Question: Can a person's cholesterol be too low? My doctor wants me to exercise and even suggested I drink a glass of red wine to increase my "good" cholesterol. I thought cholesterol was bad?
Dr. Hibberd's answer:
Yes, your HDL cholesterol can be too low. Your HDL is the protective "good" cholesterol that mops up and transports away the damaging LDL "bad" cholesterol fragments that deposit inside narrowed blood vessels and can cause heart problems if they are not cleared away.
You want your HDL to be as high as possible and the LDL as low as 80 to 100 to keep your blood vessels clear and clean. Your total cholesterol is a combination of HDL and LDL, and as such only gives us limited information. The usual ratio of LDL to HDL is 2.5 or more with lower ratios being preferred.
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