Well I recently had blood work done and was shocked when i got some results back. Lately I have been trying to make some life changes to make myself healthier. I've been eating better, and exercising more compared to my previous sedentary ways. Then the doctor said my bad cholesterol level was high, being in the 200s, but also said my good cholesterol was very good. What does this mean? How can you have a heightened bad cholesterol level accompanied by a very good, good cholesteral level.
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Q: good versus bad cholesterol
Answers (3)
6/18/08 12:43am
Heymambo,
I can see why you are confused! Let's break it down.
You have four numbers you need to keep track of - Total Cholesterol, LDL (bad) cholesterol, HDL (good) cholesterol, and triglycerides.
Total cholesterol needs to be less than 200 mg/dL.
LDL (bad) cholesterol needs to be under 130 mg/dL.
HDL (good) cholesterol is best above 60 mg/dL.
Triglycerides, keep them below 200 mg/dL.
Okay, we've covered where you should be, now pull out your lab results or call you MD and ask for your numbers.
Which numbers are not where they should be? How you would go about lowering LDL is slightly different than the best way to lower triglycerides; therefore, which of the numbers is high impacts how best to get it back down.
You can learn about a diet to lower cholesterol here.
You can learn more about cholesterol basics here.
All the best,
Lisa Nelson, RD, LN
7/ 4/08 2:13am
I am a master's degree nurse practitioner. I see that a lot of people ask questions on this site that they should be asking their health care providers. Whether they are medical doctors, nurse practitioners, dietitians, or others, you are paying a lot of money for their services. Each of you are such unique individuals, that it would be unwise for anyone to give specific medical advice. Yes, please share coping mechanisms, emotional support, and the like. But corner your provider until you get an answer that makes sense to you. If you have a provider that won't explain things to you, then it's time to move on. Do not be afraid of these people!!
3/27/09 9:02am
i recently had blood work done a week later i got my test results back.my dr. said my good cholestrol was bad and my bad was even worser.she put me own a 1800 calorie diet and 40mg zocor. what kind of diet plains would you all reckamend .im really worried.i have never been own a strick diet.
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