Hi, anyone who also got too low HDL-cholesterol?

My HDL is a fraction lower than it should be but I have the inherited condition FH, which contributes to this.

If your HDL is low, you can take several tacks to boost your HDL level and reduce your heart disease risk:

Exercise: Aerobic exercise for 30 to 60 minutes on most days of the week can help pump up HDL.

Stop smoking. Tobacco smoke lowers HDL, and stopping can increase HDL levels.

Keep ahealthy weight. Besides improving HDL levels, avoiding obesity reduces risk of heart disease and many other health conditions.

You asked for advice, so I guess I am confirming the doctor's views.

I had cholesterol test done, my doctor said my HDL is 6.8 & my LDL is 4. He said I need to change my diet, the thing is I eat very healthy already and exercise regularly . I'm very slim. I'm 48 years 5ft 3" and take size 6 to 8 in clothes. It's worrying. Is the doctor correct?

I'm 38 and 2 years ago had readings of 7.7 and 1, and was told the very same thing.

I am only just overweight, and do exercise and have no symptoms which currently indicate that I am at risk of something drastic like a heart attack! (Thankfully)

Interestingly, to clarify what I should be doing (I got very confused by the whole subject) I made an appointment to see my Dr. again, and ended up seeing a locum who proceeded to tell me that my levels were dangerously high and I was to be put on statins immediately. Whilst I accepted this as the standard course of action, I had major reservations and luckily my doctor spotted the request the locum had made and kept me on our agreed course.

I understand that any risk is greater with age, and my levels were only found as a result of having indigestion type pains constantly, and a subsequent blood test, which is unusual apparently as such things are usually checked once you reach the age where life begins.

All that aside, can I ask what is 'very healthy'?

Whilst I wouldn't say I eat particularly healthily, I have made several changes to my diet that have after the first year made minor improvements to the levels, and am continuing along the same path. I play 11-a-side football once a week and am also now doing badminton, and also now do cycling, although all 3 have only recently been restarted due to having a broken leg.

Some of the changes I made include cutting out butter/marge with sandwiches, having virtually no cheese, severely reduced red meat consumption and increased consumption of fish. I'm also being very wary of saturated fat contents of things, and being a lot more fussy than I would normally be. However, I do also have the odd splurge!! Some of the recommended food stuffs just seemed too far out of the weekly shopping budget, so you can't do everything you might like to!

Anyway, what I was told was that if during your exercising you are not feeling any chest pains then it is unlikely you are at immediate risk, but to prevent the chances of such things happening the levels really need to be brought under control. And, don't worry about it! (You can of course revert to statins at a later point if things don't work out too well, seeing as it is apparently a proven track for dealing with the levels)

If you have FH then eating a low fat diet is advised, but otherwise there should be no need. Better to avoid refined and processed foods, like white bread, yoghurts and breakfast cereals full of sugar, concentrate on good quality veg and protein. Keep some good natural fats in your diet, don't go too low or you will end up feeling hungry. If you want to lose weight keep an eye on your carbohydrate intake.

This article has some interesting ideas, and science, on saturated fats.

authoritynutrition.com/top-...

This study says low HDL is related to defective lipoprotein lipase genes in FH. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/758...

What's the driver for lipoprotein lipase? Insulin!

As well as its famed raising of total cholesterol levels, saturated fat raises HDL.

Moderate your carb intake, eat natural protein and the accompanying fat, cut out processed foods such as vegetable oils and additives, watch the improvement.