From the Mayo Clinic;
>>>>>>Niacin can raise HDL — the "good" cholesterol — by 15 to 35 percent. This makes niacin the most effective drug available for raising HDL cholesterol. While niacin's effect on HDL is of most interest, it's worth noting that niacin also decreases your LDL and triglyceride levels. High levels of LDL and triglycerides are significant risk factors for heart disease.
now he wants to try Crestor.....Are statins good for raising HDL?...If one can keep their LDL down low enough say under 80, is HDL still significant?....Except for HDL, my other numbers are good...I'm non-smoker, & ideal weight, & active.....
Also, we sometimes do a cardio CRP test (most of the time it's just the lipid profile)....I've had about 6 crp tests done since 2003 - results have been typically been between .03 - .07......
Niacin is great for raising HDL, which is very imprtant to protect one's arteries from CAD, however from my research I have not read anything that shows niacin helps lower LDL, I'll have to look agian. I agree wioth exercise, everything I have read shows that regular exercise will help incease HDL, plus it is beneficial to your heart health as well.
Good Luck!
ve been on it for almost a year with good results and no problems.But my best lipid results ( raising HDL, lowering LDL and Lp(a) ) came from taking RX Niacin which I take with the 10 mg Crestor and 325 mg aspirin at bedtime.No problems with Niacin either.I take RX fish oil also as I am in big time prevention mode due to cardiac microvascular dysfunction.
40 mg is not high, it's the norm. Dosage of Simvastatin ca be as high as 80 mg. I am curious why you are on a statin with a total cholesterol of 160. What s your breakdown by LDL & HDL and do you have any risk factors of CAD currently? Plus, if your script was for 20 mg I would question the pharmacy about receiving 40 mg.
Let us know when you can and we can speak more accurately about your dosage.
From the American College of Cardiology;
"Statins do have modest affects on plasma HDL-C, increasing concentrations by anywhere from 5% to 10%, providing a secondary benefit to this therapy beyond LDL-C reduction."
I was under the same impression as you until I read this story, "What Evidence Supports Raising HDL Levels to Prevent CHD, Including Existing and Experimental Therapies?" in Cardiosource.
Recently my doctor prescribed Lipitor for raising my HDL as it's been consistently a few points below the norm in the last few blood tests, my LDL has stayed around 117 and my total cholesterol has stayed around 170. I could be in better shape, I'm 5'11" and recently added a few pounds , now 200 lbs. A1C has been 1 point over the high range, all else is normal, I can run 2 miles in less than 18 minutes and don't smoke or drink.
My dr told me to exercise and eat right to raise HDL, mine's not really low but fluctuates often for some strange reason. I haven't exercised in almost 2 years so it's 49 right now, but when I did exercise it stayed between 60-70. I did just start a very mild walking program, so it will be interesting to see if exercise does increase it at any level.
There are different forms of HDL. HDL 2 is more powerful than HDL 3. So, if you HDL 2 is in range, you may be worrying for no reason. HDL can only be readily raised by losing weight, controling diabetes or prediabetes, or by taking niacin. Avoiding execessive carbohydrates even in people with normal glucose control may be helpful as well.
How much fish oil can I safely take?
Look at the AHA website. They give recommendations as to intake of fish oil.
Your numbers are not too far off. Your LDL should be under 130 and TGL's under 150 so they're good, but your HDL is too low at 39, it really should be over 50 for a female your age. In case you don't know, HDL is used to bind with the bad cholesterol (LDL) and return it to your liver to be recycled or eliminated. This keeps it from building up on your artery walls.
Try Niacin to raise your HDL and keep your trigs nice and low. Nuts would also help but Niacin for sure can improve that number..otherwise you have good numbers. I am a 44 year old male and take 2000mg of Niaspan every day and my HDL is up from 29 to 43..my LDL is down to 66 and my trigs are 82. Niacin plus a good diet can give you good numbers.
The vitamin D and cocoa seem to be the most likely cause of the 50% jump in HDL. If you can get a test for Vitamin D levels, that might be a good way to go without trying all the other stuff. It is most likely the D vitamin. My own HDL has been as low as 22 and never was over low 40's in my life. I am in my late 60's and have 7 stents and one MI that left me with a 35% ejection fraction... down from 60 before the event so the higher the HDL the better chance to live a normal life.
I've read conflicting articles saying that niacin is necessary for thyroid function and then some that say it can lower thyroid levels and cause liver damage. I've seen it in some iron supplements and wondered if I needed to stay away from it or if it would be good to take.
This is high and she will need to make some changes in diet and exercise. HDL should be at least in the 50's especially for a woman unless she is in menopause. If she has not started menopause yet, the number could drop lower and the LDL numbers would most likely elevate (not sure what her LDL is). Organic fruits and vegetables lots of them. Little to no red meat. Everything cooked fresh, no processed meats. No lunch meat, no hotdogs, no ham, no charcoaling. Strict diet should help.
In addition to lowering your LDL, statins are shown to have a slight impact on raising HDL as well. The easiest way to raise HDL is through exercise, working out at 85% of your max heart rate for 30 or more mins per day most days of the week with your doctor's approval. You have tried Niacin without luck so you need to try other options. With your above normal glucose level, High LDL and low HDL you may be experiencing Metabolic Syndrome.
Your LDL is fine, however you have a very low HDL (good cholesterol) that should be dealt with as it should be over 50 for a woman, 40 for a man. There are many options to raise HDL, Niacin being one of the best. In addition, HDL responds very quickly to exercise, a minimum of 30 mins most days of the week of a good aerobic work out, trying to keep your heart rate at 70% plus of your maximum heart rate.
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