Exercise and HDL cholestrol

Hi, I was told that HDL cholestrol increases
significantly in marathon runners and in the
individuals who exercise up to 30 or 45
minutes of continous jogging. Also has been
suggested that jogging and running increases
HDL's only to a certain point, than HDL levels
off and decreases.What is the best exercise in
terms of frequency, intensity and time for
increasing HDL cholestrol in men between 40
and 50 years?Does HDL decreases if a
individual exercises more than 30 to 45
minutes,but less than marathoners?What is the optimum total cholestrol?Thank you.Jimmy

[CCF CARDIO MD - DLB]

Dear Jimmy

Exercise usually raises the HDL level, especially aerobic exercise such as jogging/running, cycling or swimming. The response is very individual - there is no set rule. I generally recommend at least three 30-minute sessions per week. Too much exercise will not lower your HDL. There is no optimal level of cholesterol. For people with established coronary artery disease, I usually shoot for an LDL cholesterol less than 100.

I hope this has been useful. I wish you the best of luck. Feel free to write back.

Information provided here is for general purposes only. Specific questions should be addressed to your own doctor. If you would like to make an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE or inquire online by using the Heart Center website at www.ccf.org/heartcenter. The Heart Center website contains a directory of the cardiology staff that can be used to select the physician best suited to address your cardiac problem.