Elevated Liver Enzymes and HIGH LDL

Digestive health
1

Hello all,

I recently changed doctors and had my first check up in a few years. A little background on myself: I'm 24 years old, 5'7" 146lbs. I recently started bodybuilding again, in the beginning of Feb. and I'm currently in the "bulking phase." Being an ectomorph I have the hardest time gaining weight, so I began eating a ton of food as well as drinking mass gainer (loaded with ~260 grams per serving and I take 1 serving a day).

My doctor got my blood test results back and called me me in to discuss my cholesterol. My lipid panel was:

Total cholesterol: 360

HDL: 38

LDL: 306

Triglycerides: 68

My dad has high cholesterol as well, and the doctor said he's very confident this is genetics related. I wouldn't say I'm way out of shape, but I rarely do cardio. I followed this same diet and bodybuilding routine from Aug-Nov then took a 2 month break before starting again, so I wouldn't say I'm way out of shape, I just lack in the cardio aspect.

Long story short, he also mentioned my liver enzymes were elevated. I didn't get the exact numbers but he mentioned one of my numbers being 65 when it should be around 40 (AST possibly?) He said he's pretty sure I have a fatty liver due to the very high LDL number, and sent me in for an abdominal ultrasound, to confirm his assessment, as well as check for any tumors/cysts. I had my ultrasound done today, I probably won't know my results until next week. I'm also now prescribed 40mg of atorvastatin to get my LDL under control (which is known to elevate liver enzymes as well)

I guess my question is...could my enzymes be elevated due to these high LDL numbers alone? Everything online suggests high LDL AND high triglycerides could raise LDL.

I've since quit the mass gainer, and includes a ton more veggies in my diet. I also take fish oil.

I guess I'm a little worried having heard the word 'tumor.'

Does this seem logical? Having the genes for high LDL being the driving force of elevated liver enzymes? Or has my LDL increased due to an elevation in liver enzymes?

Any insight would be greatly appreciated. I'm not as educated as I should be on this topic, since I always assumed being skinny and underweight would negate me from having this issues.

Thanks

2

Edit: Mass gainer has about 260 grams of carbs per serving. Wondering if my increased LDL and enzymes could also be due to stacking this mass gainer on top of my daily 2500-3000 calorie diet, which includes meats, veggies, eggs, pasta, breads, and lots of protein.

3

Yes, the liver can cause high cholesterol.

I imagine your diet is not doing you any favours. I'm not sure how they measure cholesterol in the States, but here the guideline figure is 5.0. I was 5.5 when in hospital and 4.9 six months later, then 4.2 another six months later.

Sensible eating, the usual fruit and vegetables, porridge for breakfast (not everyone's cup of tea, but it does lower cholesterol) and nothing from a packet, like ready meals.

You are much mistaken if you think being thin on the outside means you're good on the inside and safe from issues.

4

Thanks for your reply. I'm not quite sure how the states way of measuring differs from uk, so I'll be no help there.

I'm just hoping my elevated liver enzymes all ties into genetics somehow. I can exercise and change my diet no problem, but if that isn't going to help then I need a new approach. The doc tested me for hep A,B, and C (all negative) and said my iron,sugar,potassium, etc, are all great. I believe he said it doesn't seem to be hemochromatosis based off my blood work. I guess I just need to trust his word that I could have a fatty liver, until I get my final results.

I don't drink but maybe 4-6 beers per month, nor am I a smoker, overweight, etc. I'm having a hard time figuring out why I would have a fatty liver unless the high LDL is the culprit. My brain jumps straight to the negative....liver cancer.

5

Hi Steve,

I have similar condition like yours and similar body structure. Were you able to find the root cause?