low good cholesterol

The way I understand it, the good cholesterol somehow helps your body break down the bad cholesterol. These cholesterol levels are largely due to genetics, but can be mediated by exercise and diet as well as medicines.

good cholesterol
Ok, so if my 'good' cholesterol is low then my overall health isn't effected.
My 'bad' cholesterol is already low.
Thanks for the reply.

If your bad cholesterol is low, then I'm not sure whether or not the low good cholesterol is a problem. But, I am by no means an expert.

More important is the ratio between the good (HDL) and bad (LDL)



Total cholesterol is an the accumulation of HDL, LDL, and other lipids. To look at the total cholesterol alone does not give an adequate reflection of cholesterol levels. What is important is the ratio between the good and bad. The optimum ratio of total to LDL should be less than 3.5 to1 ( For LDL ratio take the total cholesterol and divide by LDL) The ideal ratio of total to HDL should be less than 3 to 1 ( For HDL ratio take the total cholesterol and divide by HDL) .

Exercise tends to make your HDL go up, thus decrease the ratio (a good thing) while at the same time further helps break down your LDL's (a real good thing)

A low good cholesterol is honestly, a very american thing nowadays.

It is often accompanied by a high triglyceride (sugary fat) count.

Think of LDL as the trash that's sitting on your curb.

Think of HDL as the trashman that comes to take it away.

HDL is becoming increasingly important in cardiology circles as being an independent risk factor of heart disease/stroke.

We don't have very good medications to raise the good cholesterol. Pfizer was developing one, but the studies were stopped due to an increase in death that has yet to be explained.

What raises the good cholesterol?

Fish Oil (but you need to take about 12,000mg daily)
Niacin supplements
Red wine
Aerobic exercise