Insights

5 of 5

Cardiovascular

Managing sedentary time and dietary fibre can help improve your cholesterol and inflammation levels

Key numbers

hs-CRP

4 mg/L

≤1 mg/L

Elevated inflammation - 4x above optimal threshold

Total cholesterol

6 mmol/L

≤5 mmol/L

Above optimal range despite excellent fitness

HDL cholesterol

1.86 mmol/L

≥1.0 mmol/L

Strong protective cholesterol - a significant positive

Triglycerides

0.88 mmol/L

≤1.13 mmol/L

Low triglycerides indicate good metabolic health

Alex, while your of 60 is elite, your data suggests an interesting pattern where high-intensity fitness exists alongside high levels of sedentary time. This may be contributing to your of 4 mg/L, which indicates low-grade systemic inflammation.

hs-CRP

High sensitivity CRP

Above range

4mg/L

3.1

Prolonged periods of inactivity, even with your consistently high daily step count, can impact how your body processes lipids and manages inflammatory pathways. This likely influences your , which is currently sitting above the optimal range despite your excellent fitness baseline.

total cholesterol

Total Cholesterol

Above range

6mmol/L

Your choice to avoid large fish due to previous mercury concerns is a sensible precaution, but it means you must prioritise other strategies to support your lipid profile. Increasing soluble fibre from plant-based sources like oats, lentils, and flaxseeds can actively help lower your cholesterol levels by binding to them in the digestive tract. This dietary focus, paired with breaking up sedentary periods with short movement breaks, will provide a powerful dual approach to lowering inflammation and supporting your long-term cardiovascular resilience.

What this means for you

Your lipid picture is mixed but manageable - high protective HDL and low triglycerides suggest your cardiovascular risk is lower than total cholesterol alone would indicate
Breaking up sedentary periods with short movement breaks, combined with adding more soluble fibre, gives you two practical levers to improve both cholesterol and inflammation
As you address sleep and recovery, inflammation may naturally improve - this interconnection means progress in one area often helps the others