High LDL-P and small LDL

#1

Greetings everyone. I’ve been on a keto lifestyle since early March 2018, so the better part of 6 months now. Last month I got some blood work done and was shocked at the results.

Total cholesterol = 288
HDL = 45
Triglycerides = 117
LDL-C = 218
LDL-P = 2145
LDL Small = 428
LDL Medium = 740
HDL Large = 4138
ApoB = 150
LipA = 24
Myeloperoxidase = 187
HS Crp = 0.6
LP PLA2 = 201
Homocysteine = 9.3
Omega 3 (EPA+DHA) index = 2.3
LDL Pattern = B
LDL peak size = 216.2

Having said all of that, pretty much everything else in my blood looked good.

The past 2 years my total counts have been under 200 with HDL around 40 or just under. Triglycerides under 100. I didn’t get the full panel done back then to know the particle counts.

I’ve been searching for answers the last few days. I haven’t seen anyone on a keto diet with LDL-P this high or a type B pattern. To my knowledge I have no family history of high cholesterol, but just because I never heard about it doesn’t mean it didn’t exist.

The month preceding my testing I was away on a vacation and 2 business trips where I wasn’t able to stay keto. Is it possible that these “cheats” are what spiked my numbers so badly? I honestly don’t remember how “clean” I was in the week or so prior to the testing. I’ve also read that results can vary in your first 6 months on keto. When my blood was drawn I would have been (mostly) keto for about 5 months.

I have more testing scheduled in December and my doctor warned me that if my numbers don’t improve he’ll have to prescribe statins. He actually said he’d be at risk of malpractice if he didn’t.

I know, KCKO but it’s hard to do that when after 5 months of keto my cholesterol markers are the worst they’ve ever been.

(Karen) #2

High LDL p is good or at least not bad, from everything I’ve read.

K

#3

Everything I’m reading is saying the opposite. I’ve seen a lot of the “Ignore total cholesterol and LDL-C” but I haven’t seen anything stating not to worry if your LDL-P is high. That, and high small LDL are the two biggest warning signs I’m seeing to watch out for.

(Karen) #4
(KCKO, KCFO 🥥) #5

Go to Dave Feldman’s website and plug those numbers into his report generator.

As long as your dr. records your refusal to use statins, he can not be sued for malpractice, also you or your family are the ones who would take such and action so that is just BS as far as I can tell. Many people can’t even take them, my husband got to where he could barely walk the muscle pain was so bad, he stopped taking the statins and boom he was good as new.

#6

I’m not actually worried about the malpractice thing. I think that was just his way of stating that my high numbers are serious.

This is what the calculator spit out.

–==== CholesterolCode.com/Report v0.9.2 ====–
…5 months on Keto (less than 20g carbs) ::: 12 hours water fasted…

Total Cholesterol: 288 mg/dL 7.45 mmol/L
LDL Cholesterol: 218 mg/dL 5.64 mmol/L
HDL Cholesterol: 45 mg/dL 1.16 mmol/L
Triglycerides: 117 mg/dL 1.32 mmol/L

–CHOLESTEROL REMNANTS–

Remnant Cholesterol: 25 mg/dL 0.65 mmol/L >>> Medium Risk Quintile
Remnant Chol to HDL: 0.56 >>> Medium-High Risk Quintile

Go to https://tinyurl.com/y8hokam2 for more on Cholesterol Remnants

–ATHEROGENIC INDEX OF PLASMA (AIP)–

AIP: 0.056 >>> Lowest Risk Third

Go to https://tinyurl.com/ycccmmnx for more on Atherogenic Index of Plasma

–CONVENTIONAL MARKERS AND RATIOS–

Friedewald LDL-C: 220 | Iranian LDL-C: 225
Total/HDL Ratio: 6.4
TG/HDL Ratio in mg/dL: 2.6 | in mmol/L: 1.14

So medium and medium-high risk looking at remnant cholesterol, but low risk looking at HDL and trigs.I guess I knew that part, even though my ratio is over 2.0. I’m not seeing anything here to address the LDL-P or small LDL.

(Kerin ) #7

http://topics.guru/index.php/blog/search/?s=ldl%20cholesterol%20levels%20chart&l=en

I found this chart. The topic of cholesterol levels comes out quite often in this forum.
I am happy to see that if we have high hdl, it’s good!
So, how are we going to raise hdl? What foods are going to be the winners?

#8

Yeah, high HDL is good, but mine is only 45, which is considered “acceptable”.
My understanding is that Omega 3s (seafood) and monounsaturated fats (olive oil and avocado) are great ways to improve HDL. Regular exercise is also supposed to better regulate cholesterol. I’m normally pretty active, but again with my travels this summer that all had to take a back seat.
I’m just wondering if my tests were a blip and more a reflection of a bad few weeks and less a reflection of my overall health.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #9

Saturated fat is known to raise HDL. There isn’t much else. So eat meat, cook with butter, tallow, lard, bacon grease—fats with a healthy percentage of saturated fat to help your HDL and a healthy amount of monounsaturated fat for energy.

I heard of a drug in development years ago that raised HDL, but the side effects were so nasty, the drug never made it to market.

@Ydnandrew You might have heard of a condition called “familial hypercholesterolemia” in which people have elevated levels of LDL. Fully half of them live perfectly normal lives, die at ripe old ages, and never show a sign of heart disease. The ones who do develop heart disease have mutations that make their blood more likely to clot (mostly variations in fibrinogen and factor VIII). Furthermore, studies of hospital admissions for heart attacks show that most people who have heart attacks had low to normal cholesterol at the time of the attack. A couple of big studies, such as the Women’s Health Initiative and some of the Framingham data, actually appear to show a protective effect from a high LDL level, especially as people get older.

If you’d like to know your real risk of developing heart disease, a CAC score is a much more accurate measure, from what I’ve been learning lately.

(Kerin ) #10

CAC score, I have to remember that next year. I don’t know when my test was last done, and I stopped paying attention after two different people, (one a practioner, other a Dr) where the one said my cholesterol was high while the other calculated it and said it was fine.
I told both of my diet (way before keto) and neither suggested anything but the practitioner wanted me off probiotics and the Dr mentioned keto; I didn’t listen and fired them both, mostly because I was frustrated with the care I received.
And you might have guessed it right if you think I have not told my New Dr I’m on keto!
:sunglasses:

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #11

Usually a good idea . . . :+1: