3 years, and 50 pounds lighter!

I've had a few updates since last post. I reached nearly 50 pounds of weight loss, thanks to a low-carb, high-fat diet and intense exercise running and on the indoor rower. I'm off my Triglyceride medicine, and my beta blocker dose is 1/4 of the original.

A couple of weeks ago, I passed my stress test with flying colors, and I can exercise in (relative) comfort at 100% of my max heart rate for my age, which is 175bpm.

Here's my most recent cholesterol readings, from last week:

October 2012, weighing 165 and still on low-carb, high-fat diet:

cholesterol, total 144 mg/dl <200 (1 pt higher)
HDL cholesterol 58 mg/dl >39 (2 pts raise, good)
cholesterol/hdl ratio 2.48 <5.00 (good)
LDL cholesterol, calculated 62 <100 (good)
triglyceride 119 mg/dl <150 (great!)

And here are my March 2012 Values, at 175 lbs and same diet:
cholesterol, total 143 mg/dl <200
HDL cholesterol 56 mg/dl >39
cholesterol/hdl ratio 2.55 <5.00
LDL cholesterol, calculated 69 <100
triglyceride 90 mg/dl <150

The interesting thing is that my Tri's are stable around 90-120 without the medicine. Before I lost weight and changed my diet, they were still in the 200's while on Tricor. So there is a significant reduction in Triglycerides from diet and weight loss!

My glucose is 84, which is more than 15 points lower than earlier. 

Overall, I think I have "killed" all but one of the characteristics that are collectively called "Metabolic Syndrome" - a condition that can lead to heart disease and Type 2 Diabetes. Generally three of the conditions below warrant this diagnosis:

• BMI of 30 or higher (I'm at 25 now)
• Elevated waist circumference:
  • Men — greater than 40 inches (102 cm) (I'm at 31 now!)
  • Women — greater than 35 inches (88 cm)
• Elevated triglycerides: Equal to or greater than 150 mg/dL (1.7 mmol/L)(check, 119)
• Reduced HDL ("good") cholesterol:
  • Men — Less than 40 mg/dL (1.03 mmol/L) (I'm at 58)
  • Women — Less than 50 mg/dL (1.29 mmol/L)
• Elevated blood pressure: Equal to or greater than 130/85 mm Hg or use of medication for hypertension (Resting before stress test was 140/90 off meds...STRIKE 1)
• Elevated fasting glucose: Equal to or greater than 100 mg/dL (5.6 mmol/L) or use of medication for hyperglycemia (I'm 85, good there!)

So maybe the Beta Blocker is still needed for the mild hypertension. Interestingly, I would have had 4 or 5 of these conditions just after my heart attack. I wasn't a 40 waist, but my BMI was high, Tri's were off the charts, and glucose was near 100.

Overall, I'm not complaining. I just celebrated 3 years after my heart attack. I turn 50 in a couple of weeks, and I am in the best shape of my life. Let's hope I stay healthy all around!

Have you been checked lately? What's your Metabolic Syndrome risk level?