Targeting the Killer LDL

"Small, dense particles of LDL are much more inflammatory than larger particles," says Paul Ziajka, M.D., Ph.D., a clinical lipidologist with the Southeast Lipid Association. Here's how to snuff the little devils.

Crack An Egg
Down an omelet every morning and you may lower your small-particle count, University of Connecticut researchers recently found. People who ate three whole eggs a day for 12 weeks dropped their small-LDL levels by an average of 18 percent.

Choose Your Meds Wisely
A class of drugs known as fibrates, which includes Tricor, specifically targets small, dense LDL, says Dr. Ziajka. The effect is significant only when your triglycerides are also elevated, he says. But before you swallow what your doctor prescribes, we suggest you read this article.

Pop Some Niacin
"Most drugs shift particle size after the cholesterol is made," Dr. Ziajka says. "Niacin causes the liver to produce larger particles." Try a no-flush variety (Dr. Ziajka recommends Slo-Niacin) starting with 500 milligrams a day and building to 2,000. There are side effects, so talk to your doctor first.

Lighten Your Load
Deflating your spare tire may reduce your small, dense LDL cholesterol, say scientists at Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute. The majority of overweight men who were pattern B (mostly small LDL) switched to pattern A (mostly large LDL) after they lost an average of 19 pounds. Want to know how your cholesterol is affecting your health risk? Find out with this quiz.

Have a Glass
That nightly beer does more than relax you—it may also lower your small, dense LDL, a recent Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism study found. Men who drank 7 to 13 alcoholic drinks a week had 20 percent fewer small-LDL particles than men who didn't drink at all. Just be sure to pick on of the best beers in America so you don't grow a beer belly.

More Links:
The 5 Vital Signs of a Healthy Heart
8 "Fatty" Foods That Are Good For You
100 Ways to Live Forever
The New American Diet