Decreased Level of HDL

Cholesterol comes in two forms, one "bad" and one "good." HDL, or high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), is the good kind of cholesterol, the kind you want to have high levels of--and if your test results show that you have decreased levels of HDL cholesterol, it's a good idea to understand what that means for your health.

Function

• HDL removes the bad cholesterol (LDL) from your bloodstream by transporting it to the liver. The liver then processes and removes the cholesterol from the body. People with higher levels of HDL tend to have less heart disease.

Considerations

• Niacin-rich foods such as dairy, fish, eggs and nuts help to increase the body's level of HDL. Genetics also contribute to HDL levels, and women naturally have more HDL than men.

Low HDL

• A good level of HDL is 60mg/dL or higher. Those with less than 40mg/dL are considered to have low HDL.

Causes of Decreased HDL

• There are several causes that have been association with low HDL levels: type 2 diabetes, being overweight, having a poor diet, smoking and not exercising.

Solution

• Raising HDL levels is most often done by treating the cause(s) of low HDL. This can be done by treating any related medical conditions, improving the diet and exercising.