Can someone answer me?!?

Question

I recently had a full work up on my blood and everything came back perfectly normal except two things.

1. Carbon Dioxide was low (18 out of a 21-33 reference range)

2. HDL Cholesterol was low (39 which should be no lower than 46)

My question is - I understand that the lower the HDL (and higher the LDL) I am a candidate for heart disease. Lucky for me, my LDL was low. But, how do I get that HDL up??

Also, what are the problems that will come out of my Carbon Dioxide being so low? My Doctor mentioned possible kidney problems, but my BUN and Creatinine levels are perfect.

Can someone find me a link explaining these two things?

10 points is yours!

Answer 1

The best way to raise your HDL is with exercise

here you go.... 10 Ways to Help Boost Your 'Good' Cholesterol

http://www.webmd.com/solutions/Good-Chol...

at the bottom of the page shows some foods that help boost HDL levels

This page will answer all your carbon dioxide needs...Your Kidneys and lungs play a role in the level.

Answer 2

....electrolytes are important to our endocrine system, and they should be maintained with care once we note a possible change

....many conditions develope slowly, such as Type II diabetes, etc.

....the site below includes cholesterol info, as well as, describing the blood panel break down, including CO2 and what low CO2 may be indicating

Answer 3

Make your lifestyle count

Your lifestyle has the single greatest impact on your HDL cholesterol. Even small changes to your daily habits can help you meet your HDL target.

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Don't smoke. Smoking lowers HDL cholesterol and increases your blood's tendency to clot. It also causes chemical changes to HDL, which may eliminate HDL's beneficial effects. If you smoke, quit. Quitting smoking can increase your HDL cholesterol by up to 10 percent. Quitting isn't always easy, but you can increase your odds of success by trying more than one strategy at a time. For example, combine medication to reduce nicotine cravings with a support group or individual counseling. Talk with your doctor about your options for quitting.

Maintain a healthy weight. Excess pounds take a toll on HDL cholesterol. But there's good news. If you're overweight, losing even a few pounds can improve your HDL level. For every 2 pounds you lose, your HDL may increase by 0.35 mg/dL (0.01 mmol/L). That's about 1 mg/dL (0.03 mmol/L) for every 6 pounds. If you focus on becoming more physically active and choosing healthier foods — two other ways to increase your HDL cholesterol — you'll likely move toward a healthier weight in the process. What a bonus.

Get more physical activity. Within two months of starting, frequent aerobic exercise can increase HDL cholesterol by about 5 percent in otherwise healthy sedentary adults. Your best bet for increasing HDL cholesterol is to exercise briskly for 30 minutes, five times a week, so that you get more than 120 minutes of brisk aerobic exercise a week. Aerobic exercise is the kind that increases your heart rate and maximizes the amount of oxygen in your blood. Examples of aerobic exercise include walking, running, cycling, swimming, playing basketball, raking leaves — anything that increases your heart rate.

Choose healthier fats. A healthy diet includes some fat, but there's a limit. In a heart-healthy diet, between 25 and 35 percent of your total daily calories can come from fat — but saturated fat should account for less than 7 percent of your total daily calories. Avoid foods that contain saturated and trans fats, which raise LDL cholesterol and worsen inflammatory effects. Trans fat is found in many margarines and commercial baked products, and anything that contains partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. On the other hand, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats — found in olive, peanut and canola oils — tend to improve HDL's anti-inflammatory abilities. Nuts, fish and other foods containing omega-3 fatty acids are other good choices for improving your LDL cholesterol to HDL cholesterol ratio.

Drink alcohol only in moderation. In some studies, moderate use of alcohol has been linked with higher levels of HDL cholesterol — but the benefits aren't strong enough to recommend alcohol for anyone who doesn't drink already. If you choose to drink alcohol, do so in moderation. This means no more than one drink a day for women, and one to two drinks a day for men.

Understanding HDL cholesterol

Cholesterol is a waxy substance that's found in all of your cells and has several healthy functions, including helping to build your body's cells and playing a role in the production of s*x hormones. It's carried through your bloodstream attached to proteins. These proteins are called lipoproteins.

Low-density lipoproteins. These lipoproteins carry cholesterol throughout your body, delivering it to different organs and tissues. But if your body has more cholesterol than it needs, the excess keeps circulating in your blood. Over time, circulating LDL cholesterol reduces in size and undergoes chemical changes (becomes oxidized). These smaller, denser particles more easily enter the blood vessel wall and start to build up under the vessel lining. Deposits of LDL cholesterol particles are called plaques, and they can lead to inflammation, bleeding into the area, and calcification. Eventually, plaques can start to crowd the space within the blood vessel and obstruct blood flow, causing coronary artery disease. This is why LDL cholesterol is often referred to as "bad" cholesterol.

High-density lipoproteins. These lipoproteins are often referred to as HDL, or "good," cholesterol. They act as cholesterol scavengers, picking up excess cholesterol in your blood and taking it back to your liver for disposal. The higher your HDL level, the less "bad" cholesterol you'll have in your blood. In addition, HDL may have other protective effects on your heart and blood vessels, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-clotting effects.

The message to lower LDL cholesterol is loud and clear — but it might not be enough for people at high risk of heart disease. So doctors are beginning to turn their attention to HDL cholesterol. The evidence so far looks good that increasing HDL cholesterol reduces your risk of dying of heart disease.