Cholesterol numbers

[Slyclone]

What are these levels of cholesterol.. 1.5.....4.2/5.9. They sound like cholesterol risk factors not actually levels.. Like 90. Or. 110. Or even 200 the nations average

[kasibarndoor]

The uk Australia and other countries use different units for cholesterol measurement to the us goggle convert cholesterol units

[sos007 Ambassador]

The numbers you are listing are likely expressed in the unit of measure mmol/l, which is the international standard. The U.S. is one of the few countries that uses mg/dl.

5.9 mmol/l converts to 228.15 mg/dl; this is likely your total cholesterol (TC) number. The desirable TC level is below 5.18 mmol/l or 200 mg/dl.

4.2 mmol/l converts to 162 mg/dl; this is likely your LDL-C (a.k.a. 'bad cholesterol) number or possibly your non-HDL level. The desirable level for LDL-C is less than 2.59 mmol/l or 100 mg/dl. The desirable level for non-HDL is less than 3.37 mmol/l or 130 mg/dl;

1.5 mmol/l converts to 58 mg/dl; this is either your triglycerides (fat in your blood from dietary sugars or simple carbohydrates) or your HDL ('good' cholesterol) value.

The desirable level for triglycerides is below 1.7 mmol/l or 66 mg/dl. For HDL, the desirable level is ABOVE 1.55 mmol/l or 60 mg/dl.

As you can see, if my guess regarding your numbers are correct, your values are sub-optimal, except possibly for the triglyceride value, although I think that number (1.5) was your HDL.

The implications are that a lifestyle change is in order. Solutions to medical issues cannot be found in pharmaceuticals due to their side-effects. Pharmaceuticals are band-aids - they don't solve the underlying problem, they simply mask it.

Only a permanent lifestyle change can permanently solve medical issues (for non-genetic conditions or acute circumstances).

You can find an optimal dietary guideline here:

pritikin.com/healthiest-die...

Exercise is the other half of a lifestyle modification. Exercise is not a 'luxury' that should be done when possible. It is mandatory for good health, otherwise you should expect a medical condition to debilitate you at some point.

Optimally, you should engage in an activity that elevates your heart-rate (to over 120 bpm) on a sustained basis for at least 20 minutes, 2-3 times per day so you get to 60 minutes of total exercise. This can be as simple as walking.

You should also try and engage in resistance training. You don't need a gym, push-ups are an example of an exercise that can be done with your own body weight. 3 sets of at least 12 repetitions (12 push-ups for example) is optimal for resistance training of any kind. You may not be able to do that many right away, but you can build up to it.

A simple tip for bringing your cholesterol levels into the optimal range is to radically reduce sugar consumption. Not just simple sugars like the white powder, honey and maple syrup, but the simple carbohydrates found in alcoholic beverages, fruit juices, soft-drinks, and white-flour products like pasta, and bread, as well as white rice and white potatoes.

You can half one glass of red wine per day, if so desired, as it contains resveratrol which is an anti-oxidant that fights heart-disease and cancer.

Good luck.

P.S. You can look up all of my posts here:

healthunlocked.com/user/sos007

[sos007 Ambassador]

Read this dietary guideline from the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation:

heartandstroke.ca/get-healt...