Should you try to increase your “good” cholesterol?

MMost of the time, you want your cholesterol to be low – ideally less than 150 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). But as you probably know if you’ve tested your levels, the results aren’t that simple.

Cholesterol tests will report not only total cholesterol, but also low-density lipoprotein, triglycerides, and high-density lipoprotein. And you really want your high-density lipoprotein, or HDL, to be high.

HDL cholesterol is considered “good” cholesterol. Although it is still a type of fat in the bloodstream, it does not clog arteries and higher levels are associated with lower chances of heart problems. Low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, is considered “bad” cholesterol because it is the type that builds up in the arteries and can contribute to the risk of heart disease and stroke. Triglycerides, another type of fat in your blood, are associated with higher risks of heart attack and stroke if you also have low HDL or high LDL.

It would make sense, then, that to protect your heart, you would want to increase your good cholesterol, or HDL. But research examining raising HDL has so far not shown any subsequent reduction in heart problems, and medications that raise good cholesterol don’t prevent these risks either.

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“Starting in the 1970s, large population studies… showed that people who had very low levels of HDL cholesterol… had a higher risk of heart attacks,” says Dr. Anand Rohatgi, academic cardiologist and professor of medicine in cardiology. at UT Southwestern Medical Center. It’s a “powerful risk predictor,” he says, which is why low HDL was included in the heart disease risk calculators that doctors still use today — but it doesn’t necessarily translate into a treatment tactic. Experts agree that the relationship between higher HDL levels and better heart health is correlational – not causal. “The challenge has been that when drugs that increase HDL cholesterol have been studied… it has never translated into a reduction in the risk of heart disease. So from a pharmaceutical perspective, it’s not a treatment target – it’s a risk marker.” Rather than focusing on any one aspect of cholesterol, he says, you need to think about the numbers together, along with other markers of risk for heart problems, such as age, sex, blood pressure and diabetes.

That said, certain lifestyle habits increase HDL, says Rohatgi; we just don’t necessarily know what effect increasing HDL cholesterol actually has on the heart. Numbers alone “are not a crystal ball”.

The habits below are all associated with higher HDL levels – as well as other benefits for your heart and overall health.

Exercise more

A sedentary lifestyle is associated with a number of health problems, including an increased likelihood of heart disease. Moving more has been routinely demonstrated increase HDL levelsand is also linked to a longer life and lower rates of heart disease.

Aim for about 30 minutes a day, five days a week, says Dr. Melissa Tracy, a cardiologist and medical director of cardiac rehabilitation at Rush University Medical Center. It can be any form of cardiovascular exercise—brisk walking, pickleball, dancing, swimming, cycling, or anything else you enjoy and keep doing—as long as it gets your heart rate up. You can even do a few 10- or 15-minute sessions a day if that fits your schedule better, she says.

Eat heart-healthy unsaturated fats

“Eating foods rich in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats and antioxidants can improve your HDL to LDL ratio,” says Dr. Joy M. Gelbman, a cardiologist at Weill Cornell Medicine.

Choose options like oil It is Fatty fish about foods rich in saturated fats such as red meat, full-fat dairy products, fried foods and baked goods.

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Making healthier food choices overall means your body won’t store as much fat. You’ll use your fat stores for some of your energy, which in turn helps your body metabolize cholesterol better, says Tracy. This can result in lower LDL and higher HDL, as HDL helps transport LDL to the liver, where it is processed and excreted, says Rohatgi.

Quit smoking

Smoking doesn’t just lower HDL; also makes HDL you to do to have worse at his protective work. Quitting smoking can raise your HDL in a matter of weeks, according to a meta-analysis in Biomarker research.

Experts don’t know exactly why this happens, but it may have to do with how smoking stresses the body, Gelbman says.

Lose excess weight

“Exercise, weight loss in people [who are overweight], and smoking cessation are the main means of optimizing HDL,” says Gelbman. If you are obese or overweight, getting to a healthier weight can reduce your triglycerides and LDL and increase your HDL.

And weight loss doesn’t have to be dramatic: People who lost just 1 to 3 percent of their body weight showed better improvements in HDL than people who lost just 1 percent of their body weight over a period of time. Obesity research and clinical practice to study.

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While it’s most important to find a sustainable diet plan that helps you lose weight and keep it off, research suggests that eating more protein and fat and fewer carbohydrates may have the beneficial effect. greater effect on HDL.

Experts still don’t fully understand the concrete benefits of higher HDL levels for the heart. “It’s complex and dynamic, and that’s what makes it difficult to study and define,” says Rohatgi. But heart-healthy habits have additional benefits regardless of their effect on cholesterol, such as greater longevity, better cardiovascular fitness and a lower risk of heart disease. The fact that they also increase your HDL in the process is an added advantage.