What Should I Know If My HDL Cholesterol Is Low?
Why is my HDL cholesterol low, and what can be done about are important questions to ask if heart and artery health is your goal.
But the chances are relatively good that unless you are a student of heart and artery wellness, or are experiencing some type of heart condition, then asking why is my HDL cholesterol low is probably not a something you are likely to do.
Why is this? Part of the problem is the relentless news and information flow which talks a lot about how eating too many high fat burgers and fries will send you to an early grave.
On the other hand only a small percentage of the time is HDL included in the conservation, and even then it is mostly in academic type settings.
Why should I care anyway? When video games were just starting to gain popularity there was a game called "Pacman" where a tiny odd looking egg shaped image traveled around the screen eating up other game characters.
If "Pacman" was able to devour the opposite you won! In many ways HDL, or high density lipoproteins, are much like "Pacman".
They are lean molecules which capture and transport bad cholesterol away from the arteries and out of the body through, you guessed it, solid waste.
This process prevents our latest double cheeseburger and fries from forming dangerous cholesterol deposits in our arteries knows as plaque.
Why does plaque matter? Plaque accumulation inside the arteries is at the root cause of the vast majority of cardiovascular diseases.
Plaque is made up of cholesterol, dead cells and other cellular waste, and covered with hard layer of calcium.
When plaque forms it reduces blood flow to the heart muscle which in turn reduces blood flow to the rest of the body.
As the plaque deposit continues to build blood flow will continue to decline and our cells and organs will not get enough blood and oxygen to do their respective jobs.
Energy levels will also be affected, fluid may build in the legs, breathing may be impacted, and mental sharpness may start to deteriorate.
Additionally, the plaque deposit may dislodge causing a blood clot to form setting the stage for a potentially fatal heart attack or stroke.
What is a healthy HDL level Generally anything over about 55 milligrams for every deciliter of blood is considered to be pretty good with anything over 60 being optimal.
But perhaps a more important measure is the ratio between bad (LDL) and good cholesterol (HDL).
Most research suggests that if a person's bad to good cholesterol is 2.
5 to 1 or less their cholesterol ratio is considered healthy.
For example if your HDL is 60 your LDL should be no more than 150.
What can be done to improve HDL cholesterol low readings? Your doctor will be the first to tell you there are only a few prescription drugs for raising high density lipoproteins levels with most having a laundry list of dangerous side effects.
As far as non-prescription alternatives your options to raise good cholesterol consist of lifestyle modification ideas such as effectively managing your weight, avoiding both first and second hand cigarette smoke, reducing saturated fat intake to under 8 percent of daily calories consumed, staying active through regular doctor approved exercise, and reducing overall stress levels.
Supplements may also be helpful when in reversing HDL low levels.
A couple of examples would be purified omega 3 fish oil and/or a natural cholesterol reduction supplement containing policosanol and lecithin oil.
But the chances are relatively good that unless you are a student of heart and artery wellness, or are experiencing some type of heart condition, then asking why is my HDL cholesterol low is probably not a something you are likely to do.
Why is this? Part of the problem is the relentless news and information flow which talks a lot about how eating too many high fat burgers and fries will send you to an early grave.
On the other hand only a small percentage of the time is HDL included in the conservation, and even then it is mostly in academic type settings.
Why should I care anyway? When video games were just starting to gain popularity there was a game called "Pacman" where a tiny odd looking egg shaped image traveled around the screen eating up other game characters.
If "Pacman" was able to devour the opposite you won! In many ways HDL, or high density lipoproteins, are much like "Pacman".
They are lean molecules which capture and transport bad cholesterol away from the arteries and out of the body through, you guessed it, solid waste.
This process prevents our latest double cheeseburger and fries from forming dangerous cholesterol deposits in our arteries knows as plaque.
Why does plaque matter? Plaque accumulation inside the arteries is at the root cause of the vast majority of cardiovascular diseases.
Plaque is made up of cholesterol, dead cells and other cellular waste, and covered with hard layer of calcium.
When plaque forms it reduces blood flow to the heart muscle which in turn reduces blood flow to the rest of the body.
As the plaque deposit continues to build blood flow will continue to decline and our cells and organs will not get enough blood and oxygen to do their respective jobs.
Energy levels will also be affected, fluid may build in the legs, breathing may be impacted, and mental sharpness may start to deteriorate.
Additionally, the plaque deposit may dislodge causing a blood clot to form setting the stage for a potentially fatal heart attack or stroke.
What is a healthy HDL level Generally anything over about 55 milligrams for every deciliter of blood is considered to be pretty good with anything over 60 being optimal.
But perhaps a more important measure is the ratio between bad (LDL) and good cholesterol (HDL).
Most research suggests that if a person's bad to good cholesterol is 2.
5 to 1 or less their cholesterol ratio is considered healthy.
For example if your HDL is 60 your LDL should be no more than 150.
What can be done to improve HDL cholesterol low readings? Your doctor will be the first to tell you there are only a few prescription drugs for raising high density lipoproteins levels with most having a laundry list of dangerous side effects.
As far as non-prescription alternatives your options to raise good cholesterol consist of lifestyle modification ideas such as effectively managing your weight, avoiding both first and second hand cigarette smoke, reducing saturated fat intake to under 8 percent of daily calories consumed, staying active through regular doctor approved exercise, and reducing overall stress levels.
Supplements may also be helpful when in reversing HDL low levels.
A couple of examples would be purified omega 3 fish oil and/or a natural cholesterol reduction supplement containing policosanol and lecithin oil.
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