How Are Your Cholesterol Levels?

So I recently went to the doctor for the first time in probably 8 years or so. I have been relatively healthy for most of my life and never had the need to make the trip to see one. Since I turned 30 I figured I should be seeing a doctor on a regular basis. It made sense to be proactive. Why wait until I'm sick to go to the doctor? If I see him when I am healthy I am more likely to stay healthy. The same goes for fitness. Why wait until you are overweight to start working out? Do it when you are healthy so you stay that way.

My main reason for going was to receive blood work. I don't know how many times I've heard the story from someone that a friend or relatively died unexpectedly from a heart conditioning that they didn't know about. They were healthy and exercised everyday but still died of a heart attack. We may look healthy on the outside but that is not always the case inside.

I always assume I'm in good shape, but just wanted the assurance. To my delight my doctor basically told me I'm superhuman. Not really but he and I were both extremely impressed with the results. I received a great review of cholesterol and triglycerides so I thought I would share them with you.

The first thing we can look at is cholesterol or our levels of certain lipoproteins. Lipoproteins are characterized by there size. We have Very Low Density Lipoproteins (VLDL), Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL), and High Density Lipoproteins (HDL). There are others but these are the most well known and discussed. Lipoproteins responsibility is to carry cholesterol through the blood stream. The problem with VLDL and LDL is they tend to get stuck against arterial walls and narrow the passageway for blood. It is our goal to keep these lipoproteins low through diet and exercise while keeping our HDL up. HDL will gobble up cholesterol and carry it to the liver to be broken down. HDL can even help get rid of LDL.

In the past total cholesterol was used to determine your health risk for heart disease. They are finding that this number is not as reliable as once thought. Instead they are using patterns. What is more important is what is the main characteristic or pattern of cholesterol seen in your blood. If you have primarily small dense LDL you would be a Pattern B and if you have more large buoyant LDL you would be a Pattern A. If you are somewhere in between you would be a Pattern A/B.

So how am I superhuman? I am actually at a negative risk for heart disease. This means that I could actually pick up a nasty habit like smoking and would still only be at a normal risk for heart disease. Here were my numbers:

LDL = 96 Normal is <130
HDL = 54 Normal is >40
VLDL = 18 Normal is <30
Pattern A

I'm not telling you all of this to impress you (well maybe just a little). The main reason I am sharing this is because you don't have to be perfect to get these numbers. Yes genetics have a roll and some people may not be able to get as low as this without medication. But, if you just eat well most of the time and cheat in moderation, you will be fine.

I have these great number but yes I drink beer in moderation, yes I eat hamburgers and red meat in moderation, yes I eat ice cream in moderation, and any other "bad" food you think of I probably eat. People think that I eat perfectly and only have fruits, vegetables, and chicken/fish. I eat very well 80-90% of the time, but I am human. When I go out to eat I'm not going to be perfect. It is nice to see with my blood tests that you can still drink beer, eat red meat and still have good cholesterol.

You Stay Healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training