Tags
cholesterol, High-density lipoprotein, Low-density lipoprotein, paleo, primal, Vertical Auto Profile
Well, I saw the doc today for my not-so yearly physical. I’m fairly certain he was pleased.
The first thing he mentioned was the 30 pounds I had lost since the last visit three years ago. I was pretty proud of myself telling him that most of that was in the past four months. He asked how I was doing it, and when I told him no wheat no sugar, he had no problems with that! Awesome! He even made a comment about how much wheat this country consumes. 😉
So, let’s take a look at my cholesterol results. When I had my blood drawn last week, I specifically asked for the VAP test. It was done by Atherotech, and the result sheet states that this is a direct-measured panel. Here’s what came out. I show my numbers first, then the desirable range and determined risk in brackets.
Total LDL – 127 {<130 mg/dL, low risk}
IDL – 8 {<20 mg/dL, low risk}
Lp(a) – 8 {<10 mg/dL, low risk}
LDL (rest of it) – 111 {<100 mg/dL, medium risk}
Total HDL – 35 {≥40 mg/dL, high risk}
HDL2 – 7 {≥15 mg/dL, high risk}
HDL3 – 28 {≥25 mg/dL, low risk}
Total VLDL – 15 {<30 mg/dL, low risk}
VLDL1/2 – 6 {<20 mg/dL, low risk}
VLDL3 – 9 {<10 mg/dL, low risk}
Total cholesterol – 177 {<200 mg/dL, low risk}
Triglycerides – 46 {<150 mg/dL, low risk}
LDL Density pattern – A! {yay! low risk}
ApoB – 95 {< 109 mg/dL, low risk} – this is the sum of the atherogenic lipoprotein particles
ApoAl – 115 {> 145 mg/dL, high risk} – this is the sum 0f the anti-atherogenic lipoprotein particles
Apo B/Al ratio – 0.83 {<0.75, medium risk} – low ratio indicates lower risk
About the only thing the doc could come up with was that my HDL was too low. He’d like to see that number get higher, and recommended fish oil (other than eating fish, that is). I told him I take fish oil (when I remember), and he suggested Lovaza if my insurance will cover it. 2 at breakfast and 2 at dinner, which is what I try to do anyway. Maybe I need a better fish oil. I think exercise helps to raise HDL too, and I need to get better at that. More consistent, better intensity. I also wonder about the ApoAl not being high enough, and if that’s related to the HDL? Or if that’s just a consequence of still having a lot of weight left to go.
Overall, not bad for four months of mostly primal living. As this weight keeps coming off (just under 50 pounds left to go), hopefully these results will improve even more! I know these lipid results are improvements from 3 years ago – my total cholesterol then was over 200 and my LDL was slightly over 130. I just don’t have the exact numbers in front of me. Regardless, the doctor basically closed my visit with “keep doing what you’re doing, it’s working”. Hey, can’t argue with that prescription! (I rewarded myself with a medium rare ribeye from a local steak place for dinner. 😉 Doc’s orders!)
Primal Dawn 