Okay. I smoke a lot. And carry salt around with me and pour it on everything. The doctor said I have very low cholesterol, (under 120) What does it mean to haver low cholesterol? Especially when it prob. should be verrry high??
2007-02-26 14:54:43 · 5 answers · asked by risaNaldo 2 in Health ➔ Other - Health
I have low cholesteral too and i do smoke so maybe that has something to do with it. I read somewhere that low cholesteral is linked to depression. Are you depressed? It could be a lot of different things.
2007-02-26 14:59:23 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
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2016-06-06 06:57:08 · answer #2 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cholesterol is a normal by product that all animals including us produce. A low cholesterol is healthier than a high cholesterol,however, broken down cholesterol has basically 2 components High Density Lipids (HDL) and Low Density Lipids (LDL). These 2 results are more important than the general one number. But of course if your doctor didn't order them, there is no way to know. LDL are the lousy or bad form of cholesterol. HDL is the healthier form of cholesterol.Too much LDL leads to plaque build up in the arteries which contributes to clot formation that breaks off and leads to a heart attack.HDL's clear out LDLs Smoking of course has many physical draw backs which we both know. Some nephrologists feel that with normal functioning kidneys, salt shouldn't be a problem. Hypertension (high blood pressure) may or may not be salt sensitive depending upon what is causing the high blood pressure. Your doctor really should have run LDL and HDL along with the one result. Your blood pressure is another factor that has more impact on your health than cholesterol. Try to cut down on smoking if you can't quit. Wean yourself to 6/day. That is what I'm trying to do because nothing is worse than a miserable ex-smoker. LOL Have a healthy year.
2007-02-26 15:22:32 · answer #3 · answered by firestarter 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
More important then just tracking your total cholesterol count is knowing your ratios of LDL-C to HDL-C. Think of LDL-C as "bad cholesterol and HDL-C as "good cholesterol". I take the drug Vytorin to help maintain my Cholesterol ratio around 2:1 with total C around 180. Vytorin is really two prescription drugs in one. Zetia reduces the LDL-C and Zocor helps raise the HDL-C. But of course, discuss cholesterol medications with a doctor that you know and trust before taking!
2007-02-26 15:24:43 · answer #4 · answered by V-Starion 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
total cholesterol values are mainly determined by genetics while the HDL-C:LDL-C ratio can be changed via the diet
2007-02-26 14:58:24 · answer #5 · answered by lv_consultant 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋