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Low HDL & Coronary artery disease fear
I am male 46 years old, having mitral valve prolapse with trivial regurgitation. Two week before I did my Lipid profile test the result came Total cholesterol : 162, LDL 122, HDL 22, Triglyceride 128, VLDl 26 & Fasting Blood sugar came 98. I have severe health anxiety especially cardiophobia since last 12 years. I have different fears related to heart all this years ( I used to google about mitral valve prolapse & blood pressure, where I came to know about various cardiovascular diseases including heart blockage, heart attack, stroke, arrhythmia, cholesterol, etc & time to time different different fears). I did my TMT test in 2011, which was negative, I did my Echo in 2013, it was normal, several Ecgs including one week before it was normal. The last Lipid I did was in 2011, it was Total Cholestrol 170, HDL 43, LDL 130, Triglyceride 90, in 2010 it was Total Cholestrol 165, HDL 34, LDL 110, Triglyceride 108, in 2009, it was Total Cholestrol 156, HDL 29, LDL 120, Triglyceride 110. In 2008 it was Total Choletrol 164, HDL 42, LDL 128, Triglyceride 92. I was walking daily for 45 minutes all this years, but last 1 years I was not doing walking & lazy. I always avoid deep fried foods, but on weekend & holidays I would eat in hotels . Now I read that, Low HDL can cause cardiovascular disease & started fearing that i have my arteries blocked due to low HDL all these years. What should I Do to stop this fears. I never took seriously about low HDL, now I came to know about the importance of HDL in preventing Coronary artery disease. I stopped completely the fatty foods, taking Fish Fry in Olive Oil, avocados, walnuts, fish oils, vitamin C, Orange & Pomegranate Juice, Garlic, Flaxseed, Olive Oil etc to raise my HDL & started brisk walking for 45 days since last two weeks & 10 floor stair climbing (2 times) & jogging 10 minutes. But somewhere I have fear that, all this years I was having low HDL & it would have made plaque in my arteries. I will go & check again my Lipid after 1 month & if its normal should I worry about previous low hdl days. How to fight this fear. Plz help me. I am not able to concentrate on anything & obsessing about my low HDl. I am taking bisoprolol 5 mg & magnesium citrate 200mg x3 times supplements for my blood pressure & anxiety.
Best Answer
You won't believe just how much research is going on with regards to the cause of heart disease. Diet has been blamed for so long now but the culprit just couldn't be found. For many decades saturated fat has been believed to be the cause but how could this be when so many people with higher than average cholesterol have great arteries and so many people with lower than average cholesterol have shocking levels of disease. This caused a lot of doubt and quite a number of long term studies have been done. In America a long term study announced saturated fat is the cause and we need to reduce fat intake. A fairly recent large study involving many European Countries have concluded the opposite. This report says that saturated fat seems to make no difference. You will be happy to know that they are finally narrowing down the cause. If you buy a steak with a nice piece of fat along the edge, believe it or not, you would be healthier to eat the fat rather than the lean part of the meat. The cause is a chemical in certain meats which feed a particular bacteria in our gut. We have lots of different bacteria to help us digest certain food types, but the one for red meat is particularly nasty. It breaks down the meat and it gives off a side product which goes into the blood stream and damages arteries. It is toxic to us. Some processed meats are much more productive in making the bacteria increase in numbers, such as sausages and bacon and ham. Vegetables seem to hold the bacteria at bay, keeping them down to much lower numbers. Tests have shown if you have a minimum of 50% veggies with your steak meal, then the levels of bacteria stay low. White meat such as chicken seems to have no effect on the bacteria except those products which contain a mixture of bad parts of the bird, such as chicken nuggets. So whatever meat you eat, just make sure when you look at the proportions, make sure at least 50% of your plate contains veggies. They are now looking at a way to reduce the number of this bacteria in people, by taking some kind of medication. This all makes far more sense to me than blaming it on cholesterol. If someone has a cholesterol level of 150, can they honestly believe less cells will get stuck in the artery wall than someone will a cholesterol level of 300? Every 24 hours we pump thousands of gallons of blood through the heart and this is going to push cholesterol passed any damaged arteries, no matter how little fat you have.
I forgot to mention that, in 2012 also i did my lipid profile test & TC was 187, HDL 37, LDL 128, Triglyceride 130. So, in 2013 i did not do my Lipid & in 2014 the HDL went from 37 to 22. I am very afraid given the high risk for CHD due to low HDL. As due to continue obsession & health anxiety i am more fearful & somewhere in my mind i have fear that, i got CHD which may be below 50% & it is not going from my mind. I also read
that, most of the heart attacks happens due to the rupture of the soft plaque & below the 50% blockage, so it is creating more fear. I am afraid to take the Calcium Scoring test, What if the
score comes above 0. I think All persons above 45 may have some calcium or plaque built up. Upto what scores it is ok or not to take statins. I have read a lot about statin drugs due to their side
effects. Like muscle damage, liver damage etc. I want to know if I am redoing the lipid profile test & if my HDL will be improved to
35-40. Do I have to worry about the heart disease about previous low HDL days? I had read about many peoples who were on Low HDL on many years & were trying to improve their HDL. Due to prolonged stress & mitral valve prolapse i always have chest tightness, chest pain & palpitation, which is creating more fear. Before I had convinced my mind that, chest pain while walking is the main symptoms of heart disease. But now I read, if the blockage is less than 50% there is no symptoms. Plz explain me how to fight this fear & obsession. How to convince my mind that, i have nothing to worry as minor blockage doesn't cause any problems, which can be stabilize by statin or aspirin. Every now & then i am getting fear that, my plaque will rapture & cause heart attack to me. I don't know how to fight this fear. Plz can someone explain me.
that, most of the heart attacks happens due to the rupture of the soft plaque & below the 50% blockage, so it is creating more fear. I am afraid to take the Calcium Scoring test, What if the
score comes above 0. I think All persons above 45 may have some calcium or plaque built up. Upto what scores it is ok or not to take statins. I have read a lot about statin drugs due to their side
effects. Like muscle damage, liver damage etc. I want to know if I am redoing the lipid profile test & if my HDL will be improved to
35-40. Do I have to worry about the heart disease about previous low HDL days? I had read about many peoples who were on Low HDL on many years & were trying to improve their HDL. Due to prolonged stress & mitral valve prolapse i always have chest tightness, chest pain & palpitation, which is creating more fear. Before I had convinced my mind that, chest pain while walking is the main symptoms of heart disease. But now I read, if the blockage is less than 50% there is no symptoms. Plz explain me how to fight this fear & obsession. How to convince my mind that, i have nothing to worry as minor blockage doesn't cause any problems, which can be stabilize by statin or aspirin. Every now & then i am getting fear that, my plaque will rapture & cause heart attack to me. I don't know how to fight this fear. Plz can someone explain me.
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