I’ve written before about the benefit of high HDL. This is your “good” cholesterol and protects you from heart disease. When it comes to predicting heart disease, HDL is more important than your total cholesterol. If your HDL is high enough, your total cholesterol could be 300 – and your chance of having a heart attack is no higher than the population at large.
Now, I have new information to share about the converse- low HDL. On the other end of the scale, low HDL is a significant risk factor on its own. In today’s Health Alert, I’ll show you new studies that reveal the dangers of low HDL.
By the end of the article, you’ll have some easy-to-follow advice for pumping up your HDL until you are at the opposite end of the scale for risk of heart disease.
Don’t Buy Into the Great Cholesterol Con
Here are a couple of facts you should know: almost half of all people who have heart attacks have “normal” cholesterols and over 70% of heart attacks and heart disease are not prevented by cholesterol lowering medications.[1]
How can this be?
Drugs mainly lower your LDL cholesterol. Your doctor may tell you this right thing to do. But in test after test, researchers actually find that your HDL levels more reliably determine your risk for heart disease.
If your HDL is lower than 40 mg/dl, you are at risk for heart disease – no matter how low your LDL is.
When you get your HDL above 60 mg/dl, you have a negative risk. If you can get it above 85 mg/dl (that’s where I keep mine), your heart is nearly bulletproof.
The sad irony is that many prescription drugs actually lower your HDL. Blood pressure medications like beta-blockers and diuretics have a particularly negative impact on your HDL levels.
Boost Your Heart Health with a Few Simple Changes in Your Lifestyle
In the US, 35% of men and 15% of women have low HDL levels.1 It’s very troubling to me personally that our children seem to be getting this problem at an ever younger age. Studies show as many as 42% of American children have low HDL.[2] This must be from the environment we put them in because other cultures don’t show this prevalence, until they immigrate to the US. Then, they become among the worst in a single generation.
The food we eat is a major factor. A low-fat, high-carb diet lowers your HDL levels. Yet I am convinced that it is also a symptom of the deconditioning of our youth from lack of physical activity.
Here are the best ways to boost your HDL:
- Weight Loss: carrying extra pounds increases your risk of heart disease. Even a little weight loss will raise your HDL levels.
- Diet: A good fat diet will boost your HDL; but don’t eat just any fat. Getting enough omega-3s is critical. Try to cut down on your carbs and pump up on protein.
- Exercise: This is perhaps the most important element. I’ve boosted HDL levels in my own patients using my PACE® program. Long-term practice can even reverse heart disease. (For more information, see Health Alert 58.)
- Supplements: Cod liver oil is a reliable way to boost HDL if you’re not getting enough omega-3s from your diet.
- Moderate Alcohol Consumption: A glass of wine can help raise your HDL. Moderation is the key.
- Stop Smoking: It sounds obvious, but if you smoke, you should stop. Not only does smoking lower your HDL, it constricts your blood vessels and raises your risk of heart attack in many other ways as well.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD
P.S. – Here’s some good news: Heart disease is not a one-way street. Not only does a high HDL prevent heart disease, it can actually help to reverse the fatty deposits already in your arteries.
[1] Cardenas G, Lavie C. How significant is HDL cholesterol? Emergency Medicine. Sep 2005.
[2] Harrell J. Elementary signs of heart disease found in children. The American Heart Association. www.americanheart.org