No more fatback sandwiches ...
Last month, I blogged about a friend who has two uncles, one trim and one not-so-trim. My friend, now in his 30s, wants to age as well as his Uncle Robin.
Said friend recently applied for a life insurance policy and had a blood test. When his cholesterol numbers showed up, he searched the Web to find out what they meant. Somewhat reassured, he also had a quick chat with his doctor.
Friend's HDL level -- 60.1 milligrams per deciliter of blood serum -- pleased the doctor, who likes to see anything higher than 45. (For women, above 55 would be good.) But his LDL level -- 142 milligrams per deciliter -- was a little high. The doctor would like to see it lower than 130.
New York Times health writer Jane Brody reported recently that HDL is the most important number. She described HDL as "arterial Drano, helping to keep critical blood vessels from clogging up with circulation-impeding deposits."
