Why is an HDL over 60 considered bad?
Goals for blood cholesterol and fat levels depend on your risk factors for coronary artery disease.
After measuring the lipid levels, there are several steps that one goes through to determine the recommended levels of cholesterol and tryglycerides.
First, one searches for the presence of atherosclerotic disease that would put you at high risk for coronary artery disease events such as a heart attack. These include the presence of coronary artery disease, symptomatic carotid artery disease, peripheral arterial disease, or an abdominal aortic aneurysm.
Then one determines the major risk factors other than LDL: These include a high blood pressure, smoking, low HDL levels (<40 mg/dl), family history of premature heart attack, older age. Also, it turns out that a high HDL above 60, which you have actually takes away a point which is good.
Then the risk factors are added up and based on these risk factors your doctor can recommend your goal cholesterol levels.
High hsCRP levels have been associated with increased risk of heart attacks and vascular disease, but this is purely correlation and not necessarily causation. Your hsCRP level is not very high and would not necessarily warrant any special treatment.
The lipoprotein a is an added test that your doctor has ordered but the current guidelines to not base major treatment decisions for cholesterol based solely on this.
Make sure you go over your risk factors with your physician so they can treat you either with diet or medication, whichever seems appropriate based on your profile.