facts (higher LDL and triglycerides is a huge factor in heart disease) is very important as well.
I have low total cholesterol and all of my levels are at optimal (not just 'OK'), so I'm pretty proud of that. Since I became a strict vegetarian (vegan) I have noticed so many great changes in my body! Just am always on top of my Vitamin D levels, B-12 supplements, and calcium and I am as good as gold!0 -
Before starting MFP:
Total Cholesterol 202
HDL 56
Glucose 158
I am anxious to see what the numbers are after a couple of months of being on MFP.0 -
Havent had my cholesterol checked since 2007!!!!!! I have an annual physical coming up and my doctor ordered a blood test but I noticed that it didnt include cholesterol - interesting since I have a family history of high cholesterol.
In 2006 my overall number was borderline high (and I was at my highest weight ever) which was part of the motivation to change my exercise and diet habits. Within a year I was back to my optimum weight and my cholesterol levels were good.
At that time they were:
HDL 64
LDL 98
Tg 67
I think today I am even healthier than I was in 2007 so I would hope that the numbers have improved.0 -
Old post but I had to comment to the one who works with women's heart patients....As a heart attack survivor an nurse your total cholesterol is ldl plus hdl and 20% of your triglycerides number.0
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75% of actual heart attach victims in the USA has average to low LDL cholesterol levels with over 50% of victims with LDL just under 100 and just over 20% around 70
http://www.cobblescorner.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Get-With-The-Guidelines_AHJ-Jan.2009.pdfLipid levels in patients hospitalized with coronary
artery disease: An analysis of 136,905 hospitalizations
in Get With The Guidelines0 -
How do you figure that? Please explain.
That's awesome. Most places don't look at particle size.At my clinic (with 150 cardiologists), we are not focused on the total cholesterol. In fact, I spend a great deal of time explaining to women how the other numbers are more important than the total cholesterol. And in fact, we also will take this farther and look at particle number and size.
I've read up plenty on this and I don't agree. There is a lot of good clinical data published in peer reviewed journals that shows no link between cholesterol or even just LDL cholesterol and heart disease.The connection between LDL cholesterol and heart disease is quite substantial. Both the AHA and the ACC (American College of Cardiologists) have stated this in their official guidelines. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/cholesterol/atp3xsum.pdf. These are guidelines that are based on well qualified studies and are taken very seriously. There are other lesser studies out there with contrived data for the general population that state things differently.0 -
Wonder where this data originated.........I'm betting a vegan blog or site.Last year my cholesterol was 225!! I thought I was decently healthy but really I was extremely unhealthy. After 1 year I dropped it to 117 (oh yeah, that's right)!
Here are some interesting facts and information I've found about cholesterol:
Level Interpretation
< 200 Desirable level corresponding to lower risk for heart disease
200–240 Borderline high risk
> 240 High risk
Average cholesterol level in the US regardless of diet: 210 mg/dL
Average omnivore cholesterol level in the US: 214 mg/dL
Average vegetarian cholesterol level in the US: 161 mg/dL (3.2% of population)
Average vegan cholesterol level in the US: 133 mg/dL (0.5% of population)
Leading Cause of death in US is heart disease at 25.4% of population
Risk of heart disease in vegans is 37% lower than non-vegans0 -
Carbs and only carbs increase trigs in lipoproteins. The higher the trigs the more particles of LDL it takes to deliver a given density of cholesterol to the body.Great point MacMadame! Triglycerides are a big factor in your cholesterol count as well which is only a snapshot of your diet within the last 48-72 hours. More fried fatty foods = higher triglyceride count = higher over cholesterol level. Getting the breakdown of HDL, LDL, and Triglycerides is essential to determine what to do if you need to make changes.
Great job ltldeb61!!0 -
Perfect. My doctor told me that I border on Olympian athlete level. Hah! I am healthier than my holistic doctor!0
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On top of that, the link between high cholesterol and heart disease is tenuous at best. What is really an issue is how dense your LDL cholesterol is. And, while it's simple to test this, hardly anyone does because the medical establishment is so obsessed with lowering overall cholesterol.
Some info on what good levels are from the Mayo Clinic:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cholesterol-levels/CL00001
My personal experience is that when my overall cholesterol is low, my HDL is also low. I have been able to raise my HDL number into the good range while dropping my triglyceride and LDL number into the optimal range. But my overall cholesterol number went up slightly. So, if all you knew was that, you'd say that mine got worse when it actually got better.
As part of the "medical establishment" I need to protest this one. I'm a Nurse Practitioner in a Women's Heart Clinic and I spend my day treating women with and at risk for heart disease. At my clinic (with 150 cardiologists), we are not focused on the total cholesterol. In fact, I spend a great deal of time explaining to women how the other numbers are more important than the total cholesterol. And in fact, we also will take this farther and look at particle number and size.
The connection between LDL cholesterol and heart disease is quite substantial. Both the AHA and the ACC (American College of Cardiologists) have stated this in their official guidelines. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/cholesterol/atp3xsum.pdf. These are guidelines that are based on well qualified studies and are taken very seriously. There are other lesser studies out there with contrived data for the general population that state things differently.
As far as your cholesterol numbers, your triglycerides are driven by processed foods, fried foods, sweets, high fat foods and lack of exercise. Genetics can play a roll as well. The triglyserides are not part of your total cholesterol number. Your LDL ( I refer to this as the lousy cholesterol) is driven by lack of exercise, general diet, and genetics. This is part of your total cholesterol number. The other part of the total cholesterol is the HDL ( I refer to this as the happy cholesterol). This one is cardioprotective. In men, we want this number to be over 40, in women, over 50. Exercise is the only thing that will drive this higher. If you smoke it will bring your HDL lower. So, the HDL and LDL added together make your total cholesterol. If your HDL is 88 and your LDL is 115, your total cholesterol is 203. This is overall a nice combination for a young, healthy person with no heart disease or other heart risks. For that same 203, the HDL could be 31, with an LDL of 172. This is a whole new story!! I would give you three months of hard work to see what you could do to improve the situation, then we would need to discuss medications if things didn't get better.
I promise you, I don't like putting people on medications. The first step in the guidelines is lifestyle modifications- this is diet and exercise. Patients need to take this the same as a medication prescription. It is that important! Lately there have been quite a few posts casting doubts on medical professionals and the treatment of cholesterol. I'm really not sure why or what the nidus of this is, but this is one of the most important factors in heart health.
I would love to work my way right out of a job. And the people here on MFP are making all the right changes to do that.
Thanks for posting this explanation!0 -
Total: 225
HDL: 82
LDL: 134
Trigs: 45
Total/HDL ratio: 2.70 -
Cholesterol 156
Triglycerides Direct 78
Total HDL Cholesterol Direct 64.0
Direct LDL 75.71
Cholesterol/HDL Ratio 2
copy and pasted from my results on 1/4/14
I tried for years working my butt off to get my HDL up, nothing helped.
Then it went from 25 to 60 in 3 months after I had a kidney transplant, lol.0
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