Total cholesterol is really fairly meaningless as a measure - it predates the recognition that an higher HDL-C is a marker of "good" health. It only really make sense nowadays as part of the "Total Cholesterol / HDL-C" ratio which should be below 4.0
LDL-C (the so-called "bad" cholesterol) is an over-simplification as it just gives a total volume of LDL-C... but LDL comes in different particles sizes with "large and fluffy" being seen as harmless in comparison to "small and dense" - which is considered by some authorities to be 300% more dangerous. The implication of "volume" versus "particle size" is that someone could have a high LDL-C volume made up of large fluffy partciles and still be at lower risk than someone else with a low volume of small dense particles. Please read this PDF, print off a copy and take it to your Doctor:
Beyond Routine Cholesterol Testing: The Role of LDL Particle Size Assessment... This is not controversial... just new.. and your Doctor may not have heard about it yet. There is a blood test called "apo B" which measures LDL particle size.
The important measures are Triglyclerides, HDL-C and TC/HDL-C ratio.
These are some reasonable targets :
Triglycerides < 130mg/dl
HDL-C > 60mg/dl
Total Cholesterol / HDL-C ratio < 4.0
LDL-C < 100mg/dl
I have also read about a lipid "spike" shortly after starting low-carb... makes sense; as fat which has been locked in the adipose cells is finally being released. My LDL-C went way up (is now coming back down) but my Trigs have come way down and my HDL-C has come up.
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As for Blood Pressure: we do have an increased risk for CVD so BP control is seen as more important than in the general population
