today I have a question regarding blood lipids and diabetes. I just received my most recent lab results, including my cholesterol levels.
It is the first time I had blood work done since I changed to a low carb diet about a year ago.
My LDL has increased from 80 mg/dl to 118 mg/dl (recommendation for diabetics in Europe is UNDER 100), my HDL is steady at 51, triglycerides are at around 65 (also increased a little) and finally my overall cholesterol level has also climbed from 135 to 183.
My first question would be if I should be concerned at those LDL levels as well as the overall cholesterol, and if so, what I could do to improve those numbers.
Also I am now contemplating re-adjusting my diet. I have been eating pretty low carb and therefor my fat and protein intake has significantly increased since I was diagnosed last summer with type 1 diabetes. I try to eat as many unsaturated fats, nuts, avocados and so forth as I can, but I do also eat quite a bit more eggs, meat, dairy etc.. Mainly to get my daily calories covered and to gain some weight since I have been struggling with that since having been diagnosed.
My endo didnt seem to be at all concerned when he looked at my lab results, concluded that my diabetes control is great (A1C 5,5) and that I should keep doing what I m doing. But I ve had some pretty disturbing experiences with doctors overseeing important clues in my blood work in the last few years (including NOT being diagnosed with diabetes although I had a BG of 255!)
So I thought I d rather ask all of you for some advice.
And would be grateful for any tips and answers. Thank you!
I would think that if anything your cholesterol markers would have improved on a LC diet because the body prefers fat for its energy. I assume this benefit only occurs if your carb intake is low enough to cause your body to switch to a ketogenic metabolism. I am no expert and hopefully LC'ers will chime in with advice.
Hum. I am also following a LC diet and have found my cholesterol levels have greatly improved. LDLs dropped below 100 and HDLs above 80. What type of LDL is high? There are so many variables it can be very annoying. The scariest thing is the constant experimentation we have to do on ourselves to really find answers. But being type 1, you should be used to that, or you will be very soon. Do you drink? Do you exercise? I would try not to eat too much protein (can have weird affects), but each person is different. Ideally on a low carb diet your not eating that much more protein then on a non-LC diet. The big difference is fat intake. In the end you need to keep researching and doing some trial and error. A PITA, but seems to be what works best. I am here if you have more questions or are interested in some of the resources I use. Best wishes and good luck!
How could you possibly be concerned about your cholesterol levels? If anything, your low cholesterol before was unhealthy. You now have a better profile.
Your HDL, LDL, Trigs, Total and Ratio are all within the Lab Reference Ranges. Remember that the LDL "recommended" level of 100 is specifically designed to get the entire population taking statins. Please don't be fooled by their con trick. Your A1c of 5.5% is beautiful. It has not been disproven that high cholesterol is merely an indicator of heart disease and is not the primary cause. Whereas an above range A1c has definitely been demonstrated to be a serious health risk. I agree with Brian in that you are doing great.
Your HDL/LDL ratio is pretty good, though I wouldn't be thrilled about the overall increase, either. I don't know that it's something to worry about unless it continues to go up.
Congratulations on the A1c, by the way! Great job!
I think your ratio hdl to ldl is good, that is the most important factor usually. Did they do vap testing to see if you have small density cholesterol/fat? If you don't you are at very low risk for heart disease. If your control is good with the low carb diet, 5.5 is very good, I would stick with it unless you have some other reason to change. Make sure you fast for 12 hours before the tests next time and eat a low fat diet the night before. If you eat a high fat meal the night before and don't fast, it can affect your results. I do think too low cholesterol has been suggested to put you more at risk for cvd. Im low carb also, my cholesterol which had gone up from the high bg, is now very good but the total is higher than yours because my hdl went up. I had supplemented more fish oil recently and stopped niacin.
I would not be at all concerned about those cholesterol numbers if i were you, especially with the low A1c. I would actually expect them to be much higher on a low carb/high fat diet. A high fat diet has been known to increase ldl(and hdl at the same time), but it is the large bouyant kind which is harmless. High carb diets increase the small dense ldl, which is the dangerous kind. The ratios..trig/hdl<2, hdl/total chol>.25 to name a couple...are much better indicators of heart health than overall cholesterol, and your ratios are fine. most people who have heart attacks today have 'normal' cholesterol. Diet looks fine..good to see you are eating eggs and meat! most people fear those things with every ounce of their being thanks to conventional wisdom. fact is, they are very healthy for us and dietary cholesterol affects serum cholesterol levels very little.
Here is a very good website on cholesterol: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/08/10/making-sense-of-your-cholesterol-numbers.aspx
My ldl went up about 150% since going low carb, but my hdl also went up 300% and trigs dropped to 23. i couldnt be happier with my numbers at this point.
The Lipid Test that is almost always missed out is LDL Particle Size. If your LDL Particles are small and high density, then this is a risk factor. If need be, you should request that this test be conducted. LDL Particle Size can only be controlled by diet. If you are on low-carb, your LDL Particles should be large, fluffy, low-density which is perfectly okay.
hmmmmmm I work for a cardiologist, the goal for anyone with heart disease is an ldl under 70, the general population ldl under 100. so being a diabetic you want to watch all these and not let it slide.. you did have a big bump in the ldl, I would try to cut back on the saturated fats, and let me tell you I think fats and protein are very important macronutrients, im sure you get a good amount of fiber in correct.. how about exercise particularly weight training has been found to help chol as much or more then aerobics ex, that being said I wouldn't really sweat it, pat yourself on the back for a great aic I hope you aren't having crazy lows with that... so there are a few things you can tweak be healthy as you already are obviously and see what your next lab values show! many blessings amy
My doctor wants me on a statin because I am black, diabetic and middle aged. Some family history of sudden cardiac arrest in the male side of the family( who a were all smokers, incidentally , unlike me. My lastest labs from Last month showed a total cholesterol of 176, LDL of 72 ( an increase from 54), and HDL of 118( an increase from 108), He says he wants me on a statin because my LDL and LDL are too high. When are they both too high, I ask again? I eat a lowish carb( under 100 g a day), higher fat and protein diet. I take 2 omega -three fish oil tablets daily. A1c was not great at 7.5 after the stress of my brother's death, but it will be back in the 6.1-6.4 range soon..That is my normal a1c and He and I are satisfied with it.
I had had a high fat, high ptotein lunch before the test. I usually run LDL in the 50's. Statins in the past(ZOCOR, LIPITOR,CRESTOR), even in low dosages, made me weak with muscle pain and low blood pressure. I filled the script but cannot even remember the accurate name of the drug, was it Prevaril, prevadstatin? (I am out of town now and do not have it with me; but I do not plan to take it right now as I do not want to "test out" a drug for side effects while on vacation.
I found one study, cannot remember it, that said high HDL in type one women could be an indicator of increased risk. However, the results were not continually significant when replicated. Inconsistent results. I will exercise more, cut back on the fish tablets and take the test next time with a lower fat pre-meal. I will also ask for a c- reactive protein test and the LDL particle size test. DO not like statins and really do not want to take any of them from my prior experiences. Hope this info and my perspective help Have a happy 4th of July!!
I agree statins are being pushed big time without need and with no concern for the harm they cause. Fortunately my cardiologist does not agree and says I don't need them, my cholesterol and other numbers are great. My endo on the other hand was trying to get me to take them, but has now stopped since my cholesterol improved even more with the low carb diet. I think it's important to have the more extensive cholesterol testing to see what type of density particles you have. My cardiologist also did an ultrasound to look at my carotid artery which showed no plaque build up. This is also an important factor for cvd.
In addition my brother recently said he feels that statins, which act on every cell, lower coq10 levels which can actually put you more at risk for cvd/heart attack.
