See How Insulin Resistance Interferes With Your Normal Levels of Cholesterol
We have seen in my previous article that since the liver cannot convert fatty acids into energy, it makes triglycerides out of them. But in order to make these triglycerides, the liver needs some extra parts, specifically parts from the cholesterol molecules. And here is where the problem starts.
Two types of cholesterol
- One of the main types of cholesterol in your body is the high density lipoprotein or HDL cholesterol. It is often known as the “good” cholesterol because it removes fatty acids from your arteries so they can be eliminated from the body.
- The other type of cholesterol is the low density lipoprotein or LDL cholesterol. LDL cholesterol is often referred to as the “bad” cholesterol because it tends to deposit fat in the walls of your arteries.
Three problems result from this:
- When your liver needs extra parts to make triglycerides, it goes to the HDL cholesterol. As a result, the level of HDL in your blood goes down.
- The liver also gets some molecules from LDL cholesterol but the result here is not less LDL molecules, just smaller ones. The LDL molecules left after this pick up are too small to be grabbed from the blood, so they don’t get cleared out of the body. Instead, they continue to wander in the blood vessels until they find a weak spot in an artery to attach themselves.
- The result of all this rearrangement of molecules is that you end up with high triglyceride levels, low levels of HDL, the “good” cholesterol, and a lot of small LDL molecules that can clog your arteries.
Extra insulin circulating in the blood
If you recall from my article “How a fat stomach can make you insulin resistant”, besides these fatty acids, you also have all that extra insulin wandering in your blood vessels. High levels of insulin cause the lining inside your blood vessels to overproduce a substance called PAI-1.
PAI-1 is a substance that highly contributes to the clotting of the blood. When the levels of this substance are high, your blood is more ready to clog, which increases your risk of heart attack and stroke.
Normal levels of cholesterol
In order to minimize your risk of having a heart attack or a stroke, you need to keep en eye on your cholesterol levels and keep them as close to normal as possible. If you don’t know what they are, ask your doctor’s office for a copy of the last blood test results so you can be informed.
| Type of cholesterol | Normal Levels – mg/dl | Near Optimal Levels – mg/dl | Low Level – mg/dl |
| Total Cholesterol | Less than 200 | ||
| LDL Cholesterol | Less than 100 | 100 – 129 | |
| HDL Cholesterol | 60 or higher | 50 – 60 | Less than 40 |
Borderline to high cholesterol levels
If your levels of cholesterol are closer to the table below, start taking immediate steps to lower them. Best course of action to lower cholesterol levels is reducing your intake os saturated fat and walking.
| Type of Cholesterol | Borderline Level – mg/dl | High Level – mg/dl | Very High Level – mg/dl |
| Total Cholesterol | 200 to 239 | 240 or higher | |
| LDL Cholesterol | 130 to 159 | 160 to 189 | 190 and above |
| HDL Cholesterol | See my note above |
Final word
As you can see, excess fatty acids in your body can cause a lot of trouble. When this excess of fat is accompanied by insulin resistance it really can cause serious problems in your health. The good news is that by losing just a few pounds, you can reverse insulin resistance and minimize the risk of having a heart attack or a stroke.
To your good health!
Emilia Klapp, R.D., B.S.
www.TheDiabetesClub.com
www.Discussion.TheDiabetesClub.com
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