Exercise will increase good cholesterol

QI am a 42-year-old man. I did a lipid profile test and the result showed cholesterol total — 208 mg/dl, HDL cholesterol — 32 mg/dl, LDL cholesterol — 133 mg/dl, VLDL cholesterol — 43 mg/dl, triglyceride — 218 mg/dl, ratio — 6.5. The urine test showed, albumin — trace, sugar — nil, pus cells — 46 hpf, epi-cells — 1-2 hpf, RBC — occasional, casts — nil, crystals — nil, bacteria — present, mucus — present. What should I do to have good overall health? — Anonymous

AThe most important finding of your lipid profile is low HDL cholesterol. HDL cholesterol is good cholesterol and the higher it is, the better for health. On the other hand, LDL cholesterol is bad cholesterol and the lower it is, the better. Other values are borderline high. The first step is to have a low fat diet and to exercise at least 150 minutes a week in the form of brisk walk, jogging or playing badminton, etc. This will increase your HDL cholesterol as well to a certain extent. Do not consume more than a litre of oil or fat in a month. It is important to avoid fast foods, as they are very high in saturated fats and even salt.

— Dr Anuj Kapadia,

senior consultant cardiologist

QI am a senior citizen. My eyes are frequently watering. The eye specialist says that it is because of weakness in the eye muscle. However, may be because of frequently wiping the tears, I now have dark circles around my eyes. Is there any medication for getting rid of the dark circles? — Anonymous

AThe dark circles are due to the pigment released from within the body and it can’t be removed by applying ointments externally. The best way is to be gentle while wiping the tears instead of pressing it hard.

— Dr Sreelakshmi Nimmagadda, cataract and refractive surgeon