My total cholesterol went from 146 to 217 in 4 months!

[QUOTE=Neckhammer;976195]It only matters in the extreme ranges.....in those cases it may be indicative of an underlying pathology or genetic predisposition (rarely).[/QUOTE]
What is considered extreme high and extreme low?

Clinical context.... for the large majority of people cholesterol is a worthless number. I would consider anything from 140-300 within normal limits. As you probably realize this is debatable and is my own opinion based on current evidence. Each person is an individual and wile 150 may be fine for one person it could be the culprit for depressive disorders in another. Also recognize that total cholestorol can vary by up to 30 points from one test to the next so you would need repeated draws just like with BP. Currently the best evidence seems to be pointing towards LDL particle number and inflammatory markers such as CRP for evaluating risk.

[QUOTE=Neckhammer;976211]Clinical context.... for the large majority of people cholesterol is a worthless number. I would consider anything from 140-300 within normal limits. As you probably realize this is debatable and is my own opinion based on current evidence. Each person is an individual and wile 150 may be fine for one person it could be the culprit for depressive disorders in another. Also recognize that total cholestorol can vary by up to 30 points from one test to the next so you would need repeated draws just like with BP. Currently the best evidence seems to be pointing towards LDL particle number and inflammatory markers such as CRP for evaluating risk.[/QUOTE]

So basically we don't know what is too high or too low.
Thanks. How do you get LDL particle number?

In most cases LDL is calculated using the Friedewald formula which over-estimates LDL when Triglicerides are low. People with low triglicerides should have the LDL calculated with the Iranian formula
A comparison of calculated results here [url=http://homepages.slingshot.co.nz/~geoff36/LDL_mg.htm]LDL Cholesterol Calculator[/url] and elsewhere.

[QUOTE=KathyH;976199]What is considered extreme high and extreme low?[/QUOTE]
It's different for men and women. For women, TC is inversely related to all cause mortality. In other words, the lower your cholesterol is, the more likely you are to die.

For men, there's more of a 'U' shape, where very low and very high cholesterol is dangerous. For men, the sweet spot to aim for is 200-280. The further you get from that zone, the higher your all cause mortality becomes.

[QUOTE=magicmerl;976230]It's different for men and women. For women, TC is inversely related to all cause mortality. In other words, the lower your cholesterol is, the more likely you are to die.

For men, there's more of a 'U' shape, where very low and very high cholesterol is dangerous. For men, the sweet spot to aim for is 200-280. The further you get from that zone, the higher your all cause mortality becomes.[/QUOTE]
So the aim for women is to get TC as high as possible?

Sooner or later you are going to hear horrible stories of how people's health is failing them from eating primal. How can eating animal fats be good for you on a daily basis!? This type of eating will soon be exposed just like the Atkins diet. I like the idea of cutting down on grains, bread, pasta, etc. But consuming a high dosage of fats will kill you. I have read a total of 4 threads in a week about people's cholesterol levels increasing.

And the worse part is people are making excuses saying its okay, this and that.

[QUOTE=Dirlot;976229]In most cases LDL is calculated using the Friedewald formula which over-estimates LDL when Triglicerides are low. People with low triglicerides should have the LDL calculated with the Iranian formula
A comparison of calculated results here [url=http://homepages.slingshot.co.nz/~geoff36/LDL_mg.htm]LDL Cholesterol Calculator[/url] and elsewhere.[/QUOTE]
So what LDL number should one aim for?

[QUOTE=KathyH;976239]So what LDL number should one aim for?[/QUOTE]

You shouldn't "aim" for any number.

[QUOTE=Neckhammer;976242]You shouldn't "aim" for any number.[/QUOTE]
OK, what would be considered good or bad LDL particle number?