• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Cholesterol levels.

F

fendertele

Well-Known Member
Messages
221
Just had recent blood tests done and received the following letter.

Many thanks for coming up for your blood tests. I am waiting for some of the more specialised endocrine blood tests but we discussed your cholesterol and I would like you to know this is still quite raised at 8.6 with a hadl cholesterol of 1. Overall this would be deemed an unfavourable profile but can be modified with changes in diet or medication.

I am currently low carb, and unsure how they will be able to modify my diet without putting me at risk with my diabetes again as the only modification I can think of would be to eat a lower fat diet thus increasing carbs and don't fancy taking meds If it can be avoided.

Any thoughts ?

Thanks
 
Were your triglycerides and ldl levels checked in the blood test @fendertele as total cholesterol and ldl on their own don't tell you a lot. Also did you do a water fast for 12 hours before the blood test, because if not, any food you had will have affected the results.
 
On low carb I'd expect your trigs to be lower than HDL C so check that number. You'd hope for your HDL level to rise if you are eating more fat and protein and your trigs. to drop when eating less carb. This implies you may need to consider going lower carb or getting more consistent or simply doing it for longer if you've only just begun!
You could lower your LDL by taking a statin but then that may not reduce your CVD risk which is what your doctor is getting at. Also there may well be side effects from this or any other medication.
I have the same LDL but personally my biggest focus given I have no other risk factors (not overweight or hypertensive) beyond diabetes is getting rid of the root cause of the damage to my arteries (high blood glucose + high insulin if you are type 2) rather than LDL C which can be seen as a marker of this damage (the fireman at the fire) or a sign of lots of energy moving benignly around the blood.
 
Hopeful34 said:
Were your triglycerides and ldl levels checked in the blood test @fendertele as total cholesterol and ldl on their own don't tell you a lot. Also did you do a water fast for 12 hours before the blood test, because if not, any food you had will have affected the results.
Click to expand...
Yeah 12 hour fast, been low carb since diagnosis and tests since then have had my levels around 8.4 Doc said 4 is the healthy level.
 
fendertele said:
Yeah 12 hour fast, been low carb since diagnosis and tests since then have had my levels around 8.4 Doc said 4 is the healthy level.
Click to expand...
Doc should also be giving you the breakdown of the lipids, HDL,LDL and Triglycerides. And the ratios. Without that information, getting as low as 4 is meaningless.
 
Back
Top