OT - How best to increase HDL levels?

[reuben]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyaEQEmt5ls

[paredown]

On the genealogy connection, a good friend recently was able to find the extended family of his natural father. (Both he and the father who raised him are dead.)

Meeting with the relatives and hearing the stories, he found out there seemed to be a surprising incidence of heart issues on the male side--put two and two together about his own lethargy etc, got checked out and is now the proud owner of multiple stents.

Not to say that this was all that was going on--but heritage is in the 'good to know' category.

On the 'UK-Viking' connection--I remember a BBC program (actually programme) where they showed a scatter plot of those areas of the British Isles where the populations showed evidence of Viking/Norwegian inheritance--boy, did those guys get around. From memory, it was clustered around coastal areas, and definitely more on the east side--but there was a surprising concentration in areas where you wouldn't expect it--including Ireland.

Not quite the same--but this article gives some example of the genetic complexity of "English", Scottish or Irish inheritance...
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencet...ing-genes.html

[Tommasini53]

Good read, Beat the Heart Attack Gene. I nearly doubled my HDL by taking niacin every morning. Dramatically improved my numbers, very inexpensive and no side effects.

Originally Posted by Louis

Cholesterol 119 mg/dL ( - <=199)
Triglyceride 102 mg/dL ( - <=149)
Direct HDL 31 mg/dL (>=41 - )
LDL (Calc) 68 mg/dL ( - <=99)

(blood was drawn with me fasting)

The numbers above are from my latest check-up. In his note to the nurse my PCP said “Good labs” but it seems to me like my HDL levels are pretty low.

1) Does anyone here know if, given the other numbers, this is something I really should work on?

2) There don’t seem to be simple ways of improving HDL – anyone care to suggest things that they’ve seen work in the past?
Losing weight is one way to help, and I could stand to lose a few pounds, but other than that, nothing jumps out at me.

TIA
Louis

[thwart]

Originally Posted by 2LeftCleats

Your total chol is good and LDL is enviably low. Proportionately, I don’t think your HDL is a problem. Harder to change HDL than LDL. Exercise and smoking cessation help some. HDL has been thought to be protective but there seems to be a limit. Some research suggests that very high levels are actually an increased risk for cardiovascular disease.

This.

Originally Posted by Marvinlungwitz

The best supplement/medicine to increase HDL was niacin.
But outcome data failed to show it improved CV risk; pharmacologically increasing HDL may not confer the same benefits as an intrinsically high HDL.

And to refute the above, this.

[deluz]

Unfortunately Cardiology is still very primitive.
People with high LDL can be disease free and people with low LDL can die of a heart attack. Are ratios meaningful? Maybe or maybe not.
I have four stents but my risk factors were relatively low.
I had moderate LDL and HDL. I blame it mostly on genetics and stress but who knows. My focus is on lowering LDL but I am not convinced that will be enough on its own to prevent another heart attack. Cardiologists are more interested in doing surgery than prevention. My cardiologist relies heavily on nuclear stress tests and I have low confidence in that, I think it just generates a lot of income for them. Somebody here recommended the book "Beat the Heart Attack Gene". I am part way through it and it is a real eye opener. The problem is finding a cardiologist who will use the concepts in the book which are not standard practice. From what I get out of the book the real problem is not LDL or even plaque, it is inflammation that is the main cause of heart disease.

[Marvinlungwitz]

Originally Posted by thwart

This.

And to refute the above, this.

The guidelines link I posted is based upon the best current knowledge, not pseudoscience nor decades old thought. This newsletter lays it out in simple terms.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsl...ex-cholesterol

(Although I wish they would have worded things differently - I think they should not have said “it’s prudent to do what you can to raise your HDL”. Rather, they should have said “it’s prudent to do those things that may be associated with raising HDL, but are beneficial regardless of whether they actually raise it” - I’ve seen too many people obsess over numbers, get frustrated, and give up when they don’t move much).

Also, note in the newsletter that big Pharma has lost out on the failure of HDL raising drugs to prove beneficial.

[BigDaddySmooth]

My personal record is 156. I've topped 130 on a few other occasions as my Primary rarely checks it anymore. Ratio is usually sub 2. It's genetic, diet and exercise plus a little luck.

[ripvanrando]

NAD+ precursors like niacin could help.

I take NMN (Dr. David Sinclair's research) but no idea whether it helps with lipids, I have not been tested.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35303905/

https://novoslabs.com/david-sinclair...SAAEgIvj_D_BwE

[Idris Icabod]

I worked on this in pharma (Pfizer had a molecule in the clinic to raise HDL that ultimately failed) about 20 years ago and remember that a side effect of Niacin is that it causes flushing which doesn't sound so bad, so got myself some niacin to try. Flushing is hideous, my head felt like a beetroot (n=1). I think there is slow release niacin, niaspan that is supposed to reduce this.

[deluz]

I took Niaspan for awhile. I did have some flushing but it only lasted a short time. One day my cardiologist told me stop taking it, it doesn't help at all.

[ripvanrando]

I used to work for Pfizer, too. I reckon the total sales on Lipitor approached $200mm. Not much money in Niacin.

[Idris Icabod]

Originally Posted by ripvanrando

I used to work for Pfizer, too. I reckon the total sales on Lipitor approached $200mm. Not much money in Niacin.

Maybe not niacin but a decent HDL drug. I didn't work for Pfizer, but we were benchmarking torcetrapib.

[deluz]

All the statin drugs are now generic.
It is very rare that anybody buys branded Lipitor or Crestor.
I tried to get brand Crestor and insurance said no.
So Pfizer is not making as much on it anymore.

https://www.axios.com/2019/10/30/lip...ent-sales-2019

[Ralph]

I had cholesterol issues as well. Took statins for years...with sore knees most of the time. Your numbers look good to me....if you tolerate your meds OK.

Then about 1 year ago....My cardiologist recommended I try one of the new (er) PCSK9 inhibitor injectable cholesterol meds.

My insurance covers Praluent. Wouldn't cover Rapatha. So started injecting 150 Mg Praluent every 2 weeks. It is adminisered with a throw away injector pen every two weeks. Almost painless. I inject it usually in upper thigh.

WOW....wish I had known about this drug earlier. It immediaely drove my LDL down to about 50. My HDL stayed the same around 45, but tri's went to around 100, and total just over 100.

Nothing worked for me before...no matter my diet. Had high cholesterol for many years. Probably contributed to my LAD stent placement. And I have noticed ZERO side effects. For those taking statins, and suffering, check them out. BTW...HDL didn't change for me on these new drugs. But sure drove LDL down.

[Marvinlungwitz]

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