Last week I wrote about my Medical Tests and posted the results. This week I would just like to follow on and emphasize the fact that a high LDL(bad cholesterol) count is not necessarily bad as LDL have different particle sizes.
There are large particle concentrations and small dense particle concentrations and it is the small dense concentrations that are the bad guys. Therefore if you have a high LDL count with a large particle concentration they are completely benign.
How this works is that your artery walls are all lined with cells and these small dense LDL particles are small enough to slip through those cells. They are also more readily oxidized and only oxidized LDL can enter the macrophages in the lining of the arteries and form cholesterol rich plaques. These plaques can build up and eventually restrict blood flow to the heart and result in a heart attack.
There are tests that you can do for different LDL particle sizes – one such test is the NMR LipoProfile, but a normal Lipogram will also do the trick.
To tell if the cause of your raised LDL cholesterol in a normal LipoProfile is from large or small particles you must look at your HDL/Triglyceride levels. If your LDL count is on the high side and your HDL/Triglyceride ratio has worsened then small dense particles are most likely present in your cholesterol and there is cause for concern.
It is very important to understand this and until Timothy Noakes the Sports and Science Professor at the University of Cape Town explained it to me I was under impression that all LDL cholesterol was bad.
Most importantly in my case my HDL/Triglyceride ratio is better which has improved my profile substantially and has also told me that my raised LDL is from the large particles and are completely
benign.
This is evidence is that a high fat diet outperforms on all variables measured.
