Having trouble letting go of CW page

[FFRNChad]

So I have been following the Primal lifestyle for over a year now. Diet is pretty well dialed in, I actively CrossFit 3-4 days a week, my stress management is good, life is pretty well in hand. My issue is this: I had my bloodwork done a couple of weeks ago and my cholesterol came back sky high. My total and LDL's are through the roof, HDL's are great (65). Triglycerides are fine, Blood glucose is fine, and I didn't have the test that identifies whether my LDL particles are small or large. I am aware of the research out there that points to high cholesterol possibly being cardio-protective. However, I am a nurse and CW, all my training, and all the people I currently work with, points to me dying in a matter of years from clogged arteries and an oxygen starved heart! I guess I just need some reassurance that I am doing the right thing. I look forward to all your help! Thanks in advance.

[PatrickF]

According to CW the most important measure is the total to HDL ratio:
Blood cholesterol and vascular mortality by age, s... [Lancet. 2007] - PubMed result (the ratio total/HDL cholesterol was the strongest predictor of IHD mortality)

So even if you believe in CW you are probably fine with a HDL of 65 unless you total is way high.

[FFRNChad]

My total to HDL ratio was also fine. I am just a little freaked out about my Total Cholesterol number. Oh, and I don't necessarily believe in CW, but it has been dogma for so long, I guess I am having a little trouble letting it go...

[piano-doctor-lady]

So, what is this sky-high total cholesterol number?

I think that the CW recommendation of 200 or below is ridiculously low, dangerously low. It was set without scientific justification in a vain attempt to prove the Lipid Hypothesis and then lowered over and over again to poison more and more healthy people with statins, IMO. (Follow The Money)

[AndreaReina]

Great job on the HDL. The elevated LDL could be due to healing some issues now that the body's getting the chance -- inflammation, fatty liver, etc. See Why is my cholesterol so high on this diet?

You should see your LDL going back down with time; if it doesn't that's a sign that there's some underlying issue that needs to be resolved.

[Waskydiver]

I kind of sort of struggle with the same issues as the Original Poster.

If you look online for objective information on cholestorol, there is a FLOOD of information from very reputable sources which is in direct contradiction to the information provided here. And, I am not just talking about websites of the statin manufacturers. Mayo Clinic, National Heart Association, Center for Disease Control, US Food and Drug Administration and others all say that high cholesterol is very very bad for you.

I do not think one can be objective and ignore all of these opinions, without a theory (which doesn't sound like a conspiracy theory) as to why these medical professionals are universally rejecting the "evidence" that us average joes come up with a few clicks on Google.

But, for me, at least, the debate about cholestorol becomes moot. Under the PB, I am loosing weight, I am excersising more and have more energy, my blood sugar has gone from a fasting 158 to under 100 after meals, I feel better, my joint pains are going away, I am happier, etc..

There is no way that any medical professional ANYWHERE can tell me that returning to my pre-PB lifestyle is healthier, REGARDLESS of any preceived or actual risks due to high cholestorol.

I am going to stick with PB until I reach my ideal weight goals. At that time, as I am looking to fine-tune my health, I can look at my cholestorol numbers to see if it might be better for me to return to a more conventional (healthy) diet.

But, I suspect that by then, I will see any high spikes in my cholestorol to have leveled out. Attempting to analysis my cholestorol as buckets of fat are flooding out of my system is probably not a very good indicator.

[PatrickF]

My total to HDL ratio was also fine. I am just a little freaked out about my Total Cholesterol number.

The Lancet article I linked to is probably the most reputable source you can get in terms of CW and it says ratio is way more useful than total cholesterol.

LDL and TC are pushed by pharma companies and isn't CW but common advertising.

[gtcharlie]

Pretty new to the whole primal diet and reading as much as I can. Having read Gary Taubes and Mark's book I feel like I am beginning to understand thw whole philosophy much better. Than I go and read an article like this in the NY Times this morning;

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/27/he...r=1&ref=health

Do you think the reason HDL levels were considered as providing "no benefit" are due to their being artificially raised by drug treatments? I agree with much of what the above poster said and feel significantly better since taking on my new diet and have no intention of changing. I did have blood work done and while my total cholesterol numbers were high (215) by CW they really don't bother me considering how good my HDL/LDL ratios and triglyceride numbers were.

[FFRNChad]

So, what is this sky-high total cholesterol number?

I think that the CW recommendation of 200 or below is ridiculously low, dangerously low. It was set without scientific justification in a vain attempt to prove the Lipid Hypothesis and then lowered over and over again to poison more and more healthy people with statins, IMO. (Follow The Money)

My sky high number was 385. According to my profession (American Medicine) I should be dead by now.

[dboxing]

So I have been following the Primal lifestyle for over a year now. Diet is pretty well dialed in, I actively CrossFit 3-4 days a week, my stress management is good, life is pretty well in hand. My issue is this: I had my bloodwork done a couple of weeks ago and my cholesterol came back sky high. My total and LDL's are through the roof, HDL's are great (65). Triglycerides are fine, Blood glucose is fine, and I didn't have the test that identifies whether my LDL particles are small or large. I am aware of the research out there that points to high cholesterol possibly being cardio-protective. However, I am a nurse and CW, all my training, and all the people I currently work with, points to me dying in a matter of years from clogged arteries and an oxygen starved heart! I guess I just need some reassurance that I am doing the right thing. I look forward to all your help! Thanks in advance.

Are you overweight?