What causes low hdl

Information on what causes low hdl and the precautions you should take.

I want to remind you that hdl is the lipoprotein which transports the cholesterol and removes it from the bloodstream. In this way your blood and body is safe of extra cholesterol.

That is why hdl is called the good cholesterol. This lipoprotein is called alphalipoprotein. There are a variety of factors which cause low hld (or hypoalphalipoproteinemia).

I am going to group them into two main types for information purposes only:

1- Causes that you cannot do anything to change.

2- Causes that you can do something to change.


1- Causes that you cannot do anything to change

Family history or known otherwise as hereditary factor may cause low hdl cholesterol. If you have any close relative with hypoalphalipoproteinemia, most probably you will heredity the genes for that condition.

And in the future, you may have problems with altered hdl.

2- Causes that you can manage.

There are a variety of things which cause low hdl and you can do something to stop it. These include:


Smoking cigarettes

Obesity (or being overweight)

Having a sedentary life

Unmanaged diabetes (type 2 diabetes)

Specific drugs (probucol, androgens, progestins, thiazide diuretics in high dose, beta blockers in high dose, )

A bad diet strategy (especially high in carb and very low in fat)

Having high triglyceride levels (hypertriglyceridemia)

Special body conditions (renal disease in the end-stage, dysglobulinemia, severe liver disease and inflammatory disease, malabsorption and malnutrition)

If you see your hdl levels falls below 40 mg/dl, you must start a program to increase them. Some simple changes in your lifestyle habits and following the right diet strategy will help.


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