Need help on my Cholesterol Level

Hi smartcard 

Your total cholesterol is fine, I would however try and increase your HDL level ' good ' cholesterol by eating oily fish, veg and low carb. You could actually take a high quality Omega 3 supplement if you wish.

Your Triglceride level is also a little high so definitely need to lower that if possible. Triglceride is the actual fat in your body/ blood stream so the lower it is the better, yours is slightly high but can be rectified by cutting out all trans fats, processed oils like corn oil, veg oil etc. eat low carb and cut out as much sugar as possible.

believe it or not but saturated fat and whole dairy products are much more healthy for us than low fat and processed oils.

There is no problem with your overall cholesterol total but having low HDL along with slightly high Triglcerides can be unhealthy so just watch what you eat and take omega 3.

hope that helps, happy to offer more advice if needed

Sonya 

We get disease if cholesterol is too high or too low. But in the broad range of cholesterol levels from 180 to 240 there is no correlation with heart disease. Below 180 there is increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke, depression, and suicide. Above 240 there is increased risk of cardiovascular disease and ischemic stroke. Over age 70, elevated cholesterol and cardiovascular events no longer correlate. All told, total serum cholesterol alone is a poor indicator of cardiovascular disease. Half of all heart attack patients have normal total cholesterol levels.

"Normal" levels

Total Cholesterol (mg/dL)

Normal range = It changes with age but quite accurate:

= Upper level is 230 + age, Max 300

= Lower level is 115 + age

Recommended cholesterol level is a moving target. Recently cardiologists are recommending everyones level should be below 200 at all ages.

HDL Cholesterol (mg/dL)

Normal range = Males 30-70, Females 35-80

LDL Cholesterol (mg/dL)

Normal range

= 60-150 below age 20

= 70-180 age 30-50

= 80-210 above age 50

Triglycerides (mg/dL)

Normal range = It changes with age but quite accurate:

= Males upper level is 130 + age, Max 200

= Females lowerlevel is 80 + age, Max 165

= Males/Females lower level is your age

C-Reactive Protein(CRP)

Normal range = Below 10 mg/L (1 mg/dL)

Homocysteine

Normal range = Below 17 micromoles/L

Lipoprotein a (Lp a)

Normal range = Below 25 mg/dL

Ferritin

Normal range = Males 20-300, Females 15-120 ng/ml

Iron overload = Above 400 ng/ml

Fibrinogen

Normal range = Males 180-340, Females 190-420 mg/dL

Blood glucose(8hr fast)

Normal = <120 mg/dl borderline dm = 120-140 mg/dl

diabetic = above 140 mg/dl (w.h.o. definition)

insulin (8 hr fasting)

normal = below 20 microunits/ml

borderline dm = 21-25 microunits/ml

diabetic = above 25 microunits/ml

hemoglobin a1c

normal range = below 7.5% of total hemoglobin

the following serum levels are the most ideal (ie. beneficial) levels for cardiovascular (cv) health. having any one of these outside the ideal range can cause or indicate cv disease! these ideal or healthy levels are much tighter than the often quoted "normal" levels referred to by your doctor. remember "normal" does not necessarily mean "healthy". we want healthy, not just normal:

"ideal" levels

total cholesterol*

ideal range = 180 to 200 mg/dl if less than age 70

ideal range = up to 300 if older than age 70

hdl cholesterol

ideal level = above 50 mg/dl

ldl cholesterol

ideal level = below 100 mg/dl

hdl % or ratios

ideal levels = see table below

triglycerides(tg)

ideal level = below 100 mg/dl

c-reactive protein(crp)

ideal level = below 1 mg/l (0.1 mg/dl)

homocysteine

ideal level = below 8.0 micromoles/l

lipoprotein(a)ielp(a)**

ideal level = below 10 mg/dl

ferritin

ideal range = 20-50 ng/ml (above 80 is trouble)

fibrinogen

ideal range = 150-300 mg/dl

blood glucose(8hr fast)

ideal range = 60-85 mg/dl

pre-diabetic = 95-110 mg/dl

diabetic = above 110 mg/dl

hypoglycemic = below 60 mg/dl

critical levels = below 40 or above 450 mg/dl

insulin (8 hr fasting)

good level = below 5 microunits/ml

best level = 2-3 microunits/ml

high risk diabetes= above 10 microunits/ml

hemoglobin a1c***

ideal range = below 6% of total hemoglobin

* cholesterol: it is not advisable to have total cholesterol below 150 at any age due to increased risk for internal hemorrhage, depression, and suicide.

mg/dl="" borderline="" dm="120-140" mg/dl="" diabetic="Above" 140="" mg/dl="" (w.h.o.="" definition)="" insulin="" (8="" hr="" fasting)="" normal="Below" 20="" microunits/ml="" borderline="" dm="21-25" microunits/ml="" diabetic="Above" 25="" microunits/ml="" hemoglobin="" a1c="" normal="" range="Below" 7.5%="" of="" total="" hemoglobin="" the="" following="" serum="" levels="" are="" the="" most="" ideal="" (ie.="" beneficial)="" levels="" for="" cardiovascular="" (cv)="" health.="" having="" any="" one="" of="" these="" outside="" the="" ideal="" range="" can="" cause="" or="" indicate="" cv="" disease!="" these="" ideal="" or="" healthy="" levels="" are="" much="" tighter="" than="" the="" often="" quoted="" "normal"="" levels="" referred="" to="" by="" your="" doctor.="" remember="" "normal"="" does="" not="" necessarily="" mean="" "healthy".="" we="" want="" healthy,="" not="" just="" normal:="" "ideal"="" levels="" total="" cholesterol*="" ideal="" range="180" to="" 200="" mg/dl="" if="" less="" than="" age="" 70="" ideal="" range="Up" to="" 300="" if="" older="" than="" age="" 70="" hdl="" cholesterol="" ideal="" level="Above" 50="" mg/dl="" ldl="" cholesterol="" ideal="" level="Below" 100="" mg/dl="" hdl="" %="" or="" ratios="" ideal="" levels="See" table="" below="" triglycerides(tg)="" ideal="" level="Below" 100="" mg/dl="" c-reactive="" protein(crp)="" ideal="" level="Below" 1="" mg/l="" (0.1="" mg/dl)="" homocysteine="" ideal="" level="Below" 8.0="" micromoles/l="" lipoprotein(a)ielp(a)**="" ideal="" level="Below" 10="" mg/dl="" ferritin="" ideal="" range="20-50" ng/ml="" (above="" 80="" is="" trouble)="" fibrinogen="" ideal="" range="150-300" mg/dl="" blood="" glucose(8hr="" fast)="" ideal="" range="60-85" mg/dl="" pre-diabetic="95-110" mg/dl="" diabetic="Above" 110="" mg/dl="" hypoglycemic="Below" 60="" mg/dl="" critical="" levels="Below" 40="" or="" above="" 450="" mg/dl="" insulin="" (8="" hr="" fasting)="" good="" level="Below" 5="" microunits/ml="" best="" level="2-3" microunits/ml="" high="" risk="" diabetes="Above" 10="" microunits/ml="" hemoglobin="" a1c***="" ideal="" range="Below" 6%="" of="" total="" hemoglobin="" *="" cholesterol:="" it="" is="" not="" advisable="" to="" have="" total="" cholesterol="" below="" 150="" at="" any="" age="" due="" to="" increased="" risk="" for="" internal="" hemorrhage,="" depression,="" and="" suicide.="">

diabetic = above 140 mg/dl (w.h.o. definition)

insulin (8 hr fasting)

normal = below 20 microunits/ml

borderline dm = 21-25 microunits/ml

diabetic = above 25 microunits/ml

hemoglobin a1c

normal range = below 7.5% of total hemoglobin

the following serum levels are the most ideal (ie. beneficial) levels for cardiovascular (cv) health. having any one of these outside the ideal range can cause or indicate cv disease! these ideal or healthy levels are much tighter than the often quoted "normal" levels referred to by your doctor. remember "normal" does not necessarily mean "healthy". we want healthy, not just normal:

"ideal" levels

total cholesterol*

ideal range = 180 to 200 mg/dl if less than age 70

ideal range = up to 300 if older than age 70

hdl cholesterol

ideal level = above 50 mg/dl

ldl cholesterol

ideal level = below 100 mg/dl

hdl % or ratios

ideal levels = see table below

triglycerides(tg)

ideal level = below 100 mg/dl

c-reactive protein(crp)

ideal level = below 1 mg/l (0.1 mg/dl)

homocysteine

ideal level = below 8.0 micromoles/l

lipoprotein(a)ielp(a)**

ideal level = below 10 mg/dl

ferritin

ideal range = 20-50 ng/ml (above 80 is trouble)

fibrinogen

ideal range = 150-300 mg/dl

blood glucose(8hr fast)

ideal range = 60-85 mg/dl

pre-diabetic = 95-110 mg/dl

diabetic = above 110 mg/dl

hypoglycemic = below 60 mg/dl

critical levels = below 40 or above 450 mg/dl

insulin (8 hr fasting)

good level = below 5 microunits/ml

best level = 2-3 microunits/ml

high risk diabetes= above 10 microunits/ml

hemoglobin a1c***

ideal range = below 6% of total hemoglobin

* cholesterol: it is not advisable to have total cholesterol below 150 at any age due to increased risk for internal hemorrhage, depression, and suicide.

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Hi Smartcard, Coq10 plant sterols and red yeast rice are all good natural substitutes to Statins.

Regards

Graham

Hi I am just wondering if anyone has used new horizion red yeast rice tabs?  I have high cholestrol so I am following a low fat diet and exercise for 3 months now. I have heard that plant sterols or red yeast rice tabs are good also. I would prefer not to take any of them but will probably end up taking the most natural one soon. I would be glad of any information on these.