HDL cholesterol – understand and boost this good cholesterol

Your cholesterol levels are an important measure of heart health. For HDL cholesterol, or “good” cholesterol, higher levels are better. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is known as the “good” cholesterol because it helps remove other forms of cholesterol from your bloodstream. Higher levels of HDL cholesterol are associated with a lower risk of heart disease.

Cholesterol is a waxy substance that’s found in all of your cells and has several useful functions, including helping to build your body’s cells. It’s carried through your bloodstream attached to proteins. These proteins are called lipoproteins.

• Low-density lipoprotein. High levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) can eventually build up within the walls of your blood vessels and narrow the passageways. Sometimes a clot can form and get stuck in the narrowed space, causing a heart attack or stroke. This is why LDL cholesterol is often referred to as “bad” cholesterol.
• High-density lipoprotein. This type of lipoprotein is often referred to as “good” cholesterol. HDL picks up excess cholesterol in your blood and take it back to your liver where it’s broken down and removed from your body.

What are optimal levels of HDL?

Cholesterol levels are measured in milligrams (mg) of cholesterol per deciliter (dL) of blood or millimoles (mmol) per liter (L). When it comes to HDL cholesterol, higher numbers are better.

HDL and associated risks

People who have naturally higher levels of HDL cholesterol are at lower risk of heart attacks and stroke.

However, it’s less clear whether that same benefit holds true for people who increase their HDL levels with medications.

Interventions known to increase HDL have shown to lower the risk of heart attacks, like exercise, quitting smoking or improving the diet.

However, medications that specifically increase HDL have failed to reduce the rate of heart attacks.

Conditions affecting good HDL cholesterol

HDL levels are typically lower in people who have metabolic syndrome — a cluster of conditions that include obesity, increased blood pressure and high blood sugar levels.

Simple step to raise good HDL cholesterol

In addition to helping you lose weight, increased physical activity can lower your triglycerides while increasing your HDL levels.

Benefits can be seen with as little as 60 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise a week.

Diet and good HDL cholesterol

In terms of diet, try to avoid trans fats, as they can increase LDL cholesterol and lower HDL cholesterol levels.

Foods prepared with shortening, such as cakes and cookies, often contain trans fats, as do most fried foods and some margarines.

Alcohol and good HDL cholesterol

Moderate use of alcohol has been linked with higher levels of HDL cholesterol.

For healthy adults, that means up to one drink a day for women of all ages and men older than age 65, and up to two drinks a day for men age 65 and younger.

Too much alcohol can cause weight gain, and may increase your blood pressure and triglyceride levels.

Medications can boost or lower HDL

HDL levels are sometimes improved by drugs used to lower LDL and triglyceride levels — such as prescription niacin; fibrates such as gemfibrozil (Lopid); and certain statins, particularly simvastatin (Zocor) and rosuvastatin (Crestor).

But clinical trials for several drugs specifically designed to increase HDL levels were halted early, because they didn’t reduce the risk of heart attacks.

Drugs containing testosterone and other anabolic steroids can artificially lower your HDL cholesterol levels. Avoiding these drugs may help increase your HDL numbers.

Understanding briefly about HDL cholesterol, you must give more emphasis to boost your good cholesterol with diet and physical exercise.