Latest Articles

5 Major Things You Need To Know About Cholesterol
All this time, people or professionals only talk about ways to lower your cholesterol. But, have they really explained to you the significant details about cholesterol that you need to know before trying to lower the level? If they haven’t, these 5...

Cholesterol Treatments Options: Statins
Satins are pharmacuetical drugs that work by restricting the enzyme HMG CoA reductase . This is an enzyme which regulates how fast a rate cholesterol is produced in the body. By slowing down production of this enzyme, statins are able to lower LDL...

High Cholesterol: Do I Need Prescription Medication To Lower My Cholesterol?
High cholesterol is one of the leading risk factors in heart disease, and yet, unless we are tested for it, you may not know that you have it. Being tested for high cholesterol can help you manage it before it can harm you. Important Facts About...

LDL Cholesterol Should Be As Low As Possible

Can your LDL cholesterol be too low?

The current guidelines for preventing heart attacks recommend that healthy people get their blood levels of the bad LDL cholesterol below 100, and that those who have had heart attacks get their LDL below 70.

However, cholesterol is a necessary part of surface membranes in your body and also functions in making many different chemicals in your body, so there is concern whether you can drive your LDL cholesterol low enough to harm you. You lower LDL cholesterol by taking certain drugs or eating a diet that restricts saturated and partially hydrogenated fats and refined carbohydrates. A study from Harvard Medical School shows that most people should try to get blood levels of the bad LDL cholesterol as low as possible (Journal of the American College of Cardiology, October 2005.) The participants who lowered their LDL cholesterol the most had the fewest heart attacks and strokes and did not suffer any obvious bad side effects.

You can remember that HDL is the good cholesterol by thinking "H is for healthy"; and that LDL cholesterol is bad because "L is for lousy". The good HDL cholesterol carries cholesterol from your bloodstream to your liver where it

can be removed from your body. The bad LDL cholesterol carries cholesterol to your arteries where it forms plaques.

To some degree, your good HDL cholesterol protects you from the bad LDL cholesterol, so having a high level of the good HDL helps to protect you from having a heart attack from high levels of the bad LDL. However, this is sometimes not true. Some people with very high blood levels of the good HDL cholesterol still get heart attacks. Hence the guidelines now are based purely on blood levels of the bad LDL cholesterol.

A heart-healthy diet can lower cholesterol levels in most people. You can lower your LDL cholesterol by restricting your intake of saturated and partially hydrogenated fats, refined carbohydrates and calories.

Dr. Gabe Mirkin has been a radio talk show host for 25 years and practicing physician for more than 40 years; he is board certified in four specialties, including sports medicine. Read or listen to hundreds of his fitness and health reports at http://www.DrMirkin.com

Free weekly newsletter on fitness, health, and nutrition.


Written By: Gabe Mirkin, M.D.


Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs May Cut RA Risk - MedicineNet.com
Chodick and colleagues examined data on 1.8 million members of Israel's Maccabi Healthcare Services HMO. Between 1998 and 2007, 2,578 new cases of rheumatoid arthritis were identified in this group. The analysis ...

Nonstick Cookware Linked to High Serum Cholesterol - Food Consumer
... in the Sept 2010 issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine ... the chemicals of concern, namely, perfluoroalkyl acids—including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS ...

Cholesterol Levels Fluctuate With Menstrual Cycle - MedicineNet.com
This means that to get a clear picture of a woman's cholesterol levels, doctors may need to take readings ... total and LDL, or "bad" cholesterol, as well as levels of triglycerides , fell, Schisterman's team found.

If cholesterol is too low, seek an expert's advice - Alexandria Daily Town Talk
... mg/dL (5.8 mmol/L). Every year it was lower, until this year it was 94 (2.4). My LDL was 29 (.75), and my triglycerides 36 (0.4 ... Liver and thyroid conditions also can lower readings. If I were your doctor,

Cholesterol: Many young adults, kids need but lack cholesterol screening - Journal Times
Young people don't pay much attention to their health," said study lead author Dr. Mark Pletcher, an associate professor in the department of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of California-San Francisco.

Google