Higher Cholesterol

[B_J]

My wife was talking to two people yesterday who had recently quit Atkins because their cholesterol levels went up on the plan. They went up into the danger levels. One older guy (65 yo) went from having a diagnosis of clear arteries to having clogged ones now after just one year. They blame atkins for the diet and have stopped. The both lost alot of weight too, so they did something right. Yet the cholesterol is high, what could cause this?

BJ

[Heeligan2]

The doctors really can't tell if your arteries are clear or clogged unless they do invasive diagnostic tests - did this person actually have two angiograms a year apart? If not, there is no way to know for sure what is going on in their arteries, because symptoms can be caused by various different things. (I know that the doctors do their best to determine the state of your arteries from various non-invasive tests, but they cannot be sure -- we recently had the situation where various doctors/cardiologists were convinced my husband was on the verge of a heart attack due to clogged arteries but then the angiogram showed clear arteries).

As for cholesterol, the numbers can be *healthier* even if the total number goes *higher*. The total number is not what is key. It is the HDL and triglycerides and the various ratios. On low carb, LDL may rise but it could well be changing from the unhealthier type to the healther type. That is typical, according to Protein Power. The protein power book has a lot of information on cholesterol and how low carb is healthy in that regard.

In addition, according to Protein Power, some people are sensitive to arachidonic (sp?) acid in eggs and meat and may see a worsening of their cholesterol ratios as a result. Also, individuals' metabolisms are different, so low carb may affect different people differently.

Overall, I don't think we really have enough information to draw any conclusions from these two examples. We don't know how well they followed the low carb plan or any details on what their cholesterol numbers were before and after. As far as anecdotal evidence, most of the individuals who have posted their cholesterol details and eating patterns on the boards I read have seen improvement from low carb.

But obviously this WOE is controversial, with doctors and others in complete disagreement, so we can just try to resolve the conflicting information we get.

[B_J]

I know there isn't any hard evidence to support. They just lost alot of weight so I figured they were following atkins more or less well. That red meat/eggs thing would ruin my low carb woe, its tuff enough as it is.

BJ

[starlite]

Sounds like their bodies didn't utilize the excess of fat and/or trans fats - that could have played a large role as well. As one person said, we really don't know all the facts either, but I've heard of this happening to low-carbers before. I guess that's why it's SO important to get your levels checked regularily.

The liver plays a large roll in breaking down cholesterol so who knows, maybe theirs just couldn't handle it. It's too bad when that happens, but it does happen to some. Others have no problems...go figure, huh! :confused:

[Karen]

We had an interesting discussion on the topic yesterday:

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=37058

It's very hard to consume trans fats on a low-carb WOE. Most trans fats come from partially hydrogenated oils used in baked goods, margarine and deep frying.

Here is some information on trans fats: How Much Trans Fat is in Our Foods? (http://www.enig.com/0001t14.html)

Karen

[shelley]

they went from 3.5 to 5.4 in 5 months. But my blood sugars are now a stable 5- 6. I think I was going way overboard with the cheese and high fat food though. I think I need to eat leaner meats more.

[Lisa N]

The total cholesterol level is not the important reading. What you need to look at is the pieces of the puzzle in this case; LDL, HDL and Triglycerides. If you total cholesterol went up because there was a rise in HDL, that's a good thing. Even if your LDL goes up, that may not necessarily be a bad thing. There are two types of LDL, a light fluffy kind that does not stick to your arteries and contribute to heart disease and a dense small kind that does stick to your arteries and contribute to heart disease. When you low carb, your body often converts your LDL from the bad kind to the good kind (which can cause an increase). So...if your total cholesterol goes up along with your HDL, but your triglycerides drop your overall cardiac risk could very well be better instead of worse even if your LDL goes up too. My doc was freaked because my LDL went up (even though my HDL also went up and my triglycerides went WAY down) and wanted to put me on Lipitor right away. I said no to the Lipitor (yes, folks, you CAN tell your doctor you don't want a particular treatment, just don't expect them to be happy about it) and I asked for a recheck in 6 months (which is coming up in a couple of weeks) and at that time, I will also request that the LDL be broken down into type A and type B to get a really good picture of what's happening. I'll let you all know when I get the results. :cool:

[shelley]

my LDL did go up. As for the others, I am not sure. They did not test my triglycerides. But they were harping about my kidney on my last visit so this time they test me and my creatinine was perfect ~ .72.

[Lisa N]

That's good news about the creatinine. Let me guess...doc is convinced that you're destroying your kidneys with all the protein? LOL...don't know why they're so hung up on that one especially since there have never been any studies showing that a high protein diet is harmful to healthy kidneys in any way. Also good news about your sugar. My doc was astounded that I could bring my sugar from 11.8 to 5.8 in less than 6 months! Between 5 and 6 is good...closer to 5 is better.

[shelley]

I have been pleased with my blood sugars. Now, god willing, I will be able to get some of the weight off soon. But at least I am not gaining. My endocrinologist told me that people with this disorder are often over 400 - 500 pounds and I should be happy that my weight gain has stopped.

[razzle]

I've read anywhere from 15-25% of people will get worse serum cholesterol test results from LCing (if indeed high cholesterol is 'worse,' which is still a hotly debated claim, not "fact")

Mine went down 50 points (and triglycercides plummeted)--i think from LCing. Though I simultaneously switched from Coke and Diet Coke to weak black tea (lowers cholesterol, allegedly), took more vitamin pills, and exercised more (lowers cholesterol, allegedly), and, as in any epidemeological evidence, causation between any of these factors and my blood work is impossible to determine. Correlation never equals causation, and the sample of your two friends plus me plus everybody who replied here is not a meaningful sample.

For women over 65, higher cholesterol is correlated with LOWER heart attack risk, not higher, btw...this also says nothing about causal mechanisms, but I always think it's an interesting, apparently often-suppressed fact.

All anyone can do is compare test results over the long LC haul--and if the HDL:triglyceride ratio (the only meaningful number, say many experts) worsens, perhaps it's time to change the WOE. Until each of us has those results, though, there's no reason to worry yet. :)