Newbie - with cholesterol numbers

[PortablePorpoise]

Hi you all!

I'm a 38 year old male who learned from 23andme in May that I am an APOE4 homozygote. Since then I have made a big dietary change. I signed up here to add my data points to the collection of biomarker information (which I've found useful!). I only have pretty basic measurements but still.

Measurement 1 (long before any genetic testing - random workplace health check)
Diet: Omnivorous Western diet
Exercise: Don't remember, probably not much. A hectic time, caring for two little kids.
Age: 34
BMI: 29
Blood pressure: 128/85
Total cholesterol: 195 mg/dl (a bit above average for my age, as you would expect for a 4/4 on an average diet)
Fasting glucose: 99 mg/dl

Measurement 2 (last week)
Diet: Based on Michael Greger's plant-based 'Daily Dozen' but with olive oil and some sardines (2 cans a week) as well as some processed plant-foods which Greger would not fully endorse. I did not count calories or macronutrient ratios but I ate plenty of fats from avocados, flax, nuts and olive oil as well as store-bought hummus and so on. I also ate plenty of fructose from fruit, including dried fruit. I drink a bit of red wine, maybe 2-3 glasses a week on average in the recent past.
Exercise: Bicycled to work or tried to get in other light cardio every day - but did not always succeed. I am no athlete.
Age: 38
BMI: 24 (weight-stable for 2 months at time of measurement - lost the excess weight mostly prior to the genetic test)
Blood pressure: 123/73 (at the doctor's but typically a bit lower now when measured at home)
Total cholesterol: 109
HDL: 48
LDL: 49
Trigs: 62
Fasting glucose: 98 mg/dl

The doctor described these cholesterol numbers as 'extremely favorable' but they are unusual enough that his risk calculator refused to accept them. My glucose is a bit on the high side and I'm looking into further changes to see if I can affect that.

[NF52]

Hi you all!
I'm a 38 year old male who learned from 23andme in May that I am an APOE4 homozygote. Since then I have made a big dietary change. I signed up here to add my data points to the collection of biomarker information (which I've found useful!). I only have pretty basic measurements but still.
Measurement 2 (last week)
Diet: Based on Michael Greger's plant-based 'Daily Dozen' but with olive oil and some sardines (2 cans a week) as well as some processed plant-foods which Greger would not fully endorse. I did not count calories or macronutrient ratios but I ate plenty of fats from avocados, flax, nuts and olive oil as well as store-bought hummus and so on. I also ate plenty of fructose from fruit, including dried fruit. I drink a bit of red wine, maybe 2-3 glasses a week on average in the recent past.
Exercise: Bicycled to work or tried to get in other light cardio every day - but did not always succeed. I am no athlete.
Age: 38
BMI: 24 (weight-stable for 2 months at time of measurement - lost the excess weight mostly prior to the genetic test)
Blood pressure: 123/73 (at the doctor's but typically a bit lower now when measured at home)
Total cholesterol: 109
HDL: 48
LDL: 49
Trigs: 62
Fasting glucose: 98 mg/dl

The doctor described these cholesterol numbers as 'extremely favorable' but they are unusual enough that his risk calculator refused to accept them. My glucose is a bit on the high side and I'm looking into further changes to see if I can affect that.

Welcome, Portable Porpoise!

Aside from your doctor's praise, I will unofficially give you "user name of the week" award--which I just invented! With two small kids, you should consider writing a children's book with that title. As for your change in numbers--way to go! And biking to work (with a helmet, to ward off idiot drivers) is great exercise. Forum members with long experience and deep knowledge of how to look at goals for numbers will probably offer advice, and love to tackle specific thorny questions! For starters, and great advice on some possible tests that your insurance probably won't pay for, but aren't too expensive, check out Dr. Stavia's PRIMER. For tips on how to quote someone so they see your reply, how to send a Private Message (PM) and how to search for topics of interest, check out the How-To section of the Wiki, which is our own compilation of in-depth reports on useful topics. Since you have inherited an ApoE 4 from each parent, you may want to browse through the Thoughts on Disclosure (Who have you told?) forum.

As the 4/4 mother of three terrific young adults only slightly younger than you, I can tell you that it's possible to enjoy your family, your career, your friends and get to the age of 66 (and far older, from our members' stories) with your brain working just fine. Your positive attitude and lifestyle choices are great protective factors!

[Plumster]

Hi Portable!

Your diet sounds a lot like mine! (including wild caught sardines at times but otherwise plant-based and following Gregor's Daily Dozen and red wine once in a great while). My glucose was hovering around 97 last I checked, but my fasting insulin was 3 and A1C 4.8, both of which are good numbers from a Bredesen perspective. It may be the same in your case? My HDL and TRG are "Bredesen good" as well (I can't remember the numbers). More exercise (sorry) may be your best bet when looking for improvement?

[PortablePorpoise]

Thank you for the friendly replies! I do intend to up my exercise levels a bit - and it is interesting to hear about your insulin, Plumster! Glad to see a fellow plants+sardines eccentric

I'm actually fairly optimistic that with a healthy lifestyle and with some advances in medicine over the next few decades (maybe the next few years!) my own odds aren't too bad. I'm worried for my parents but both are still cognitively intact and healthy. I have two cognitively intact grandmothers in their 90s and neither of my grandfathers had dementia when they died (though one of them did die fairly young of a heart attack). Hope springs eternal. The best of luck to all of you.

[slacker]

Age: 38
BMI: 24 (weight-stable for 2 months at time of measurement - lost the excess weight mostly prior to the genetic test)
Blood pressure: 123/73 (at the doctor's but typically a bit lower now when measured at home)
Total cholesterol: 109
HDL: 48
LDL: 49
Trigs: 62
Fasting glucose: 98 mg/dl

The doctor described these cholesterol numbers as 'extremely favorable' but they are unusual enough that his risk calculator refused to accept them. My glucose is a bit on the high side and I'm looking into further changes to see if I can affect that.

Hi PP;

Fasting glucose is just one test that gives us information about insulin resistance (IR). Your trigs are excellent, which is a good indication of insulin sensitivity. As Plumster noted, a hemoglobin A1C and fasting insulin are also pieces of the insulin resistance/sensitivity puzzle. The primer, which NF52 linked, discusses IR in more detail, both how to reduce it and how to test for it.

It looks like you are off to a good start! Keep up the good work.

[Tincup]

Hi PortablePorpoise,

The advice to check A1C is a good one. I followed a whole foods low fat plant based diet for ~17 years and ended up somewhat insulin resistant. In 2006, I purchased a glucometer and started checking blood sugar elevation an hour after meals. I learned what was helpful and what wasn't. For example, I used to make my own oatmeal from organic whole oat groats that I would put through a mill. I noted 140 mg/dL an hour after a bowl and decided this was not optimal for me. My current diet is still significantly plant based, but also includes limited white fish, shellfish & omega 3 or pastured eggs. It does contain a lot of fat, mostly from animal sources. It also excludes grains, legumes, nightshades and seeded veggies. Even though not particularly low carb - on a Cronometer study with a gram scale last year, I averaged 122 g/day carbs with a range of 88-180 and of that 50-60g/day was fiber, I am mostly in nutritional ketosis (0.5-2.5 mmol/L BHOB). I fast 22 hours/day, which is likely part of the reason for the ketosis.

[PortablePorpoise]

Thanks for the advice!

I'm going to go a bit easier on the starch and dried fruits while upping my EVOO intake and my exercise levels. I still have some abdominal fat and could stand to lose a few pounds so I'll aim for a mild calorie deficit. Then we'll see about a retest in a few months.