Need Helping Understanding Overall Cholesterol Picture

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trekkiegirl8
trekkiegirl8 Posts: 32 Member
edited March 2017 in Health and Weight Loss
So I had bloodwork done earlier in the week and got the labs back. Regarding the cholesterol numbers, I can see the optimal reference ranges on the report and what is high. But I'm trying to understand what all the numbers mean as a whole picture, since both good and bad things seem to be high. My stats are below.

Just to clarify...I am not asking for medical advice. I've lost weight in the past and know what to do in a healthy way; my problem is more in the motivation area. I just want to understand the overall numbers better.

Total Cholesterol: 278
HDL: 73
Cholesterol/HDL: 3.8
Non HDL Cholesterol: 205
HDL Chol %: 26.3%
LDL Cholesterol: 148
VLDL Cholesterol: 57
Triglycerides: 285

Thanks for any help!

Ellie

Replies

  • grentea
    grentea Posts: 96 Member
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    Shouldn't this be a question for your provider. I don't think you should take medical advice off of the internet. Make a phone call and follow up with your doctor.
  • trekkiegirl8
    trekkiegirl8 Posts: 32 Member
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    Not really asking for advice, moreso a translation...just to understand the numbers better.
  • crackpotbaby
    crackpotbaby Posts: 1,297 Member
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    I agree with asking your doc to explain results.

    You might find this site helpful though:

    https://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/lipid/tab/test/
  • maxphia32
    maxphia32 Posts: 99 Member
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    Work in primary care, see this all the time. Definitely can change things around with a low fat diet, exercise, and weight loss. Try and stay away from red meat, and only eat lean meats such as chicken, fish, etc Exercise will help triglycerides go down. If high cholesterol runs in your family you may want to talk to your primary about a low dose statin.
  • FreyasRebirth
    FreyasRebirth Posts: 514 Member
    edited March 2017
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    HDL, "good" cholesterol, should be above a certain threshold. LDL and triglycerides should be below different numbers.

    The way my nutrition teacher was telling the 'story' is that LDL puts down 'patches' on damaged vessels. When it is no longer needed, the HDL will come and clean it up. When you have too much LDL and too little HDL (a high "Cholesterol/HDL" ratio), more gets deposited than picked up. That builds the plaques that clog your arteries.

    As heart disease is the leading cause of death for women, I would see this as a serious wake-up call.

    (edited: had a sentence flip-flopped)
  • FreyasRebirth
    FreyasRebirth Posts: 514 Member
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    Ted Talk on Women's Heart Disease: https://ted.com/talks/noel_bairey_merz_the_single_biggest_health_threat_women_face
  • trekkiegirl8
    trekkiegirl8 Posts: 32 Member
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    Thank you for the replies and for the "understanding lab tests" link. That's pretty much what I was looking for, something with a little more description.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
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    Hey OP, I've got your numbers beat. I'm a slim person with a BMI of 21, I am very active almost every day of the week with mountain biking, running, hiking, weight training, etc. (Several hours of moderate to intense exercise per week.) I've always eaten a healthy diet high in fiber, little to no red meat, lots of low processed foods and plenty of vegetables. My body fat % is within the healthy range. I basically do everything right. My latest total cholesterol reading was 298. Boom! It's been high since the first time it was checked at age 30. Must be genetic. At least my blood pressure and blood sugar are awesome... :|

    Your HDL is good, so although your total cholesterol is high, the ratio of HDL to total cholesterol brings your risk down. It's a protective factor. Since you say you are sedentary, I think you would probably improve your numbers by getting some more exercise and possibly dropping your body fat down a bit. But ask your doctor for recommendations on all that. Good luck!
  • ronjsteele1
    ronjsteele1 Posts: 1,064 Member
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    Since I've been dealing with cholesterol issues since I was 11 (I'm 47 now) I'm going to chime in. Your HDL looks great. Most physicians are thrilled if someone has it at 50. Your total cholesterol, LDL, and triglycerides are high but they are not horrible and not insurmountable to fix with diet and exercise.

    My total cholesterol was almost 400 at 11yrs old (and I was a skinny athletic little thing). My dad died at 42 of heart disease. My mom followed all of the doctor's orders for trying to bring my siblings' and my numbers into the normal range. Mind you there were seven of us kids. All with varying degrees of cholesterol issues. NOTHING my mom ever followed by the doctor worked. Low fat, low cholesterol, etc. As an adult and after a lot of reading I went on a high fat, high protein, low carb (not extremely low carb. About 40%) way of eating and exercised (cardio) faithfully (I was a runner all through high school and college). Within 6 months all of my numbers were not only normal but my HDL which had been an abysmal 38 was up to 57. My doctor said it was extremely difficult to raise HDL and yet my high fat, high protein did it and lowered everything else.

    Still eating the same today my total cholesterol runs 201 (2 points over "normal"). My triglycerides run 149 and my HDL is 58. All numbers that are totally livable. Especially given that every member on my dad's side of the family died from heart disease.

    I completely, 100%, disagree with the notion that statins in any dose are a good idea. Before ever going that route be sure to thoroughly read the ENTIRE drug insert.

    Personal experience here but it worked for those in my family that followed it. Of seven kids, 3 ate the way I did (including me) and 4 did/do not. Those 4 still struggle today and one that has clogged carotid arteries now too. Do lots of reading and your own research before deciding how you want to take care of this - but do take care of it. My dad was young.....

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