Your Cholesterol: What Do the Numbers Mean?

[~MaryO~]

From http://www.thirdage.com/news/articles/ALT0...2050117-01.html

 

Your Cholesterol: What Do the Numbers Mean?

 

By Judy Foreman

 

QUESTION: If your cholesterol and HDL are really good, do you need to worry about LDL?

 

ANSWER: Probably not, but it depends.

 

When doctors do a cholesterol blood test, they're looking for your low-density lipoprotein, or LDL cholesterol; your high-density lipoprotein, or HDL; and your triglycerides, or fatty acids in the blood. LDL is considered the "bad" cholesterol because it gets deposited in blood vessel walls as plaque; HDL is "good" because it take cholesterol out of the blood.

 

Your total cholesterol score is the sum of LDL, HDL and very low-density lipoprotein, or VLDL, which is computed by taking your triglycerides and dividing by 5.

 

In people without heart disease and at low or ordinary risk for it, total cholesterol should be 200 milligrams per deciliter or less, according to guidelines issued by cholesterol experts several years ago. LDL should be 130 or less. In those with heart disease or at very high risk, LDL should be less than 100 and, "better still, under 70,'' said Dr. Daniel Levy, director of the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute Framingham Heart Study.

 

HDL should be above 40. Triglycerides should be 150 or lower. So, if your total cholesterol were, say, 208 and your HDL were 100, by mathematics alone, that suggests your LDL is admirably low, said Dr. Zoran Nedeljkovic, an interventional cardiologist at Boston Medical Center.

 

Still, to assess your overall risk of heart disease, doctors also need to know your age, sex, smoking history, blood pressure, family history of heart disease, whether you have diabetes, and how much you exercise. In general, if either your total cholesterol or your LDL is higher than desirable, you can try losing weight and controlling fat intake. If that doesn't work well enough, doctors often prescribe statin drugs.

 

Judy Foreman is an affiliated scholar at the Women's Studies Research Center at Brandeis University.

 

© 2004, Judy Foreman. Distributed by Tribune Media Services

[Christy Smith]

Thanks Mary

I just had my cholesterol checked for the first time that I know of and they didn't give me any number except the LDL was 107 and she said it should be under 100 but for me, with the Diabetes, she said it was supposed to be under 70. Of course with the high blood pressure I figured that wasn't good, but I didn't understand any of it before. I still don't know what I can do beside keep loosing weight because my diet certainly isn't high fat. Last time I checked oranges, green beans and asparagus aren't high in fat! <_>

 

I just remembered she did tell me to keep taking the Welchol that another doc put me on for Diahrrea of all things. Maybe that will lower it since I take 4 of them a day!

[SherryC]

Thank you MaryO. Great info. I guess mine is high. Also, thank you so much for this site, it is a wonderful, very informational site.

 

 

SherryC:)

[Jinxie]

Great info Mary! Christy try adding some olive oil (extra virgin, first cold pressed), oatmeal and fish and you'll see those numbers getting better.

 

Hugs, Jeanne

[Christy Smith]

Thanks Jeanne!!! I didn't realize that but will definately try them. I haven't eaten much lately and definately not much more than a couple of bite of "regular food" because it never fails to make me so sick to my stomach. Think I'll try a little oatmeal a few bites at a time, since the sound of fish makes my stomach turn right now. Ask me again in a few weeks and it will probably be a favorite. <_>

[Jinxie]

Hi Christy,

 

I know how you feel about the nausea. Ask your doctor for some Zofran. The stuff is absolutely amazing, you'll be skipping down the street nausea free! Your body definitely needs nutrition in order to heal properly from all of the cushing's and surgery ya know.

 

Another thing that works wonders for me is something called Spirutein. It's a protein powder thats loaded with vitamins and antioxidants. I use it to make smoothies and my favorite flavor is banana. I use either lowfat milk, yogurt or sugar free fruit juice with a little bit of ice and it's awesome. I buy it at either GNC or the health food store. Don't let them sell you another brand because it's not the same. If you don'y want to buy but want to try then email or pm me your address and I will send you a sample packet to try.

 

If fish doesn't appeal to you then buy some omega three gel capsules. Very very good for the heart and arteries and also will lower the cholesterol. Then you can get off the welchol!

 

Hugs,Jeanne

[Christy Smith]

Wow Thanks Again! I need to hit the health food store....Getting off the welchol and the rest of the 10 drugs would be nice! Well I guess I'm stuck with 2 of them, but that's ok I can deal with them...especially since they are the only 2 cheap ones. Everything else is highest copay!....stinks! If I'm gonna spend hundreds a month I would rather it be natural. I have a RX for phenergan which works wonders on me but I just don't want to take it everyday, and as long as I don't eat anything besides oranges or a can of green beans or smoothies I feel pretty good. I love my smoothies so that protien powder sounds good. My mom uses Shaklee and I used to use their protien powder...hadn't thought of it now though. My smoothies are juice and frozen fruit because milk products make me sick again now.I cut my cortef down again to 10/5 but it's not that because I felt like this since April I think it has something to do with this stupid liver. I see the doc in a week for it so maybe it will get fixed. WITHOUT MORE DRUGS!!!

At least cutting the Cortef has I think helped me start loosing weight. Just how low can you go? The aches and pains are starting to get pretty bad so I think I'll stay here for awhile but I can deal with everything else. Just not used to freezing all the time now. I even bought socks!!! I got a fleece jacket for christmas and I wear it!!! <_>