This is my first posting even though I have been on Atkins for 4 months. I am doing great and am almost to goal. I feel wonderful (except for my hair falling out) and want to continue this WOE.

I recently had my cholesterol checked. We have heart disease in my family history. It was very difficult to make myself add the fat to my diet... but I did it and everything worked just as advertised.

Well, today my Doctor called me (what a switch) and was very concerned over my lab work which he just received. He only seemed to focus in on the total cholesterol and LDL. Aren't we supposed to look at a bigger picture? Please let me know what you think of these results. He said I need to start immediate medication and wants to do a full physical. I welcome the physical but absolutely don't want to go the prescription med route.

Age - 44
Toal Cholesterol - 342
Triglycerides - 68
LDL - 264
Cholesterol/HDL ratio - 5.3
LDL/HDL ratio - 4.13
VLDL - 14

I went to the Atkins site and read what they had on cholesterol. It sure seems that my Triglycerides are great and my ratios are within range... is my Doctor over reacting? What does he see that I don't?

Thank you for any information you can share.

This is from Doreen. She explains it best!

TYPES OF CHOLESTEROL

Cholesterol travels in the blood in packages called lipoproteins.

Cholesterol packaged in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is often called "bad" cholesterol, because too much LDL in blood can lead to cholesterol buildup and blockage in the arteries.

Another type of cholesterol, which is packaged in high-density lipoprotein (HDL), is known as "good" cholesterol. That is because HDL helps remove cholesterol from the blood, preventing it from piling up in the arteries. The higher your HDL, the less your risk of coronary heart disease.
CHOLESTEROL LEVELS & RISK
Desirable: Total cholesterol below 200 mg/dL (5.2 mmol/L), LDL below 130 mg/dL (3.3 mmol/L), HDL over 40 mg/dL (1.03 mmol/L) -- over 60 (1.55) is protective against heart disease.

Moderate risk: Total cholesterol 200-240 (5.2-6.2), LDL 130-159 (3.4-4.1), HDL below 40 (1.03)

High risk: Total cholesterol over 240 (6.2), LDL over 159 (4.1), HDL below 35 (0.9)
TRIGLYCERIDES

Triglycerides are a type of lipid that circulate in the bloodstream and are essential for good health. They are produced in the liver from fats and carbohydrates.

Factors that contribute to high triglycerides include obesity and overweight, physical inactivity, cigarette smoking, excess alcohol intake, high-carbohydrate diets, several diseases (including type 2 diabetes, chronic renal failure, and nephrotic syndrome), some drugs (such as corticosteroids, estrogens, retinoids, and high doses of beta blockers), and certain genetic disorders.

Triglyceride levels below 200 mg/dL (2.3 mmol/L) is normal. Higher levels are considered a risk factor for heart disease.

HDL RATIOS

A very convenient way of expressing your risk of heart disease which takes into account both the total (bad) and HDL (good) cholesterol is the ratio between the two. If this is under 4.5, you don't need to worry, although a 'perfect' score would be under 3.5. So if your total cholesterol is 200 mg/dl and your HDL 50 mg/dl, your ratio is 4, and you're OK. But if your total is 200 and your HDL 35, your ratio is 5.7, and you may have a problem.

The ratio is sometimes expressed as the LDL/HDL ratio, in which case the cutoff points would be different. It's actually no better than the cholesterol/HDL ratio in terms of predicting who's at risk, and more expensive to perform.

Chol/HDL: below 3.0 low, 3.0-3.6 average, 3.7-4.6 moderate, over 4.6 high

LDL/HDL: below 2.3 low, 2.3-4.1 average, 4.1-5.6 moderate, over 5.6 high

Quoted by Karen

Before you venture on a lifetime program of taking a relatively untested drug, you might want to go and read this web site, also worth while getting his book on the subject of the cholesterol myths. The book will be less than one months prescription cost.

http://www.ravnskov.nu/cholesterol.htm

OldSalty & Karen - thank you for the information, it's very helpful. I'm trying to read everything I can on the subject right now.

I'm a little confused about what to eat or how to adjust my diet without going off the LC WOL. I've seen a few tips in some of the other threads and web sites and the I've looked in the Atkins book but he doesn't go into much detail - maybe I'm looking in the wrong place. Do you know of any other sources that can detail out the diet for Low Carbers with high cholesterol?

Again, thank you for any info you can share

Another reference book that you should read is "Fats that Heal and Fats that Kill" by Udo Erasmus, he discusses cholesterol issues as well as giving strong advice on the fats to eat and those to avoid. I quote from pages72 and 73.

"In the end, cholesterol will be exonerated from its role as primary villain in cardiovascular disease. The accusing finger points at 'experts' who concocted the cholesterol theory to drum up business by spreading fear " and " Indiscriminately lowering cholesterol, as suggested by the National Cholesterol Education Program, statistically increases death rate from suicide and cancer"

Also if you read the Scientific American for May 2002 you will see the more modern theory of cardiovascular disease presented on pages 46 through 55. This is worth reading, this is the inflamatory cause theory of heart disease .
" Scientists now agree that inflamation fuels the development and progression of atherosclerosis" and that cholesterol plays a passive role in trying to heal the inflamed tissues.

You may then decide on your strategy for reducing the possibility of inflamation, my strategy is low carb diet and supplements of omega 3 by flax and cod liver oil consumption.