Question: Can a person have too much HDL? My total cholesterol is 231. My doctor says I have nothing to worry about because my HDL is so "fantastic" that it's actually the reason for the 231 (my LDL is quite low).
Dr. Hibberd's answer:
The higher the HDL the better. You may indeed be one of those whose total cholesterol is high because your HDL is higher than normal. Of course without the actual figures, I must assume your HDL is over 100.
If so, you are fortunate indeed, because the HDL is the protective form of cholesterol that binds up the smaller LDL fragments that are so damaging to our vascular health and circulation when allowed to accumulate.
I assume your triglycerides are also under the 150 target, as these are independent risks for advancing atherosclerosis, and are not cleared by the HDL.
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