Cholesterol Follies!

I have a problem with my cholesterol.  It's probably my only ongoing health concern.

Coincidentally, I had a blood draw that was due about 3 weeks into the new fitness/diet routine.  So, I was curious how my numbers looked.

Cholesterol is not a straightforward story, but it's not rocket science.

Here's how my recent results have stacked up against my history.

HDL cholesterol, or "the good" cholesterol.  Typically, your HDL level should not be below 40.  Ideally, you want a number that's 60 or higher.  This is the type of cholesterol that's influenced greatly by the amount of exercise you're getting.

In the past, this number was seldom very good.  A typical measurement might be something like 28, which is far, far below the threshold of 40.  That was a very, very bad result.

On the recent test, after only 3 weeks of the new workout routine, I got an HDL level of 38.  Darned close to being over the 40 threshold.  So, I'm still in the range where I have too low of an HDL measurement to be considered healthy, but I'm very close to moving out of the HDL ghetto and at least into a row house in a respectable neighborhood.

I don't know how long the effects of exercise take to affect this number, but I imagine that if I did the exact same fitness routine for another couple of months, my HDL would still increase. 

If I can follow through on my plan to bump out my running distances and start training for a marathon again, I may even have a shot at getting over 60, which is ideal.

So, HDL?  Still needs improvement, though 3 weeks of diet and exercise have given me much better numbers than I was getting before.  I'm also within striking distance of being in good company.

My LDL cholesterol was 99.  Below 100 is considered optimal.  So, flat-out, this is a good measurement.  Yeah, I'm close to the line, but diet and exercise should further reduce this number over time.

On triglycerides, I'm actually on medication for them.  My usual trigylceride numbers were probably in the 500+ range, which is considered "very high".

The meds lowered the levels to something over 200.  A phenomenal improvement, but still considerably higher than what would be considered healthy.

The combination of meds (Antara) and workout and diet have lowered my trigylcerides to 129.  Less than 150 is considered normal.

So, all the numbers look really good right now.  I am hoping for a future where I won't need Antara, but I think that won't happen until such time as I weigh a LOT less and am exercising a LOT more. 

The doctor doesn't believe that trigylceride numbers like mine can be managed by diet and exercise, though.  So, that's not encouraging.  We'll see how it goes, though.

I get this blood draw every 6 months.  So, I'll give an update, then.