After 5 months of low carb my cholestrol went from 290 to 148 & triglycerides from 2300 to 471. They still have a ways to go, but my doctor is amazed because they have never been that low.

JCClass-
That is AMAZING! Congratulations, and keep it up!
Eno

Read my signature. Tells it all.

I had my cholesterol tested in July 2003 and again last week (after 3 1/2 mos of doing Atkins). My doctor said that my cholesterol is "impeccable." I'm not sure what unit of measure you guys are using but it can't be the same as mine (of course, I am in Canada so surely we are using something different here). My test shows the UOM to be mmol/L (whatever that means). Anyway, normal cholesterol level is from 3.30 to 5.60 mmol/L; triglycerides 0.30 to 2.20; HDL 1.01 to 1.94; LDL 1.80 to 3.40. My test results are as follows: 2003 cholesterol 4.86 now 4.80; 2003 trig 0.16 now 0.37; 2003 HDL 1.52 now 1.78; 2003 LDL 3.27 now 2.85. As you can see bad cholesterol has gone down and good cholesterol is up.... but so has my triglycerides. I know they are still at a good level but I can't understand what made them go up. Alot of what I have read on the net is that triglycerides can rise from sugar and carbs..... HUH? I eat very little of both since on LC diet but they have gone up. Any ideas?

I just got my results back, I have been low carbing for about 13 months (unfortunately I don't know what my numbers were when I started)

total 223
HDL 78
LDL 123
ratio 2.9
tris 108

The only one that I am worried about is the total number, all the rest are in the "normal" range. Should I be concerned? Thanks for your responses...

The reason your total number is high is because your HDL is so high. Total=HDL+LDL+triglycerides/5. HDL is the good cholesterol, so I wouldn't worry.

My total went up this year because my HDL went up. My triglycerides dropped and my LDL remained about the same, so all my ratios got better. I'm not going to worry about the total number, although my LDL is slightly high. HDL above 60 is supposed to be protective against heart disease and you and I are both there.

After two years of lowcarbing, my numbers are:

Total cholesterol: 216
HDL: 69
LDL: 138
Triglycerides: 46

I'd be happier if the LDL were under 130, but my ratios are good and my doctor is satisfied.

I had mine tested a couple of years ago, when I was mostly on LC (although being somewhat loose about it back then). I had been practically swimming in butter, cream, and beef fat when they did my lipids panel.

(Numbers might be off by a couple points, I'm doing this from memory.)

Total cholesterol 177
HDL 65
LDL 99
triglycerides 90

My doctor wrote a note on the card saying my numbers were "fantastic!"

Thanks Liz, I thought I shouldn't be worried, but I was somewhat concerned (paranoid, I should say). Originally my doctor just sent a note and said the total numbers and that they were slightly high. I requested a copy of the full report to put my mind at ease.

My numbers are up....total is about 250, HDL is only around 38. Not much change on LC or LF.

I'm refusing statins for treatment. I'm taking flax, fish oil. But I'm really not worrying about it.

1. I have NO family history of CAD, even amoung all the diabtics.
2. I do have a family history of hemorrhaginc stroke, which MAY be related to lower cholesterol numbers.
3. Some studies indicate that women over fifty benefit from higher numbers (I'm 50).

I did try that statins, and had "wonderful" reduction in my numbers. But, my total went down to <150, and my HDL dropped. I also had continuous nausea and episodic vomiting, became severely depressed, had loss of memory....and felt like garbage all the time.

I will be retested in September, when I go for my regular appointment, but even if my numbers go up I'll refuse statins. It's just not worth it!

I've always had low cholesterol - around 165/175 and it jumped 30 points with l/c. That scares me and it makes me mad. But I think my ratios are still ok and my tri is still ok, so I guess I'm all right. It's just that to be "punished" for trying to get healthier really bugs me.

June 2004
Total 208
HDL 70
LDL 148
Tri 46

June 2002
Total 179
HDL 61
LDL 105
Tri 63

But those are fantastic numbers. High HDL is 'protective', and your tris are really low. It would be hard to improve on these.

How long have you been eating this way? Sometimes there is a temporary spike in blood lipids, but then it will settle to better numbers. That may account for your LDL going up. Your HDL and triglycerides are great. In another 3 months your LDL may go back down.

If you look at my signature, you'll notice that my total went up, and so did the HDL, but the LDL remained virtually the same. The blood was drawn about 4 months after I started LC, and again a year later.

Well, I finally got an appointment with a new doc! It's not until September, but that was my idea. I'll not give up my current doc in case I get sick, but I'm going to cancel my appt with her.

I talked to this doc's nurse, and she said if needed, the doc will "work with me" on lowering my cholesterol "more naturally". When I go I'm going to bring a few days menus, so if she isn't LC savy, she can see what I'm eating.

I'm also thinking of still asking my current doc to do my blood work and ask for a copy of the results, so I can bring them with me! LOL

I'm not convinced, not by any means, that we need to get our cholesterol down as low as the "experts" say we should. But I do think mine is a tad to high and it does make me nervous. But I will NOT go back on statins unless I have no other option.....and documented CAD.

I've been l/c since May of 2003. I took a couple of months off last summer and I was able to maintain. I took a couple weeks off on my cruise in February 2004 and gained five pounds. But that gain was actually good for me - after returning, I was able to get off my plateau and lost 10 lbs in a couple of weeks.

I have been pretty darn near a saint while on this eating program, but right now, I've decided to stop at 160 for the summer because another five pounds off will make my current clothes fit poorly and I'm not sure I have it in me to lose enough weight to fit in the next size down.

My body just has to have adjusted to l/c - but my cholesterol test is a current number - and my hair never grew back. What price - slimness??

Wow I just found this thread! I started a thred somewhere else (Darn Newbie!) Oh well, Now I know where to look. This is a very interesting thread. I've always wonder about cholestrol and the way they come up with the numbers in different countries can be confusing.

I'm not on low carb and I know my cholestrol is high. 290 Yikes! Well, that's down from 321 and 341 and one time it was at 220. This is all in the last year. I tested at a couple of different hospitals and got different results. I'm overseas so a cholestrol test is pretty cheap. I'm taking a statin right now to see how it works. I have to go back for a checkup next month. Who knows how this will work out. I'll post if anything surprising happens.