Cholesterol levels are tremendously important measures for people with diabetes. HDL cholesterol is a number that you want to be high because the higher it is, the lower your chances of coronary heart disease. Diabetes, all by itself, is a strong risk factor for heart disease because of the havoc poor blood sugar control can wreak on your body. Close to 19 million people are diagnosed with diabetes in the United States; another 7 million have the disease but don't know it.
Lowdown on HDL Cholesterol
HDL refers to high-density lipoprotein. It's actually the specially carrier that ferries cholesterol through your bloodstream and around your body. One of its main jobs is to go around collecting LDL, or low-density cholesterol, for removal from your body. LDL is often referred to as the bad cholesterol. HDL is the good cholesterol, because the more you have, the lower your risk for heart-related complications of diabetes. Low HDL levels put you at greater risk.
Optimal HDL Levels for Diabetics
Public health authorities advise different figures for optimal levels of HDL cholesterol among people with diabetics. At a foundational level, you should strive to keep your HDL above 40 mg/dL. That's the reading advised by the National Diabetes Education Program. Joslin Diabetes Center at Harvard University and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases divide recommendations based on gender. They say women should keep theirs higher than 40 mg/dL and men higher than 50 mg/dL. The American Diabetes Association says your target should be 60 mg/dL or greater, a reading which coincides with the recommendations of the American Heart Association for the adult general public.
Low HDL Levels
Low HDL cholesterol is a strong, independent risk factor for coronary heart disease, says the National Cholesterol Education Program. Low HDL is defined as being below 40 mg/dL. If you have low HDL and diabetes, it changes how your doctor may treat your cholesterol problem if you have one. The program says many conditions can cause low HDL cholesterol levels, and type 2 diabetes, with its insulin resistance, is one of them. Other causes related to insulin resistance that impact HDL include elevated triglycerides, being overweight or obese and physical inactivity.
Help Your HDL
The Mayo Clinic says if you stop smoking, lose weight and get more exercise, you can improve your HDL levels. In addition, you can eat heart-healthy fats like mono- and polyunsaturated fats, like those found in salmon and tuna, olive oil and nuts. Certain cholesterol medications also work to elevate your HDL levels. Talk to your doctor about the approach that's right for you.
References
- American Diabetes Association: All about Cholesterol
- Joslin Diabetes Center: Diabetes and Cholesterol
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; High Blood Cholesterol: Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (Adult Treatment Panel III); May 2001
- National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse; Diabetes, Heart Disease, and Stroke; December 2005
- National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse; Preventing Diabetes Problems: Keep Your Diabetes Under Control; February 2008
- Prevent Diabetes Problems: Keep Your Heart and Blood Vessels Healthy; April 2009
