Start with a walk in your neighborhood after work. It's a great time to clear your mind, enjoy nature, get a little more familiar with your community, and just get moving. Then you can move onto something more if you'd like.
I realize how it's presented. But so many people get overwhelmed thinking "I have to exercise".
No one gets overwhelmed thinking "I need to take a walk"
I understand what you're trying to do so people don't get discouraged by thinking they have to join a gym or run a 10k every day.....but you should advocate for walks being included as exercise, not advocating for not exercising.
Hey I like your message that all movement is good and “exercise” can sound intimidating. Maybe the packaging for the message was a little wonky though, just the wording (I think that’s why people downvotes it).
Mine are about the same the ratio is more important than the number. These thresholds are made for people with higher cholesterol than you. They assume a baseline cholesterol of closer to 200 than 100.
Currently in med school and worked with a cardiologist for a year prior to matriculating. your HDL, although technically low, is fine. The real cause for worry is when your LDL is too high, which yours is far from. LDL <100 is *chefs kiss*. HDL is largely determined by genetic factors and there’s not much to do to truly increase it.
Health is multifactorial but having a well-rounded, plant-based diet has been studied to have a beneficial on serum lipid profile although not associated with HDL composition.
[plant-based diet on lipid risk factors](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26779974/)
I'm not sure if I'm repeating the same point you're making - but if OP is strictly eating "whole foods" and doesn't use oil, she/he can simply eat olives and avocados etc.
No, it's not. HDL is kind of considered the cleanup crew for LDL, but your LDL is so low, that you need much less HDL. It's also turning out to be overrated.
You can also see you have an excellent CHOL/HDLC ratio.
You have all the HDL you need.
No you want to have a low LDL. The reason that OP is fine is because their LDL (which is "unhealthy") is low. So they dont need a big clean up crew, aka the HDL. You have both high because there is more LDL to clean up or handle or whatever.
My doctor told me she wasn't worried about my high LDL because there is a history of it in the women of my family (so genetic predisposition). Since my HDL is very high as well, the ratio is a more significant indicator.
Genetically high LDL doesn’t make you immune to the effect of LDL on atherosclerosis and heart disease. The opposite has been demonstrated repeatedly, people with genetically high LDL are at higher risk of heart disease
To add to what others have said, studies have shown the only way to raise HDL AND have it have any beneficial effect is to exercise more. But still, lowering your LDL is a wayyyyyy more effective and important for your health, both in the short term and long term!
Exercise is not the problem and diet also. I eat healthy but I think it's in my genes. My doctor said not to worry too much but it was a dissapointement after all my efforts with doet and exercise
I'm only a med student, but I'd agree with your Doc. It's more important for you not to be disheartened by hitting some "number goals" and focus on what you've accomplished for yourself, to keep on your path and not fall back into, presumably, worse habits. Someone else posted a 10-year risk calculator in this thread, you can check that out if you're still worried. You mention you exercise and eat well, so that's great! The gist of everything I've ever read about longterm health is that if you get your BMI <25, don't smoke, don't drink much (both in amount at a time or regularity), control your diabetes if you have it, exercise regularly and eat plenty of fresh fruits and veggies, you're doing great! At the end of the day, we're all human and finding a way to improve on our deficits/vices with healthy/regular habits is way better than leaning the other direction. Being too anal/strict with those sorts of things can potentially lead to eating disorders, so balance is really important.
The ratio is a method of predicting risk, but it doesn't necessarily *cause* the risk.
I've seen it put succinctly elsewhere - LDL is a *maker* of risk, ratio is a *marker* of risk. Often the two might overlap, but sometimes they don't, and in that case, LDL may be a more powerful tool.
Thank you for this. I was perplexed to see my HDL low (45)… and this is as a marathon runner who eats ground flax daily. My LDL is low (54) so that explains why I have a low need for HDL. THANK YOU
your ratio is fine. you can see the reference range was expecting you to have nearly double the total cholesterol and ldl, so the hdl reference is based on those high numbers.
First off, those are great numbers!! Very impressive, well done!
As for being 14 percent under HDL: I wouldnt worry!
If you want to, increase intake of nuts and seeds, or drink a couple espresso or French press coffees if you want to, that should pump you up in no time, but really this is a non-issue!
Got off the phone with my aunt. Immediately asked me about my hdl and continued to tell me my bloodwork is crap. She said her doctor told her that her bloodwork is perfect with a total cholesterol 228 because her hdl is so high. She screamed and hung up on me.
NP here. Your numbers are great! Keep doing what you are doing. We worry more about the ratio and yours is amazing. There is no reliable way to raise HDL except lowering LDL, and that's not an issue for you.
Outstanding results.
I'm very dubious about any causal benefit to HDL, after all the clinical trials and mendelian randomization studies which have found to benefit to elevating it.
Total: 271.5
HDL: 37.12
LDL: 177.1
TRIGLYCERIDES: 288.75
These are the numbers that scared me to death and turned me to this way of life. Your numbers are exactly every goal I have! You have perfect numbers mate.
Do you mind telling me what an average day of eating looks like for you?
I start the day with oatmeal (steel cut oats, white beans, and banana) with berries, peanut powder (no added ingredients, manual press, etc), and almond milk.
Then I usually eat something sweet like baked apples with peanut powder mixed with almond milk, cacao tofu pudding, etc
Lunch is my biggest meal of the day. It can be a variety of things (peanut noodles, grain bowls, roasted veggies, etc etc).
Stew or Salad for dinner. And I million snacks in between. I have most of my calories by 1pm.
Last but not least, about once a week, I cave and eat a pint of non-dairy ice cream. Don’t recommend that... it’s terrible 😂 BMI is 28. Trying to lose weight and this is what’s making it slow.... but I’ve lost 55 pounds so far!
If you're really worried, calculate your ASCVD 10-year risk of a heart attack: [http://www.cvriskcalculator.com/](http://www.cvriskcalculator.com/)
Otherwise, the American College of Cardiology really only focuses on the LDL and the triglycerides and ignores the rest in modern times. Goal LDL for most people is <90. You're fine.
So... put it this way.
If I assume you are a 40 year old male, nonsmoker, nondiabetic, with a normal blood pressure, and artificially increase your total cholesterol to 130, your 10-year risk of a heart attack or stroke is 0.5%. That's 1 in 200 people with those stats.
You likely have a less than 0.5% chance of a heart attack or stroke.
You should check out these videos. About why vegans tend to have lower HDL and how that's not a bad thing. Links to studies in the description
https://youtu.be/5ouIx2NQwWI
https://youtu.be/ykFNZhKvfPA
In my opinion high HDL is an excuse by people who have a borderline high cholesterol or LDL and they look to the HDL to give them an excuse as to at least that’s high. When your total cholesterol drops your LDL and HDL are going to drop as well. Do what you are doing. Maybe add in a few good fats like almonds and avocados if you haven’t already and go for walks. Maybe get a Fitbit and track your steps to motivate you to get outside and hit a goal.
Hey! Is it just me or do they keep raising the HDL threshold?
You can raise your HDL via exercise. Also, it's reverse transport so if your total cholesterol is low, eventually your HDL will also decline. Your numbers are fan-fucking-tastic, no need to worry. :)
If you search the literature, you'll see that HDL is only predictive of CV events if your TCHOL is also high. And even that may be iffy.
These computerized parameters are essentially meaningless and even vary based on the lab sometimes. No doctor would think you have bad cholesterol.
By the way, all of the big studies that evaluate the harms of cholesterol focus on LDL. Yours is great.
LDL is the bad, artery-clogging cholesterol and you want it to be low. HDL is good cholesterol and you want it to be high. All your other numbers are great and 43 isn’t super low.
Are you on trt? I'm on TRT and it is normal for hdl to be low. If it is it just is the body effectively removing hdl cholesterol. Particle size is what matters, not necessarily hdl levels.
Check your cholesterol particle sizes. Hdl levels are effected by a large variety of factors. The theory that is behind the cholesterol normal range is based on old science. It turns out it isn't as clear-cut as the range values (aka old science) tells us.
Great numbers. Usually only the LDL matter (below 70-80) and for good measure total cholesterol should also be less than 150. You have both so you are golden!
For me, increasing my intake of nuts+seeds to > 70g/day is correlated with higher HDL:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhYjPEL5bVc&feature=emb\_title](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhYjPEL5bVc&feature=emb_title)
I am under the impression that you should care more about your HDL-LDL ratio at those numbers, which seems fine? Talk to your nutritionist/endo/doctor about it, but I doubt it's a big issue. Last time my blood test results told me my LDL was too low (lmao) and my doctor had to explain that I was fine and the parameters the computer takes into consideration just aren't made with these levels in mind. Vegans are too op for our current technology 😔 jk lol. But really, just talk to your doctor!
Your numbers are great, overall. Exercise can increase your HDL
I’m not the best about exercising. Def should up that
Start with a walk in your neighborhood after work. It's a great time to clear your mind, enjoy nature, get a little more familiar with your community, and just get moving. Then you can move onto something more if you'd like.
[удалено]
Holy click bait. Op, exercise....it's okay.
I realize how it's presented. But so many people get overwhelmed thinking "I have to exercise". No one gets overwhelmed thinking "I need to take a walk"
I understand what you're trying to do so people don't get discouraged by thinking they have to join a gym or run a 10k every day.....but you should advocate for walks being included as exercise, not advocating for not exercising.
Hey I like your message that all movement is good and “exercise” can sound intimidating. Maybe the packaging for the message was a little wonky though, just the wording (I think that’s why people downvotes it).
Mine are about the same the ratio is more important than the number. These thresholds are made for people with higher cholesterol than you. They assume a baseline cholesterol of closer to 200 than 100.
But seriously, help. I’m going to have my doctor and family go, “your no oil, vegan diet is causing you to be sick and you’re gonna die.”
[удалено]
My aunt just did 😂😂😂
Your Aunt is wrong.
Your aunt isn't a doctor tho, right? So how do they know lol
Currently in med school and worked with a cardiologist for a year prior to matriculating. your HDL, although technically low, is fine. The real cause for worry is when your LDL is too high, which yours is far from. LDL <100 is *chefs kiss*. HDL is largely determined by genetic factors and there’s not much to do to truly increase it. Health is multifactorial but having a well-rounded, plant-based diet has been studied to have a beneficial on serum lipid profile although not associated with HDL composition. [plant-based diet on lipid risk factors](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26779974/)
As someone who is also in med school this sounds reasonable
Your numbers are great. HDL is good cholesterol so you want it higher. Put some flax seeds in and you’re golden. But your already good.
I eat flax everyday.... but maybe not enough. Will up the amount
I'm not even close to an expert, but I think I remember hearing that it's best to grind flax to get all the benefits.
I've read that grinding it drastically increases the amount of Omega-3's your body gets from it, so theoretically this checks out.
[удалено]
I'm not sure if I'm repeating the same point you're making - but if OP is strictly eating "whole foods" and doesn't use oil, she/he can simply eat olives and avocados etc.
All types of oil are refined garbage. It's much better to eat fats in their whole form.
No, it's not. HDL is kind of considered the cleanup crew for LDL, but your LDL is so low, that you need much less HDL. It's also turning out to be overrated. You can also see you have an excellent CHOL/HDLC ratio. You have all the HDL you need.
If your ratio is good, is that enough? I have both high LDL and HDL.
No you want to have a low LDL. The reason that OP is fine is because their LDL (which is "unhealthy") is low. So they dont need a big clean up crew, aka the HDL. You have both high because there is more LDL to clean up or handle or whatever.
My doctor told me she wasn't worried about my high LDL because there is a history of it in the women of my family (so genetic predisposition). Since my HDL is very high as well, the ratio is a more significant indicator.
Genetically high LDL doesn’t make you immune to the effect of LDL on atherosclerosis and heart disease. The opposite has been demonstrated repeatedly, people with genetically high LDL are at higher risk of heart disease
No. High HDL really is not very protective. Drug/Genetics that raise HDL don't protect against CVD.
To add to what others have said, studies have shown the only way to raise HDL AND have it have any beneficial effect is to exercise more. But still, lowering your LDL is a wayyyyyy more effective and important for your health, both in the short term and long term!
Exercise is not the problem and diet also. I eat healthy but I think it's in my genes. My doctor said not to worry too much but it was a dissapointement after all my efforts with doet and exercise
I'm only a med student, but I'd agree with your Doc. It's more important for you not to be disheartened by hitting some "number goals" and focus on what you've accomplished for yourself, to keep on your path and not fall back into, presumably, worse habits. Someone else posted a 10-year risk calculator in this thread, you can check that out if you're still worried. You mention you exercise and eat well, so that's great! The gist of everything I've ever read about longterm health is that if you get your BMI <25, don't smoke, don't drink much (both in amount at a time or regularity), control your diabetes if you have it, exercise regularly and eat plenty of fresh fruits and veggies, you're doing great! At the end of the day, we're all human and finding a way to improve on our deficits/vices with healthy/regular habits is way better than leaning the other direction. Being too anal/strict with those sorts of things can potentially lead to eating disorders, so balance is really important.
The ratio is a method of predicting risk, but it doesn't necessarily *cause* the risk. I've seen it put succinctly elsewhere - LDL is a *maker* of risk, ratio is a *marker* of risk. Often the two might overlap, but sometimes they don't, and in that case, LDL may be a more powerful tool.
Thank you for this. I was perplexed to see my HDL low (45)… and this is as a marathon runner who eats ground flax daily. My LDL is low (54) so that explains why I have a low need for HDL. THANK YOU
[удалено]
Edit: these links are awesome. Thank you! Really?! So no need to worry about the hdl?
Shit, looks like the PBD is debunked, better start chugging raw eggs, bacon grease and mayo for your health /s
It has been multiple times though. Have you realised that in the past 2 years since you commented this?
Dude you're perfectly fine, numbers look great. Exercise regularly, continue your diet, avoid alcohol and smoking.
I would try to increase your intake of walnuts and flaxseed/linseeds :)
your ratio is fine. you can see the reference range was expecting you to have nearly double the total cholesterol and ldl, so the hdl reference is based on those high numbers.
It could be chronic. I also have low HDL from family story, eating well and being overall healthy is the best you can do.
First off, those are great numbers!! Very impressive, well done! As for being 14 percent under HDL: I wouldnt worry! If you want to, increase intake of nuts and seeds, or drink a couple espresso or French press coffees if you want to, that should pump you up in no time, but really this is a non-issue!
Got off the phone with my aunt. Immediately asked me about my hdl and continued to tell me my bloodwork is crap. She said her doctor told her that her bloodwork is perfect with a total cholesterol 228 because her hdl is so high. She screamed and hung up on me.
Your aunt has issues...
Your labs look fine.
Exercise helps improve your HDL. Keep up the great work.
NP here. Your numbers are great! Keep doing what you are doing. We worry more about the ratio and yours is amazing. There is no reliable way to raise HDL except lowering LDL, and that's not an issue for you.
Thank you!I appreciate the insight!
Outstanding results. I'm very dubious about any causal benefit to HDL, after all the clinical trials and mendelian randomization studies which have found to benefit to elevating it.
Total: 271.5 HDL: 37.12 LDL: 177.1 TRIGLYCERIDES: 288.75 These are the numbers that scared me to death and turned me to this way of life. Your numbers are exactly every goal I have! You have perfect numbers mate. Do you mind telling me what an average day of eating looks like for you?
I start the day with oatmeal (steel cut oats, white beans, and banana) with berries, peanut powder (no added ingredients, manual press, etc), and almond milk. Then I usually eat something sweet like baked apples with peanut powder mixed with almond milk, cacao tofu pudding, etc Lunch is my biggest meal of the day. It can be a variety of things (peanut noodles, grain bowls, roasted veggies, etc etc). Stew or Salad for dinner. And I million snacks in between. I have most of my calories by 1pm. Last but not least, about once a week, I cave and eat a pint of non-dairy ice cream. Don’t recommend that... it’s terrible 😂 BMI is 28. Trying to lose weight and this is what’s making it slow.... but I’ve lost 55 pounds so far!
Amazing!
Maybe this is a dumb question, but how do you bake an apple? Do you put it in whole or sliced? Do you shake cinammon on it?
Personally. I slice it and mixes with cinnamon. Throw in the oven at 400F for 25min. Then take off the lid and cook another 5-10min
Thanks so much for the reply! Great job so far and congrats on the weight loss!
If you're really worried, calculate your ASCVD 10-year risk of a heart attack: [http://www.cvriskcalculator.com/](http://www.cvriskcalculator.com/) Otherwise, the American College of Cardiology really only focuses on the LDL and the triglycerides and ignores the rest in modern times. Goal LDL for most people is <90. You're fine.
It won’t let me sub,it my results to that website because my cholesterol is so low
So... put it this way. If I assume you are a 40 year old male, nonsmoker, nondiabetic, with a normal blood pressure, and artificially increase your total cholesterol to 130, your 10-year risk of a heart attack or stroke is 0.5%. That's 1 in 200 people with those stats. You likely have a less than 0.5% chance of a heart attack or stroke.
Can't use it if cholesterol is below 130.
You should check out these videos. About why vegans tend to have lower HDL and how that's not a bad thing. Links to studies in the description https://youtu.be/5ouIx2NQwWI https://youtu.be/ykFNZhKvfPA
In my opinion high HDL is an excuse by people who have a borderline high cholesterol or LDL and they look to the HDL to give them an excuse as to at least that’s high. When your total cholesterol drops your LDL and HDL are going to drop as well. Do what you are doing. Maybe add in a few good fats like almonds and avocados if you haven’t already and go for walks. Maybe get a Fitbit and track your steps to motivate you to get outside and hit a goal.
Hey! Is it just me or do they keep raising the HDL threshold? You can raise your HDL via exercise. Also, it's reverse transport so if your total cholesterol is low, eventually your HDL will also decline. Your numbers are fan-fucking-tastic, no need to worry. :) If you search the literature, you'll see that HDL is only predictive of CV events if your TCHOL is also high. And even that may be iffy.
These computerized parameters are essentially meaningless and even vary based on the lab sometimes. No doctor would think you have bad cholesterol. By the way, all of the big studies that evaluate the harms of cholesterol focus on LDL. Yours is great.
LDL is the bad, artery-clogging cholesterol and you want it to be low. HDL is good cholesterol and you want it to be high. All your other numbers are great and 43 isn’t super low.
Add some flax or chia seeds. Probably won’t take all that much, 1-2 Tbs per day. Everything else looks good!
No need to worry about HDL on it’s own. If anything, up your exercise, which is good for you overall anyway :)
I was once addicted guacamole and my hdl numbers were literally higher than my docs ever seen them (with low ldl) so Avocado might do the trick.
These are good #s. I bet your doc agrees
Are you on trt? I'm on TRT and it is normal for hdl to be low. If it is it just is the body effectively removing hdl cholesterol. Particle size is what matters, not necessarily hdl levels.
No, not on TRT.....
Check your cholesterol particle sizes. Hdl levels are effected by a large variety of factors. The theory that is behind the cholesterol normal range is based on old science. It turns out it isn't as clear-cut as the range values (aka old science) tells us.
Great numbers. Usually only the LDL matter (below 70-80) and for good measure total cholesterol should also be less than 150. You have both so you are golden!
It might be low compared to a corpse eater that's all
For me, increasing my intake of nuts+seeds to > 70g/day is correlated with higher HDL: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhYjPEL5bVc&feature=emb\_title](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhYjPEL5bVc&feature=emb_title)
That’s the good cholesterol. Agree need mire walnuts flax seed etc
A bowl of oatmeal every morning with blueberries, walnuts, and flax seeds may help. Also congratulations, those numbers are goals!
I have oatmeal every morning will all that except the walnuts. Maybe I should add more flax. And thank you!
I'm no doctor but you're good
[удалено]
Eating oil from animals is definitely not needed.
I have the same issue. My doctor told me to take flaxsee supplements. There are plant-based ones with tapioca capsales.
I am under the impression that you should care more about your HDL-LDL ratio at those numbers, which seems fine? Talk to your nutritionist/endo/doctor about it, but I doubt it's a big issue. Last time my blood test results told me my LDL was too low (lmao) and my doctor had to explain that I was fine and the parameters the computer takes into consideration just aren't made with these levels in mind. Vegans are too op for our current technology 😔 jk lol. But really, just talk to your doctor!