Lowering Estradiol or Triglycerides: After Menopause, Which Matters More

Q. I recently had a blood test. My estrogen ("estradiol") level is 42, which my doctor says is high for my age. I'm 76. Is that a worry? My LDL cholesterol is 97, my HDL's 54, and my triglycerides are 126. Are there any red flags there? I eat almost no salt, sugar, or processed foods, do yoga, and sleep 7 or 8 hours a night.
-- Mary Nell, via e-mail

A. If you were our patient, we'd be thrilled. What a healthy lifestyle! But we'd worry (a little) about your triglycerides, not your estrogen -- or, medically, your estradiol, the most important form of estrogen and what blood tests measure. Before menopause, estradiol normally swings widely, from 30 pg/ML to 400 pg/ML. After menopause, anything from 0 to 30 is normal, but 42 is no biggie. In fact, your slightly higher estradiol levels may be a sign that your super lifestyle is keeping you young. Way to go!

However, while having your triglycerides under 150 is considered "normal," in this case we don't think 150 is healthy enough. Triglycerides are like hurricanes: The fewer you have, the better. We'd like to see your triglycerides under 100. These bad fats go after your arteries, blood pressure, and heart, just like lousy LDL cholesterol does. Aging makes you more vulnerable to this damage.

The fix? It's so simple YOU may have guessed it: Walk 30 minutes every day, and take 900 mg of DHA omega-3 supplements -- ideally, made from algae, not fish oil (algae's where fish get their omega-3s). The combo will drop your triglycerides lower than a teenager's jeans, and help your heart, brain, eyes, and HDL, too.

Slice a few more tomatoes into your diet. They're a wiz at controlling triglycerides.