Can Too Much ‘Good Cholesterol’ Be a Bad Thing?

Another study, published in Hypertension, found that like participants in the low HDL group, who were at greater risk for cardiovascular events, those in the high HDL group also faced an increased risk. And new research published in The Lancet Regional Health found that older adults with HDL levels above 80 had a 27 percent higher risk of dementia.

“But we don’t want to scare people,” says Mushtaq, based in Orlando, Florida. “This is not really an issue we see clinically very often,” she says. And when it arises, doctors will most likely “start chasing down genetic issues or something else that’s going on,” Mushtaq adds. Some genetic mutations can cause your body to produce too much HDL cholesterol. Hyperthyroidism, alcohol use disorders and certain medications can also contribute to abnormally high HDL levels.

Curious about your cholesterol levels? You’ll have to ask your doctor for a complete cholesterol test, also called a lipid panel or lipid profile, since the warning signs of worrisome cholesterol numbers are silent. This test will measure your LDL, HDL and triglycerides (another type of fat in the blood), and can help predict your risk of heart disease and stroke. Your doctor can also screen you for any genetic-related cholesterol issues.

How to increase your HDL cholesterol

If you’re looking for a few ways to increase your HDL cholesterol to healthier levels, exercise is a good place to start, and Kopecky says interval training is a “bang-for-your-buck” strategy. Pushing yourself harder for 30 or 60 seconds at a time raises HDL more than the same output of continuous exercise at a slower pace, he says.  

An added benefit is that incorporating intervals into your day saves time. When Kopecky wants a bottle of water or banana while at work, he walks from the fifth floor to the break room on the ground floor, then runs back up.

“And when I say run, that’s three stairs per second, which is a lot faster than people are used to doing,” he says. “It takes me only about a minute and a half to go up [four] flights of stairs.” As an added bonus, physical activity can also lower your LDL levels.

Quitting smoking is another way to raise HDL levels. According to Kopecky, that bumps up numbers by 15 to 20 percent within six weeks.

Then there’s boosting HDL through nutrition. Research shows a diet rich in plant-based foods and healthy fats (like the Mediterranean diet) can raise HDL cholesterol to levels that ward against cardiovascular disease.

Avocados, nuts, and fish linked to healthy omega-3 fatty acids (salmon, sea bass, sardines) are among the diet’s staples.

Jamie Mok, a registered dietitian nutritionist and national spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, recommends healthy sources of protein including beans, lentils and peas; dropping coconut and palm oils for olive and avocado oils; minimizing sugar-sweetened beverages and highly processed foods; and limiting or avoiding alcohol, which can have an impact on cholesterol.

Moderation when it comes to alcohol tends to be defined as one drink at the most per day for women and two drinks at the most per day for men.

“I get a lot of patients who ask, ‘Well, if I don’t drink an alcoholic beverage throughout the week, can I add them all up on the weekend?’ It doesn’t work like that,” she says.  

Be careful not to judge fats in food with a broad brush, advises Mushtaq. Too much focus on a low-fat diet, for example, means not enough attention on “the right kinds of fats that are good for brain health, hormonal health and longevity,” she says.

“When it comes to memory and mood,” Mushtaq adds, “healthy fats are critical.”

Mushtaq also cautions against putting too much stock in nutrition advice found on social media. “A lot of folks have really fancy accounts on Instagram and TikTok and sell themselves as health experts, and they’re really pushing multilevel [marketing] supplements,” she says. “It’s really important to work with a registered dietitian or certified nutritionist.”