Bruce Anderson wrote:
>
> How bad is a cholesterol reading of 237, with an HDL of 41 and an LDL of
> 162. I understand the first number should be 200 - it's the other 2 I don't
> know what they mean
Hi Bruce,
HDL is the "good" cholesterol, and a reading of 35 or more is desirable.
An LDL reading of 130 or less is favorable. Another way to look at it is
the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL -- a ratio of 5 or less is
considered best, and for each drop of 1.0 in the ratio, there's a 53%
decrease in risk for heart attack.
Your HDL is over 35, which is good; your ratio is 5.78 -- a hair high.
Other factors, however, that could be at least as important, are serum
triglycerides and homocysteine levels. Ideally triglycerides should be
150 or less. I don't have a figure for homocysteine, but your doctor
will know.
You might ask your doctor about Vit. E supplements -- it's speculated
that E neutralizes the oxidation of LDL, so it doesn't cause arterial
plaque. Adding more cooked dried beans (like kidney beans, split peas,
lentils, baked beans, etc.), oat products, barley, brown rice,
vegetables, and fruits helps lower LDL. And soy products appear to lower
cholesterol as well -- Boca Burgers, Morningstar Farms "Grillers" and
other soy products, could be helpful. Vegetables and fruits, especially
spinach and other greens, orange juice, and beans are great sources of
folate, which helps lower homocysteine in the blood.
To raise HDL -- soy products often raise the HDL level, as well as
lowering LDL, so it's doubly beneficial.
Cutting back on saturated fat (mainly in fatty meats, whole milk, and
cheeses) can help lower total cholesterol. And I wouldn't worry too much
about eggs -- even though they're high in cholesterol, they're low in
saturated fat, and most people are not affected by a few eggs a week.
Many people find that they can avoid cholesterol-lowering medications
just by adding protective foods to their daily menu -- but you should
get your doctor's advice on this.
Best regards,
Kathrynne
--
Kathrynne Holden, MS, RD
Medical nutrition therapy
http://www.nutritionucanlivewith.com/
"We are living in a world today where
lemonade is made from artificial flavors and
furniture polish is made from real lemons." --Alfred E. Newman
