When people are diagnosed with high cholesterol and advised to take statins by their physician, they quite rightly want to do do some research to find out exactly how statins will effect their health. One question that frequently occurs is do statins lower HDL?
This is a very important question to ask, because HDL which is more commonly known as the good cholesterol is needed by our body's and the level has to be higher than the LDL levels. The good news is that no, statins do not lower HDL in fact these levels may increase a touch and only the LDL levels go down. However, what is more of a concern is how far the LDL can go down and also what else in the body is effected by the statins.
The whole point of cholesterol control is not to totally eliminate LDL as it is needed to allow the body to function properly, what we want to do is keep the levels reasonably low whilst at the same time keeping the HDL levels as high as possible. Statins keep the LDL low by inhibiting an enzyme in the liver that produces the cholesterol, but sometimes it can inhibit it too much and when cholesterol levels are too low this can put you at an advanced risk of stroke.
Another health concern created by statins is that while it inhibits the cholesterol producing enzyme in the liver, it unfortunately also inhibits another enzyme which is needed to supply energy to every single cell in your body. Over a long period of time this can go on to create some severe health problems including heart failure. So although statins are not reducing HDL levels, they are not raising them much either and are also leaving us exposed to other health concerns, so what can we do about it?
An alternative route to boosting HDL and lowering LDL can be found in the form of supplements that contain key ingredients and also certain food choices. Some nutrients known to help are artichoke leaf extract, policosanol and phytosterols. Food choices to include are eliminating foods containing trans fats and increasing the amount of foods you eat that contain omega 3's, particularly oily fish as they have many heart health boosting properties.
In addition to that you need to ensure that you are exercising daily for at least thirty minutes, cutting back on your alcohol intake and also if you are a smoker, you really should quit. Following these steps will set you on your way to a healthier heart with higher HDL and lower LDL.
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