A cardiovascular risk profile can be estimated with a blood lipid profile, which measures levels of cholesterol and other fats in the blood. A lot of information is communicated in the media about lowering cholesterol and it can sometimes be difficult to distinguish the myths from the facts.
Reducing Saturated Fats is Not Necessary
For years, health organizations and health professionals have been recommending low-fat diets, especially those low in saturated fats from animal sources, to reduce cholesterol levels. It has long been thought that the consumption of saturated fat is associated with high cholesterol levels. However, this belief has been turned into a myth with the meta-analysis published in January 2010 in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition." This meta-analysis evaluated the results of 21 of the best-designed studies and concluded that there was absolutely no relationship between saturated fat intake and the risk of developing coronary heart disease or cardiovascular disease.
A Lower Carbohydrate Intake to Lower Cholesterol
Although low-fat diets are usually recommended to lower the risk of heart disease, a low-carb approach actually could lead to greater improvements. Fat phobia is common, but an excessive carbohydrate intake might in fact be the cause of high blood cholesterol levels. Low-carb diets are based on the restriction of rice, pasta, bread, breakfast cereals, granola bars, potatoes, legumes, fruits, sweetened drinks and sugar, and the encouragement of the consumption of non-starchy vegetables, animal protein and fats from butter, mayonnaise, salad dressings, full-fat cheese, avocado, olive oil, nuts, seeds and coconut oil.
This eating pattern has been shown to significantly reduce triglycerides and boost heart-protective HDL levels without altering LDL cholesterol levels, as reported in a study published in 2004 in the "Annals of Internal Medicine." In this study, participants in the low-carb group lowered their triglycerides by 74.2 mg/dL, compared with 27.9 mg/dL in the low-fat group, in addition to increasing their HDL cholesterol levels by 5.5 mg/dL, compared with a reduction of 1.6 mg/dL in the low-fat group. The changes observed in LDL cholesterol levels were not significantly different between the two groups. Although most people focus on LDL cholesterol levels, both the reduction in triglycerides and protection from raised HDL levels observed with low-carb diets are sufficient to significantly lower cardiovascular risk.
LDL Cholesterol Does Not Tell The Whole Story
An LDL cholesterol level is a popular marker to determine cardiovascular risk, but other factors, such as triglyceride levels and HDL cholesterol, also need to be considered. C-reactive protein, a measurement that reflects levels of systemic low-grade inflammation, also constitutes an important cardiovascular risk marker. One of the problem with LDL cholesterol levels, as explained by Jeff S. Volek, associate professor at the University of Connecticut and coauthor of "The New Atkins for a New You," is that the size of the LDL particles, which is rarely measured, influences the cardiovascular risk profile more than LDL cholesterol concentrations, as reported in the August 2005 issue of "Nutrition & Metabolism." Small and dense LDL particles, often associated with high-carb diets, tend to be more atherogenic and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, while large and fluffy LDL particles, often seen with low-carb and higher-fat diet, are associated with a lower risk phenotype.
Triglycerides to HDL Cholesterol Ratio
To get more information about your cardiovascular risk, determine your triglyceride to HDL cholesterol ratio. Dr. Thomas Dayspring, director of the North Jersey Institute of Menopausal Lipidology, explains that an elevated ratio, over 3.8, is associated with small LDL particles in 80 percent of patients. Lowering this ratio, by decreasing triglycerides and boosting HDL cholesterol levels could benefit your heart. A lower triglyceride to HDL ratio can be achieved with a low-carbohydrate and higher-fat diet.
References
- American Heart Association: LDL and HDL Cholesterol: What's Bad and What's Good?
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies evaluating the association of saturated fat with cardiovascular disease; Patty W. Siri-Tarino, et al.; January 2010
- "Nutrition & Metabolism"; The case for not restricting saturated fat on a low carbohydrate diet; Jeff S. Volek, et al.; August 2005
- "Annals of Internal Medicine"; A Low-Carbohydrate, Ketogenic Diet versus a Low-Fat Diet To Treat Obesity and Hyperlipidemia; William S. Yancy Jr. et al; 2004
- The Center for Cholesterol Management: The Triglyceride / HDL-C Ratio
