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Why is my cholesterol high but everything about my cholesterol is good.

I have low LDL, high HDL, low triglycerides, and a good ratio.   I'm 58, slim and exercise.  Yet, my blood work got flagged for high cholesterol.  I eat low carb, but definitely not keto.  How can my cholesterol be high?
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15695260 tn?1549593113
Hello and welcome to the forum.  Sorry you have had this issue to contend with and your lab values aren't exactly where you want them to be.  Please talk to your doctor about this report and get their guidance.  But in the meantime, your total cholesterol appears to be slightly elevated.   The target is less than 200 mg/dl or 5.1.  As you know, that number is a ratio of the other numbers. I would typically think of that as more borderline than high but please talk to your doctor about that. Most doctors would likely try to lower that number through lifestyle changes.  This may give you some ideas: https://www.webmd.com/cholesterol-management/features/11-tips-to-cut-your-cholesterol-fast.  It involves diet modification, weight management and physical activity among other things.  Talk to your doctor before starting any new program of exercise.  Yes, your HDL looks good.  Absolutely check with your doctor but I believe your LDL is just ever so slightly elevated.  That is if you don't have any other cardiovascular risk factors which in that case, they want it lower.  

Here's an article on understanding cholesterol.  https://www.healthline.com/health/high-cholesterol/levels-by-age.  You seem to be in the very boderline range at best.  Let us know what your doctor says.
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I cannot get to see my doctor for a few weeks.  I've read pretty  everything that you suggested but yet it does not answer my question.  Since cholesterol is a computation from all my numbers, can you explain why the cholesterol is high yet everything else is reasonably low?  What am I missing?  I am misunderstanding one of the numbers to be good while it is not?  I'm slim, work out, eat healthy meals, am vegetarian.  Most of the articles about cholesterol says to stay away from stuff that is not even in my diet to begin with.  
I just checked online for LDL, and it states that less than 3.5 mmol/L is considered ideal. Mine is 2.60.  

  Most articles about Cholesterol also speaks of loosing weight, and exercise.  I am already slim, and exercise frequently, especially now that summer is here.

PS - the site https://www.healthline.com/health/high-cholesterol/levels-by-age. does not seem to be working.
Hello again, the link should work, I just checked it.  You do have to copy and paste the link into your browser though.  Give it a try that way, it's not a hyper link.  

You are clearly doing a very good job with things you can control regarding your cholesterol!  In the United States, we work with mg/dl.  When I convert your numbers, it looks like your total and ldl are ever so slightly higher than guidelines.  However, you are right, when I look at  Canadian guidelines, your numbers fall within the appropriate limits.  https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/cholesterol-keeping-your-levels-in-check-1.880731  (again, copy and paste).  
Avatar universal
Here are my numbers.  I am in Canada so the numbers may be confusing to some.  All are good numbers.
Cholesterol 5.41
HDL 2.63
LDL 2.60
triglycerides - .39
non hdl 2.78
risk ratio - 1.06
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