I am a 33 year old vegetarian who has always had low cholesterol. I do not eat red meat or high saturated fat foods, fast food, junk food, etc. I am relatively active and in shape - I live in NYC and walk a lot. My weight is about 125 at 5'7". However, my last cholesterol reading was 208. The doctor said they could do it over because I had eaten that day and she was sure it was probably a false result. She did not give me the break down of HDL to LDL, but in the past I have always had high HDL and low LDL. Is there any possibility that my HDL might be so high that it is causing my overall cholesterol to be high? And if so, should my overall cholesterol still be under 200? I do eat a lot of cheese, avocado and hummus and I use sugar in my coffee and occassionally butter - those are the only foods I can think of that might be responsible for raising my cholesterol. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
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Q: Can high HDL account for high total cholesterol?
Hi Mizzemm,
The formula to calculate total cholesterol is:
Total cholesterol = HDL + LDL + Triglycerides
So, yes, a high HDL can cause your total cholesterol to be elevated. It's best to base treatment decisions on cholesterol components (HDL, LDL, and triglycerides) versus total cholesterol. Also, it's even better to go a step further and have a comprehensive lipid profile. This provides information on particle size, which is even more beneficial to determine if you are at risk or not.
All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
How to Lower Cholesterol in 8 Simple Steps
Hi Lisa - I just had a physical today and got the breakdown of my cholesterol results: 209 total - HDL 93, LDL 101, which I guess means triglycerides were 15? He didn't point those out and I forgot to ask. I also got my bloodwork done again, since last time I had eaten and I was told that could produce false results. I'm still confused though. Assuming these are accurate results, should I be changing my diet in any way? I'm a vegetarian and eat a lot of cheese because I tend to use it as my only protein/ fat...I would be very sad if I had to cut back, as I am in love with cheese. But I don't want my levels to keep rising as I get older! My father is on medication for HBP and my mother's levels are high. However, I have a very different diet and lifestyle than they do. The doctor suggested cutting back on cheese, but also said that the slightly high LDL is essentially canceled out by the very high HDL...so do I have to beware of cheese or not?! Thanks for your help....
Hi I just saw this, this is a little late, but quick correction: Total cholesterol = HDL + LDL + TG/5 ; so her cholesterol is actually 75 not 15.
I am a 32 yo vegetarian who also maintains a relatively healthy diet, exercise routine and weight. My cholesteral just came in at 202. I don't know the exact breakdown, but my Dr. said my bad cholesterol is "low" and my good cholesterol is "very high", so my total number is actually a good thing, although 202 sounds high overall. I eat quite a lot of soy products, so I wonder if that is why my HDL levels are where they are.
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Thanks Lisa - I know, I do need to get the breakdown, but I've heard that no matter what, cholesterol should generally be under 200. There don't seem to be many instances of people with cholesterol over 200 where it's due to HDL as far as I can find. So I was curious as to whether it's common or possible that 208 can be a healthy number. Thanks again.