HDL - too high?

[Orangeblossom]

Can HDL be too high? I read in this article it was beneficial for people to have HDL levels of 60 mg / dl or above and it reduced their likelihood of AD. https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/ ... mers-risk/

But the article said levels over 56 were 'very high' and mine is 108 mg/dl so nearly twice that could this be a problem?

My GP is not concerned as my overall cholesterol level is in the normal range so not high overall, HD1AC was normal also. Trigs and LDL in a normal (low range) the ratio of other cholesterol to HDL is 1.6 (so HDL 1.6 X higher than the rest)

Also, why would this be when I also read with APOE4 it is meant to mean the opposite pattern, (high LDL and low HDL) due to the 4 bonding with LDL preferably?) Is it due to doing the lifestyle changes such as exercising and following a healthy diet? (Can those things change the pattern in such a way I wonder). I know last time it was tested it was still similar but since finding out about E4 and making some changes the HDL has risen further and LDL lowered).

Has anyone else experienced this and is it a problem? I wasn't sure if it was somehow different with E4 and turned into being a negative whereas with most ir is good. However the studies seemed to show high HDL being good independent of E4 status. Thanks.

[Orangeblossom]

I think from reading this it is not good to be too high. But mine should be Ok for now. It seems there is a U shaped curve in terms of CAD and HDL. Even if it may be better for AD. seems it is best for women to be around 2.4 mmol/l overall and mine is just over that at 2.8.

https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/arti ... 78/3608700


https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319131.php?sr
Traditionally, we have been told by physicians not to worry about "good" cholesterol, which is scientifically known as high-density lipoprotein. New research, however, finds an alarming association between high levels of this cholesterol type and excessive mortality.

[SusanJ]

Orange, I think you're finding that sometimes we just don't know the "right" answer, but I think there are others on the forum that run HDL over 100. And yes, exercise and diet certainly impact that, along with genetic factors.

[Orangeblossom]

Thanks, Susan.

Yes, I also read somewhere that it is only a problem if the LDL is really high but mine is 73 mg/dl. So LDL / HDL ratio is 1.8 so think it should be OK. I was a bit confused as most links online usually say about LDL being higher than HDL but mine is the opposite.

I did read high risk people should aim for 70 (LDL) and I guess we with APOE4 might be seen as that not sure, anyway GP seemed happy with my results as in the normal ranges. It says here "Our hunter-gatherer ancestors probably had LDLs in the 50 to 75 mg/dL range, like modern hunter-gatherers such as the Hazda, Maasai, and Inuit peoples." so that was interesting given APOE4 might be related to that. Trigs were low too, which I think is good. https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-he ... uld-you-go

I know it is even more important to keep an eye on blood sugars, than cholesterol anyway.

[emmacat]

New member... My HDL has always been ridiculously high; all my doctors over the years have remarked it's the highest they've ever seen in a patient. (Typically ranges from ~120 to ~140). All have brushed it off as a good thing. I think there's a growing body of evidence that it's not necessarily a good thing at all, but I haven't been following HDL literature closely lately.

[floramaria]

New member... My HDL has always been ridiculously high; all my doctors over the years have remarked it's the highest they've ever seen in a patient. (Typically ranges from ~120 to ~140). All have brushed it off as a good thing. I think there's a growing body of evidence that it's not necessarily a good thing at all, but I haven't been following HDL literature closely lately.

Welcome, emmacat! My HDL also runs on the high side, and until recently I regarded that as positive. Now, as new information is coming in, I am just plugging my ears. The topic of ideal lipid levels is a controversial one. There are advocates for ideal ranges that contradict each other. Plus, the ideal ranges for ApoE4 carriers may be distinct from those for the general population, and many studies do not take ApoE status into account. So it is confusing. If you’d like to read more of the on-going conversation about lipid levels, you can use the search function, which you access via the three dots to the right of your user name.
Have you had a chance to look at the Primer for this website yet? viewtopic.php?f=33&t=1418 is the link.
It is a great place to start since it provides a basic overview and some prioritized steps for minimizing the health risks of the ApoE4 allele and optimizing well-being. ( Apologies: the link I provided does not seem to be working. You can access the Primer by going to Welcome, and then find the link there. )

If you feel like telling us more about yourself and what brings you to the site, Our Stories is a place for that introduction.
This is a lively and tremendously supportive community. There are people following different approaches, though most of the basics overlap, and sharing their personal experience as well as relevant new studies. Please ask questions as they come up.
Best wishes, and again, Welcome to the site.

[Karengo]

Welcome to the site, emmacat! We're glad you found us here. Feel free to explore other site and refer to the many postings for more information. Please don't hesitate to ask questions about anything at all that may come up for you. You will find there is a lot of support, knowledge and experience being generously shared amongst this active and dedicated community. Thank you for posting!

[Jan]

Maybe this link will be active ...
Primer

[emmacat]

Thanks for the kind welcomes! I'm thankful to have found this site, and will write an intro under stories soon. Thanks