What do you think?

[LoveIsNoColor]

My doctor is saying my cholesterol is a problem, and thinking of putting me on meds. Any opinions?

Chol: 234
Tri: 85
Hdl: 63
Ldl: 154

[Griffen]

Your doctor is an idiot. He should be thrilled that you have such great HDL and trig numbers.

I'd be willing to bet money that the LDL was calculated, not measured, and that calculation (known as the Friedewald equation) doesn't work when trigs are under 100, as yours are. It overestimates LDL.

A quick rundown:

The formula used to calculate total cholesterol is: LDL + HDL + [Trigs/5] = total. But what they usually do is calculate your LDL. They measure your HDL, your Trigs and your Total - so the equation becomes: Total - (HDL + [Trigs/5]) = LDL.

This calculation works fine for trigs over 100. But when your trigs drop below 100, it becomes misleading and usually calculates your LDL far higher than it should be. Always, always demand a VAP test, which is a direct measurement of the LDL. According to Dr. Mary Vernon, "These labs in which the LDL is calculated are not accurate if your triglycerides are below 100... The equation used to calculate these numbers makes assumptions which are not accurate when triglycerides are low." (from http://www.livinlavidalowcarb.blogsp...t-results.html).

There is a newer equation, called the Iranian Equation, that does a better job of calculating LDL when trigs are below 100. That equation is:

(Total/1.19) + (Trig/1.9) - (HDL/1.1) -38 = LDL

When we plug your numbers into this equation, here's what we get:

(234/1.19) + (85/1.9) - (63/1.1) - 38 = LDL
197 + 45 - 57 - 38 = LDL
147 = LDL

So let's use that instead, shall we?

Now, the ratios.

The ideal ratio of Total/HDL is 4.4 for women and 5 for men. Also, according to http://wwww.yourmedicaldetective.com/public/532.cfm and several other sites, the ratio of your trigs to your HDL will indicate whether your LDL is small and dense (bad) or large and fluffy (neutral). A larger number indicates smaller LDL particles and a smaller number indicates larger LDL particles. It's an inverse relationship. (Lower numbers are better.)

Your Total/HDL ratio is 234/63, or 3.7. That's not bad, especially considering that your LDL (most likely calculated) is skewing the total number higher. I don't know whether you're male or female, but either way it's not a bad score.

The ideal ratio of Trig/HDL is 2 or below. 4 is high. 6 is "danger!!" Yours is 85/63, or 1.35, which is awesome.

Additionally, a low ratio of Trig/HDL is great because it's a semi-reliable indicator of lower free insulin levels. Lower free insulin is good. (However, this doesn't appear to work for those of African descent, so take that with a grain of salt.)

Also see: Low-carbohydrate diets increase LDL: debunking the myth | The Blog of Michael R. Eades, M.D. for more information about cholesterol generally, and http://www.atherotech.com/images/vap...sterolTest.pdf for more information about the specific results of a VAP test.

[LoveIsNoColor]

Originally Posted by Griffen

Your doctor is an idiot. He should be thrilled that you have such great HDL and trig numbers.

I'd be willing to bet money that the LDL was calculated, not measured, and that calculation (known as the Friedewald equation) doesn't work when trigs are under 100, as yours are. It overestimates LDL.

A quick rundown:

The formula used to calculate total cholesterol is: LDL + HDL + [Trigs/5] = total. But what they usually do is calculate your LDL. They measure your HDL, your Trigs and your Total - so the equation becomes: Total - (HDL + [Trigs/5]) = LDL.

This calculation works fine for trigs over 100. But when your trigs drop below 100, it becomes misleading and usually calculates your LDL far higher than it should be. Always, always demand a VAP test, which is a direct measurement of the LDL. According to Dr. Mary Vernon, "These labs in which the LDL is calculated are not accurate if your triglycerides are below 100... The equation used to calculate these numbers makes assumptions which are not accurate when triglycerides are low." (from http://www.livinlavidalowcarb.blogsp...t-results.html).

There is a newer equation, called the Iranian Equation, that does a better job of calculating LDL when trigs are below 100. That equation is:

(Total/1.19) + (Trig/1.9) - (HDL/1.1) -38 = LDL

When we plug your numbers into this equation, here's what we get:

(234/1.19) + (85/1.9) - (63/1.1) - 38 = LDL
197 + 45 - 57 - 38 = LDL
147 = LDL

So let's use that instead, shall we?

Now, the ratios.

The ideal ratio of Total/HDL is 4.4 for women and 5 for men. Also, according to http://wwww.yourmedicaldetective.com/public/532.cfm and several other sites, the ratio of your trigs to your HDL will indicate whether your LDL is small and dense (bad) or large and fluffy (neutral). A larger number indicates smaller LDL particles and a smaller number indicates larger LDL particles. It's an inverse relationship. (Lower numbers are better.)

Your Total/HDL ratio is 234/63, or 3.7. That's not bad, especially considering that your LDL (most likely calculated) is skewing the total number higher. I don't know whether you're male or female, but either way it's not a bad score.

The ideal ratio of Trig/HDL is 2 or below. 4 is high. 6 is "danger!!" Yours is 85/63, or 1.35, which is awesome.

Additionally, a low ratio of Trig/HDL is great because it's a semi-reliable indicator of lower free insulin levels. Lower free insulin is good. (However, this doesn't appear to work for those of African descent, so take that with a grain of salt.)

Also see: Low-carbohydrate diets increase LDL: debunking the myth | The Blog of Michael R. Eades, M.D. for more information about cholesterol generally, and http://www.atherotech.com/images/vap...sterolTest.pdf for more information about the specific results of a VAP test.

Thank you so much for taking the time to type that all out and explain it to me! I really appreciate that, and it did help me to understand a lot better!!
BTW (I'm the female in the pic!)
Thank you again!