Heart Health
HDL Cholesterol
What This Marker Tells Us
Measures "good" cholesterol that removes excess cholesterol from arteries and transports it to the liver for excretion, providing cardiovascular protection.
Why It Matters
Higher HDL correlates with lower heart disease risk. HDL particles travel through blood vessels, picking up excess cholesterol from arterial plaques and transporting it back to the liver for disposal (reverse cholesterol transport). HDL also has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties protecting blood vessels. Low HDL (below 40 mg/dL in men, below 50 mg/dL in women) is a major cardiovascular risk factor and component of metabolic syndrome. Very low HDL (below 30 mg/dL) dramatically increases heart attack and stroke risk. High HDL (above 60 mg/dL) is protective and actually reduces cardiovascular risk calculations. HDL is one of the most important lipid markers; raising HDL through lifestyle modification is a key cardiovascular risk reduction strategy.
How to Interpret Your Trends
Optimal HDL is above 60 mg/dL for both sexes, providing significant cardiovascular protection. Men should maintain HDL above 40 mg/dL; women above 50 mg/dL (women naturally have higher HDL due to estrogen). HDL below these thresholds increases cardiovascular risk and defines metabolic syndrome. Very low HDL (below 30 mg/dL) indicates very high risk requiring aggressive intervention. HDL should ideally comprise at least 20-25% of total cholesterol. Rising HDL trends indicate improving metabolic health, while falling HDL suggests metabolic deterioration.
What Influences This Marker
HDL increases with regular aerobic exercise (especially vigorous), weight loss, smoking cessation, moderate alcohol consumption (1-2 drinks daily), healthy fats (omega-3s, monounsaturated fats), and certain medications (niacin, fibrates). HDL decreases with sedentary lifestyle, obesity (especially abdominal), smoking, high refined carbohydrate intake, trans fats, uncontrolled diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and very-low-fat diets. Genetics strongly influence HDL; some people struggle to raise HDL despite optimal lifestyle, though lifestyle still matters for overall cardiovascular health.
How Your Team Uses It
Your coach prioritizes HDL optimization through regular aerobic and resistance exercise (exercise is the most effective HDL-raising intervention), omega-3 supplementation or fatty fish consumption, replacing refined carbs with healthy fats (nuts, olive oil, avocados), weight loss strategies, and smoking cessation support. They emphasize that lifestyle modifications raising HDL also improve overall metabolic health.
Related Signals We Also Review
Total cholesterol, LDL, triglycerides, total cholesterol/HDL ratio, triglyceride/HDL ratio, non-HDL cholesterol, apoB, and metabolic health markers for comprehensive cardiovascular assessment.