Trig/HDL & "Hardening" Of The Arteries

[old timer]

I get 2 points/day towards a lower insurance premium if I take this "health IQ" test. A recent test mentioned the following:

1) The value of a low Trig/HDL number
2) Hardening (or conversely, flexibility) of the arteries

The first item I've heard very little about. The ratio of Trigs to HDL is a metric that the test considered very important for predicting a cardio vascular event with lower being better (and <1 meant very healthy). The second item is something that I can't recall hearing about in literally decades. Old people were claimed to get "hardening of the arteries." The test went on to say how exercise, particularly aerobic exercise, was important to keep the arteries flexible.

Anyone place any valve on either of these items? For predicting CVE, until recently I thought Total CHO to HDL was the best predictor, but I've read where some now question if higher HDL numbers are as important as they used to think.

 

[Black Beard]

I get 2 points/day towards a lower insurance premium if I take this "health IQ" test. A recent test mentioned the following:

1) The value of a low Trig/HDL number
2) Hardening (or conversely, flexibility) of the arteries

The first item I've heard very little about. The ratio of Trigs to HDL is a metric that the test considered very important for predicting a cardio vascular event with lower being better (and <1 meant very healthy). The second item is something that I can't recall hearing about in literally decades. Old people were claimed to get "hardening of the arteries." The test went on to say how exercise, particularly aerobic exercise, was important to keep the arteries flexible.

Anyone place any valve on either of these items? For predicting CVE, until recently I thought Total CHO to HDL was the best predictor, but I've read where some now question if higher HDL numbers are as important as they used to think.

Are they doing a calcium scoring for #2? This is a much better marker than lipids because you are directly looking at the arteries/blood vessels and can see what's going on.

 

[thethinker48]

HDL functionality > HDL number; but since we can’t measure that emphasis is placed on the number (which isn’t entirely a good idea; you don’t want your HDL to be in the single digits either though)

LDL p and Apo B > LDL C

Triglycerides > TC

People need to understand what exactly atherosclerosis is in order to properly understand lipid profiles. Anybody can read reference ranges on a blood panel; many docs fall into this category.

You have dysfunctional lipids + endothelial dysfunction (influences by Both direct: bp and indirect AAS use) + inflammation (which would then allow oxidation of these molecules: via T lymphs and macrophages —> foam cells).

Quite a complex process influenced by MORE than just one factor; and the biggest factor being age, this doesn’t happen in 6 months.

So when you look at your lipid profile; think of it like looking at the world through a keyhole; you’ll see some stuff but far from the entire picture.


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[old timer]

Coincidentally, I have my annual physical on Friday but this year they emailed me the results from my bloodwork early. My results are:

LDL: 160
HDL: 68
Trigs: 53
TC: 243

Would the LDL number bother you? I eat plenty of salmon, chicken, sunflower seeds, fruits, and vegetables but I eat ~2 lbs of 90/10 ground beef every week too.

 

[Knight9]

Coincidentally, I have my annual physical on Friday but this year they emailed me the results from my bloodwork early. My results are:



LDL: 160

HDL: 68

Trigs: 53

TC: 243



Would the LDL number bother you? I eat plenty of salmon, chicken, sunflower seeds, fruits, and vegetables but I eat ~2 lbs of 90/10 ground beef every week too.

I would get an NMR and apo-b test run. I wouldn't worry about the numbers you posted, but I would strive to learn more through these tests and THEN evaluate. If you do these, bring the results here to update us!

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[old timer]

Thanks guys. I think that I'll get one of the expanded lipid tests in the future, and I'll definitely report back.

Here's a series of articles that looks comprehensive to me: https://peterattiamd.com/the-straight-dope-on-cholesterol-part-i/

 

[XstarchildX]

I've seen numbers much worse than that, but it is worth investigating further because there's always room for improvement!

 

[nothuman]

I would get an NMR and apo-b test run. I wouldn't worry about the numbers you posted, but I would strive to learn more through these tests and THEN evaluate. If you do these, bring the results here to update us!

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This. If you really want to know what's going on via bloodwork, a standard lipid panel won't give you the answer. All it can do is provide a clue, but there is nothing conclusive in there.