Good Lipid Panel But Low HDL. Help Please!

[Jaded034]

Hi all. I am new here and hoping someone could help me out.

I'm a young student who lives an active lifestyle. I am in the hospital working up and down various units throughout the week, I eat healthy on a 60/40-70/30 basis, and I am in the gym at least 3 days a week but usually 5(cardio and weight training). I recently got my cholesterol levels tested and discovered that I have very low HDL levels. My numbers are as follows:

HDL: 39
LDL: 90
Total cholesterol: 137
Triglycerides: 40
Cholesterol/HDLC ratio: 3.5
Non-HDL cholesterol: 98 (they say target for this is 30mg/dL higher than LDL target)

I am really baffled as to why my HDL levels are so low. Even when I do eat poorly (30-40% of the time lol), I don't consume much fried food at all! I'm a serial baker and griller- that includes "fries" and my turkey burgers. I rarely eat fast food, even when I am eating "dirty." I don't consume much red meat at all (I eat a lot of chicken, fish and turkey). I take a krill and fish oil supplement daily, though not for cholesterol effects, just in general because it's harder to find safe fish to eat these days.

I had my thyroid function tested and all was normal, as were all my other routine labs. I don't have any symptoms of anything and heart disease does not run in my family, neither does diabetes.

Can anyone offer any help? I really don't want to take Niacin but would not be opposed if the results are permanent. For instance, someone told me they took Niacin for 5 months and raised their HDL levels to 63, so they're doc said it was safe to stop taking them. When they got re-assessed months later, their HDL levels were still good.

Thanks in advance for any help. I am really concerned about this.

[Jaded034]

Wow! That was really helpful! Thank you so much for your time. I appreciate it. I actually copy and pasted that into my cholesterol progress document lol. Thanks again.

[Circa49]

I think you need to put your particular HDL in perspective, compared to your total cholesterol
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
How Much Is “Good Cholesterol”?
The following figures from the Framingham Heart Study show how much of the total cholesterol is in the HDL form for various groups.   HDL is the “good” form of cholesterol that is leaving the body.

Ideal: near  33%

Average vegetarian: 34%

Average Boston Marathon runner:  29%

Average female without heart disease: 23%

Average male without heart disease: 20%

Average female with heart disease: 19%

Average male with heart disease: 17%

You HDL at 39,  is 28.5% of your total cholesterol
The Framingham Heart Study is a huge, decades long, health and heart study.  You can look it up.
So you could take steps to raise it a bit, and perhaps lower your LDL a bit,  but there is not reason to panic.  Simply slowly improve your diet over time and see what the results are.
Again, with a total cholesterol of only 137,  it is highly unlikely you'll ever be able to get your HDL over 60.
33% of 137,  is only 45

[Jaded034]

Thank you for the input! I have since, researched fish oil, but from what I'm seeing, fish oil and krill oil don't serve to raise HDL but only to lower LDL and triglycerides?

If you know of a brand that has an effect on HDL, would you mind sharing it please? Thanks.

[Flycaster305]

You might mix in a high quality fish oil which has the ability to raise HDL along with vigorous exercise.  I have Congestive Heart Failure, and I'm goaled by the docs to keep my LDL under 75, so you are very close to that number.  I'd do what you are doing and enjoy your youth!

[Jaded034]

Thank you so much for that reply! My physician really didn't tell me much about it all. She did refer me to a lipid specialist that I can't afford to see right now. Haha. So, I hope you're right.

[Circa49]

You don't need to be so worried.

You see, most people with a low HDL, under 40,  have total cholesterol greatly higher than you do.  Your TC/HDL ratio is fine.

Look, there is only so much space inside a TC  as low as yours, at 137.
Add it up.  Take HDL at 39, and add on LDL at 90 and you already have 129 of the 137.   The other part is your Trig at 40 divided by 5, = 8

129+8 gives you 137

Can you see that if your TC is only 137,  it would be very difficult to have a HDL of 60.    That would only leave Tri (40 div by 5)  of 8, and then your LDL could only be 69.
In a tiny box (low total cholesterol)  there is only so much space.

Yes your HDL of 39 is "low" for a person with the average total cholesterol of 200,  but your TC is very low.

Doesn't mean you can't eat better if you are concerned.  Just so you know,  chicken can have as much cholesterol and fat as red meat.
Regarding niacin and such.  I think you'll find it nearly impossible to raise your HDL to 60+ if your TC remains at the very good level of 137.
Keep in mind  you are not the average person they are talking about when they set up these standards.  Perhaps  you can raise your HDL a bit and perhaps you can lower your LDL a bit,  but right now you are doing very good.

[Jaded034]

Can anyone provide any insight??