While we are all worried about high cholesterol, low cholesterol is bad also. If your cholesterol is below 140, you will not make your sex hormones (DHEA, estrogen progesterone, testosterone for both men and women).

Causes of Low Cholesterol:

• Immune decline
• Chronic hepatitis
• Cholesterol lowering drugs
• Essential fatty acid deficiency
• Liver infection or disease
• Manganese deficiency
• Adrenal stress
• Recreational drugs (cocaine, marijuana)
• Excessive exercise (esp. in females)
• Low fat diets
• Psychological stress
• Cancer

Ferritin (also part of our Initial Anti-Aging Screening Test Panel).

• Studies show too much iron (reflected by ferritin level) can increase risk for heart disease.  Every 1% rise in serum ferritin causes 4% elevation in risk of MI*.
• Can increase oxidation of LDL.
• Use Vitamin C with caution (Vit C increases iron absorption)#

When too high, donate blood.

Previous studies submit that some metals, including iron, accumulate in human tissues during aging and that toxic levels of iron have been linked to neurologic diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Gordon Lithgow, from Buck Institute for Research on Aging (California, USA), and colleagues employed Caenorhabditis elegans (roundworm) to study the role of iron accumulation in the aging process. The researchers fed young roundworms (4 days old) iron, observing that they aged within a few days (to look like 15-day old worms).  As well, the team administered CaEDTA, an FDA-approved metal chelator (used in humans to treat lead poisoning), observing that the agent not only slowed the age-related accumulation of iron, but it extended the healthspan and lifespan of the worms.  Observing that:  “Increased dietary iron significantly accelerated the age-related accumulation of insoluble protein, a molecular pathology of aging,” the study authors submit that “these results suggest that a loss of metallostasis with aging contributes to age-related protein aggregation. (http://www.worldhealth.net/news/iron-accelerates-aging/)

*Sullivan, ., et al., “The iron paradigm of ischemic heart disease,” Am Heart J. 1989; 118(5):1177-88.

#Hallberg, L., et all., “The role of vitamin C in iron absorption.”  Int J Vitam Nutr Res Suppl. 1989;30:103-8.

Lipoprotein (a), another item of our Initial Anti-Aging Screening Test Panel, is a small cholesterol particle that causes inflammation and can clog blood vessels.  Research* shows that people with high lipoprotein (a) have a 70% higher risk of developing heart disease over 10 years.

Statin drug (which depletes CoQ10, the latter is often supplemented) may cause lipoprotein (a) to increase, which should be monitored for patients on statin drugs.

How to lower Lipoprotein (a)?

• BHRT
• Vit C (2-4 gm)
• CoQ-10 (120 mg)
• L-carnitine (1-2 gm)
• DHA (1-2 gm)
• Niacin (1-2 gm) (most effective, however it may increase LFT)
• L-lysine (500 -1000 mg)
• L-proline (500-1000 mg)
• Flax seed
• Policosanol
• When all above fail, Vit C 2gm/day +Nanokinase bid to prevent blood clots.  However, the combo doesn’t lower lipoprotein (a).

*Danesh J, et al., “Lipoprotein (a) and Coronary artery disease, ” Circulation 2000;102:1082-1085.

Fibrinogen is a clotting factor that increases as estrogen decreases and also with smokers.  Elevated levels of fibrinogen can cause heart attack.  Fibrinogen is part of our Initial Anti-Aging Screening Panel.

What to do with elevated fibrinogen?  You can use the following anti-inflammatory foods and supplements.

• Estrogen replacement for women (BHRT)
• Garlic
• Coldwater fish
• Vit E
• Gingko
• Bromelain
• EPA/DHA
• Ginger
• Green tea

C-Reactive Protein (CRP-hs) is part of our Initial Anti-Aging Screening Test Panel. The normal range from a regular lab may be > 5 or even >10.  However, research shows hsCRP > 1 starts to be correlated with ever increasing cardiovascular events and all cause mortality.   

• Elevated due to previous infection
• Chlamydia, herpes, CMV can cause inflammation and plaque formation.
• Is an anti-body like substance.
• Predictive of future MI even if cholesterol is normal.
• Elevated CRP-hs (high sensitivity) was found to be the strongest of 12 markers for heart attach, in a study involving 28,263 female patients.*
• Periodontal disease causes heart attack (elevates CRP).

How to lower CRP?

• Exercise
• Baby ASA, 81 mg, daily
• Essential fatty acids
• Quercetin as a supplement
• CoQ-10
• Natural Cox-2 inhibitors
  • Grapeseed extract (100 – 200 mg)
  • Curcumin (300 – 600 mg)
  • Green tea (3 cups or 3 caps/day)
• Rosemary
• Statin drugs
• ACE inhibitors
• Beta-blockers

*Ridker, ., et al., “C-reactive protein and other markers of inflammation in the production of cardiovascular disease in women,” NEJM 2000;342:836-843.

Other references (PMID numbers): 29699031, 29137033, 28834887, 28693795, 28462626, 28327451,  29137033, 28834887, 28462626, 28327451. 

Homocysteine (part of our Initial Anti-Aging Screening Test Panel)  is a major risk factor heart disease and stroke.  It’s also a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, osteoporosis, neuropsychiatric disorders, etc.  Homocysteine is toxic to the blood vessel walls in the heart and the brain, causing endothelial dysfunction, oxidative stress/free radicals, neuronal DNA damage, cerebral microangiopathy, apoptosis of neural cells and mitochondrial membrane damage.

Factors that may cause homocysteine level to increase: toxins, medications, age, smoking,  hypothyroidism, renal failure or hereditary. The ideal level of homocysteine is 7-10 umol/L (6-8 is the optimal level).  

If too high:

• Folic acid 800 mcg
• Vit B6 40 mg
• Vit B12 200 mcg daily
• Betaine HCL (Trimethylglycine) 500 – 1000 mg
• MTHF (active form of folic acid)
• Garlic 1000 mg
• SAMe 400 mg
• Beets, broccoli

Too low: too low a level is usually associated with over methylation.