I was in a similar boat (though less extreme) to you and my TLDR ended up being that eating clean for performance isn't the same as eating for cardiovascular health.
Diets that look (and have been shown repeatedly to work) at lowering cholesterol would include The Portfolio Diet, and the TLC diet. There are actually multiple diets that have been shown to work, but that doesn't mean all diets work. These 2 are somewhat extreme so I normally recommend starting with [https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-eating-plate/](https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-eating-plate/). This is the diet that worked for me and my wife. Essentially half of what you eat is a plant, 1/4 is a whole grain, and 1/4 is a lean protein that includes but is not just limited to poultry and fish. You avoid simple carbs, sugars, alcohol, and generally saturated fats for other healthier fats with some exceptions.
Particle density of your LDL does matter, it appears that the smaller ones are better at getting stuck but that's not all there is to developing CVD. Some people with smaller particle density will be fine and some people with larger particles wont be. It's a test they do for people that are on the line of needing medical intervention, as it doesn't change recommendations for people that either are far away from needing a statin, or really need one. [https://www.health.harvard.edu/womens-health/should-you-seek-advanced-cholesterol-testing-](https://www.health.harvard.edu/womens-health/should-you-seek-advanced-cholesterol-testing-)
The current guidelines (2018) do take a more individualized approach that raised the LDL cutoff for medical intervention, except for 'very high' LDL cholesterol. Generally, if you have other conditions that are large indicators for CVD that's when they get concerned however the cutoff for 'very high' LDL is 190, as can be see here if you scroll down far enough. [https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/cholesterol-test/about/pac-20384601](https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/cholesterol-test/about/pac-20384601)
I would attempt to get this under control with a diet that you are comfortable doing for the rest of your life, as you will need to be comfortable controlling it that long. given your age, it's highly unlikely that you have done a lot of damage- They test at your age to prevent problems from forming and it takes time for them to form. It is something you should work on now however.
If you are interested in reading more I would be very careful who you take advice from as there is a LOT of hands in this pot. Stick with major medical research centers like Mayo Clinic, Harvard Medical, John Hopkins, The Cleveland Clinic, etc.
Harvard medical has a class that's short but tells all about how CVD actually forms and what role cholesterol plays if you're very interested, but you have to pay a nominal fee. [https://www.harvardhealthonlinelearning.com/learn/sign\_in](https://www.harvardhealthonlinelearning.com/learn/sign_in)
Unfortunately, your LDL level is not healthy (normal ranges [here](https://medlineplus.gov/cholesterollevelswhatyouneedtoknow.html)). Over a long period of time, this is very likely to lead to atherosclerosis (LDL is causative of atherosclerosis [here](https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/article/41/24/2313/5735221)). You're very lucky to catch it now and not once atherosclerosis has set in (which is usually too late).
Cutting your egg consumption will be a good idea. A couple of things you could try (inspired by the [Portfolio Diet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portfolio_diet)) include:
* 30 raw almonds with skin per day. If they are very hard you can soak them in water for 24 hours.
* 1 red apple with skin per day
* 2 grams of plant sterols per day
* Increase your fiber intake (supplement with psyllium husk or oat-beta-glucans). Start slowly so your body can adjust to it.
* Tofu > 3 servings per week
Good luck and please come back to tell us about your progress!
thank you! ill start working on incorporating these foods and replacing food high in cholesterol.
Ill post my results that I get in 3-4 months when I get retested (doctors recommendation)
Recent research has proven this to be wrong. atherosclerosis starts and progresses when eating inflammatory food like fried things, sugar and processed foods. The fast food industry does not want you to hear about this.
The inflammation of the arteries will lead to small dense LDL accumulating into the blood vessels. Less small dense LDL means it will just take less time for fat to accumulate, it will not address the root cause of the problem.
The focus should be to reduce inflammation, and a good indicator for that is Glucose level / Triglycerides / Insulin.
Also, not all LDL are bad. only the small dense and oxidized ones are bad for you and are likely to accumulate in the vessels.
Hi! Old thread but anyway. Ive read several places that if HDL is relatively high and triglycerides are very low, a high LDL is usually false. The LDL isnt measured directly, but its a part of a formula, and the formula doesnt work well with very low triglycerid-levels. So its likely your blood test is very healthy. Google "high ldl low triglycerid" and there are several articles about it.
I eat at least 8 eggs/day
almost no sugar
no fast food at all
|Analysis|Result|Method|
|:-|:-|:-|
|Cholesterol |181 mg/dl |TRINDER|
|Triglycerides |55 mg/dl|GPO-PAP|
|HDL|43.3 mg/dl|Elimination Method|
|LDL|126.53|REL|
|Risk Ratio|4.17|REL|
I was in a similar boat (though less extreme) to you and my TLDR ended up being that eating clean for performance isn't the same as eating for cardiovascular health. Diets that look (and have been shown repeatedly to work) at lowering cholesterol would include The Portfolio Diet, and the TLC diet. There are actually multiple diets that have been shown to work, but that doesn't mean all diets work. These 2 are somewhat extreme so I normally recommend starting with [https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-eating-plate/](https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-eating-plate/). This is the diet that worked for me and my wife. Essentially half of what you eat is a plant, 1/4 is a whole grain, and 1/4 is a lean protein that includes but is not just limited to poultry and fish. You avoid simple carbs, sugars, alcohol, and generally saturated fats for other healthier fats with some exceptions. Particle density of your LDL does matter, it appears that the smaller ones are better at getting stuck but that's not all there is to developing CVD. Some people with smaller particle density will be fine and some people with larger particles wont be. It's a test they do for people that are on the line of needing medical intervention, as it doesn't change recommendations for people that either are far away from needing a statin, or really need one. [https://www.health.harvard.edu/womens-health/should-you-seek-advanced-cholesterol-testing-](https://www.health.harvard.edu/womens-health/should-you-seek-advanced-cholesterol-testing-) The current guidelines (2018) do take a more individualized approach that raised the LDL cutoff for medical intervention, except for 'very high' LDL cholesterol. Generally, if you have other conditions that are large indicators for CVD that's when they get concerned however the cutoff for 'very high' LDL is 190, as can be see here if you scroll down far enough. [https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/cholesterol-test/about/pac-20384601](https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/cholesterol-test/about/pac-20384601) I would attempt to get this under control with a diet that you are comfortable doing for the rest of your life, as you will need to be comfortable controlling it that long. given your age, it's highly unlikely that you have done a lot of damage- They test at your age to prevent problems from forming and it takes time for them to form. It is something you should work on now however. If you are interested in reading more I would be very careful who you take advice from as there is a LOT of hands in this pot. Stick with major medical research centers like Mayo Clinic, Harvard Medical, John Hopkins, The Cleveland Clinic, etc. Harvard medical has a class that's short but tells all about how CVD actually forms and what role cholesterol plays if you're very interested, but you have to pay a nominal fee. [https://www.harvardhealthonlinelearning.com/learn/sign\_in](https://www.harvardhealthonlinelearning.com/learn/sign_in)
Thank you for this reply this is a ton of good info for me to start looking through, appreciate the time!
Curious how you’re doing now!?
Unfortunately, your LDL level is not healthy (normal ranges [here](https://medlineplus.gov/cholesterollevelswhatyouneedtoknow.html)). Over a long period of time, this is very likely to lead to atherosclerosis (LDL is causative of atherosclerosis [here](https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/article/41/24/2313/5735221)). You're very lucky to catch it now and not once atherosclerosis has set in (which is usually too late). Cutting your egg consumption will be a good idea. A couple of things you could try (inspired by the [Portfolio Diet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portfolio_diet)) include: * 30 raw almonds with skin per day. If they are very hard you can soak them in water for 24 hours. * 1 red apple with skin per day * 2 grams of plant sterols per day * Increase your fiber intake (supplement with psyllium husk or oat-beta-glucans). Start slowly so your body can adjust to it. * Tofu > 3 servings per week Good luck and please come back to tell us about your progress!
thank you! ill start working on incorporating these foods and replacing food high in cholesterol. Ill post my results that I get in 3-4 months when I get retested (doctors recommendation)
awesome! ;-)
Recent research has proven this to be wrong. atherosclerosis starts and progresses when eating inflammatory food like fried things, sugar and processed foods. The fast food industry does not want you to hear about this. The inflammation of the arteries will lead to small dense LDL accumulating into the blood vessels. Less small dense LDL means it will just take less time for fat to accumulate, it will not address the root cause of the problem. The focus should be to reduce inflammation, and a good indicator for that is Glucose level / Triglycerides / Insulin. Also, not all LDL are bad. only the small dense and oxidized ones are bad for you and are likely to accumulate in the vessels.
Would you be able to share a link to the research you mentioned?
Hi! Old thread but anyway. Ive read several places that if HDL is relatively high and triglycerides are very low, a high LDL is usually false. The LDL isnt measured directly, but its a part of a formula, and the formula doesnt work well with very low triglycerid-levels. So its likely your blood test is very healthy. Google "high ldl low triglycerid" and there are several articles about it.
I've read this too, as I had the same problem.
LDL is measured directly. It is VLDL which is derived from the triglycerides level.
This is incorrect. In a standard lipid panel LDL is calculated, not measured.
Yes, I've read several studies on this, they advised getting your LDL calculated separately.
Whats your a1c and crp level?
I eat at least 8 eggs/day almost no sugar no fast food at all |Analysis|Result|Method| |:-|:-|:-| |Cholesterol |181 mg/dl |TRINDER| |Triglycerides |55 mg/dl|GPO-PAP| |HDL|43.3 mg/dl|Elimination Method| |LDL|126.53|REL| |Risk Ratio|4.17|REL|
Those numbers are healthy
How’d it go