What Is a Healthy HDL Level?
HDL levels above those cutoffs are normal and do not affect the risk of CAD positively or negatively.
However, HDL levels greater than 60 mg/dL are associated with a reduced risk of heart disease.
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Thus, the HDL story is more complex than scientists originally had hoped.
How Can We Increase Our HDL Levels?
Heres how to increase HDL levels in a beneficial way.
Lose Weight
Obesity results not only in increased LDL cholesterol but also in reduced HDL cholesterol.
If you smoke, giving up tobacco will increase HDL levels.
Trans fatty acids not only increase LDL cholesterol levels, but they also reduce HDL cholesterol levels.
Studies have also shown mixed results depending on the population studied: postmenopausal women versus men or pre-menopausal women.
What About a Low-Fat Diet?
Substantial evidence now shows that a low-fat diet often reduces rather than increases HDL levels.
What About Drugs?
Drug therapy for raising HDL cholesterol levels has, so far, been a disappointment.
In fact, studies appear to show a worsening in cardiac risk with some of these drugs.
It is unclear today whether any CETP inhibitors will ever reach the market.
Summary
Higher levels of HDL cholesterol are generally associated with lower cardiac risk.
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