tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-616297333738590187.post1441595649375679792..comments2023-12-18T01:23:42.609-05:00Comments on HEARTHAWK<br>Your Heart Health Eye in the Sky: What Next, Down is Up? An HDL ConundrumHeartHawkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13602052440926075973noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-616297333738590187.post-91081415844065284092009-03-16T08:09:00.000-04:002009-03-16T08:09:00.000-04:00Dear Anon:You have pretty much hit the nail on the...Dear Anon:<BR/><BR/>You have pretty much hit the nail on the head - we are all different and all respond differently to different treatment. That is why it is so vital to track your treatments and response over time to determine your patterns (it is also why I continue to unabashedly flack for Track Your Plaque as it seems to be the only program that fully buys into this notion where as others only pay it lip-service and push whatever one-size-fits-all book or product they sell).<BR/><BR/>As far as optimum lipids are concerned Track Your Plaque uses 60-60-60 LDL-HDL-Triglycerides as it guideline but only a guideline (many members also also throw in a 4th "60" of 60ng/dL Vitamin D blood-level because of its dramatic effects). It looks like your basic lipids are about where mine are, I shoot for LDLs and HDLs in the 50-70 range and keep my triglycerides rock bottom usually below 40 and yes I do keep my Vitamin D level at or above 60 as well. There is some suggestion that dropping LDL below 40 or 50 may be harmful but I know of no limit to raising HDL or lowering Triglycerides. I also have a similar drug/supplement regimen as you but always look to decrease my statin dose (I take 5mg of Crestor) by adding other supplement and lifestyle changes<BR/><BR/>AS much as it is self-serving I still have to recommend you check out the Track Your Plaque website at www.trackyourplaque.com. Although it is a membership site (a mere $6.65 a month after the first 3-months) there is still a ton of free stuff and info including free books, newletters, special reports, and a primer on the basics.<BR/><BR/>Regards,<BR/><BR/><BR/>HeartHawkHeartHawkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13602052440926075973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-616297333738590187.post-67200945697707252122009-03-16T02:36:00.000-04:002009-03-16T02:36:00.000-04:00After 6 months of statin therapy, supplemented rec...After 6 months of statin therapy, supplemented recently by fish oil and niacin, and continuous but modest weight loss, I've got my HDL up above 50 (from below 40) and my LDL to below 80 (from above 90), suggesting that more of the same is called for. At the same time, my triglycerides have gone from above 100 to 40. Do you think it's possible to bring them too low? <BR/><BR/>More generally, I would imagine that the changes that people realize with drugs and diet would vary quite a lot. It seems to me that there isn't much good advice available on how to manage and handle these changes, and what's enough of a good thing. And presumably people exist who from the outset have low HDL and high LDL, and also low triglycerides, too (just guessing, but it seems plausible). I imagine they would find it very hard to get advice on drug and dietary therapy. Do you have any insight on these areas?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-616297333738590187.post-88677570603300921212008-06-09T19:32:00.000-04:002008-06-09T19:32:00.000-04:00Anon:Another study I read just today in the Journa...Anon:<BR/><BR/>Another study I read just today in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology suggested that it is Apo-A1 (the surface protein of HDL) that appears to correlate the closest with reduction for risk and that very high HDL (without an increase in Apo-A1) actually increases risk.<BR/><BR/>Study after study shows rising HDL is associated with decreased risk. The novel theory here is that HDL is merely a marker for "good stuff" and it is not HDL per se that decreases risk but other things that typically occur along with higher HDL such as an increase in Apo-A1 and/or lower TGs. These studies show that in cases where TGs do not decrease or Apo-A1 does not increase in conjunction with higher HDL there appears to be no benefit.<BR/><BR/>At the end of the day, you still want higher HDL assuming the rest of your lipoproteins behave in a normal fashion.<BR/><BR/>Regards,<BR/><BR/><BR/>HHHeartHawkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13602052440926075973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-616297333738590187.post-12996351889985767762008-06-09T18:06:00.000-04:002008-06-09T18:06:00.000-04:00So is this study telling us that we only have to w...So is this study telling us that we only have to worry about our ( my ) low HDL ( 39 ) if our ( my ) Triglycerides our high also ( 49 for me ) ?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com