The Cholesterol that Counts!

HOW TO RAISE YOUR 'GOOD' CHOLESTEROL LEVELS

- Dr.Ashmita Boopathy Moturi

During consultation, while listing all the health challenges, my clients go, "and yes Dr. I also have cholesterol..." and I respond, "that's good...so do I!" What most people don't realize is that Cholesterol is one of the most vital molecules in the body. It actually has some very important functions like maintaining the integrity of the cell membrane, balancing hormones and even play a key role in the immune system.

While cholesterol is a complex substance, most of us are familiar with two of its primary components: LDL (bad cholesterol) and HDL (good cholesterol). Your HDL is in fact plays a pivotal role in clearing LDL from your arteries.

So far, both doctors and their patients have focused on reducing LDL cholesterol as a key part of their treatment regimen. However, new research shows that having too little HDL cholesterol may be more damaging and may even be more predictive of heart disease than LDL.

In fact, in people with heart disease, the most common cholesterol problem is too little HDL. Quite contradictory to popular belief, studies show that, those with healthy levels of HDL actually tend to live longer and enjoy better quality of life.

"Even if their total cholesterol and LDL levels are normal, people with reduced levels of HDL have an increased risk of early coronary artery disease," says Richard N. Fogoros, M.D. HDL levels are typically lower in people who have metabolic syndrome - a cluster of conditions that include obesity, increased blood pressure and high blood sugar levels.

Some good news

Even a slight increase in HDL goes a long way. It's estimated that for every 1 mg/dl increase in HDL cholesterol, there is a 2% to 4% decrease in your risk of coronary heart disease.

Should you use drugs to raise HDL cholesterol?