And so It begins - cholesterol

[luvin_life]

Hi all,

I went for a routine MOT at the gym, this highlighted that I was as fit as I had hoped due to running at least 2 times a week. Good blood pressure, low glucose, excellent resting heartbeat..... then came the cholesterol check, the machine simply said 'HI'. subsequently I have been to the doctors to get an accurate reading and it has shown to be over 10.

There is a family history going back at least 2 generations, so I feel a bit cheated that it is not my doing

Is anyone else in this boat I am 41 and have taken my first statin last night. My diet is changing as my wife and I discover more about this.

Wondering if anyone else has a similar situation.

Thanks for reading!

S

[skid112 Heart Star]

Hello luvin_life and welcome to the forum.

Statins, love em or hate em, probably most here dislike them for the side effects, but they do the job.

Keeping a good level of physical activity also helps keep the cholesterol lower as well.

You may find more support and help in this forum healthunlocked.com/choleste...

[luvin_life in reply to skid112]

thanks, yes i found them, this is a great place to know you are not alone!

[Hidden]

Hello there - with a cholesterol above 10 and a family history of heart disease your doctor needs to consider if you have a condition called familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH), which you can read a little more about here: bhf.org.uk/heart-health/con...

The guidance for this comes from NICE, which your GP can review: nice.org.uk/guidance/cg71

If you'd like to speak to one of us through the Genetic Information Service, you can call 0300 456 8383 Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm.

I hope this helps,

Chris

[luvin_life in reply to Hidden]

thanks Chris, might take you up on that!

[KEN65]

Hi, Likewise we have a family history of high cholesterol most of us around 10, I was 10.2 with normal statin at 40mg did nothing, after a CA and survived I am now on Crestor 10mg with Ezetrol 10mg that has me at around 5 with better HDL to LDL, because of our family history and very high Triglyceride ( these I am told produce the fatty bits that stick to the walls of your arteries) I am now under UCL hospital in London and they have been excellent with info and the added Ezetrol, well worth you talking to your doc if normal Stat's don't work for you. I am 65 my brother ten years younger also now under the UCL and hopefully not to go through what I have, for what its worth I am very active and been into sports all my life so it goes to show you don't have to be a couch potato to get this problem!, wish you well and I hope my info helps.

[luvin_life in reply to KEN65]

This is great info thanks. I am in a test phase for 3 months so will let u know 😁

[KEN65]

Okay good luck

[rouluer]

Hi and welcome, statins will help a lot to reduce your cholesterol level. I had a out of hospital cardiac arrest 2 and half years ago and currently take 80mg statin daily in the evening which took the level down immediately, my last reading was 2.8. I do a lot of exercise (triathlon & cycling) between 10-15 hours a week. I noticed when my diet changed Cholesterol went down further from around 4.5 to 3. Obviously you have family history with high Cholesterol but I'm hoping the below will help, infact I know it will!

Eat baked Salmon, Mackerel and eat sardines, foods in high Omega 3. Avoid dairy, I have exchanged milk with Almond and Soy milk. If i eat cheese it's fat reduced but in small quantities. I use milk for tea and coffee though. Avoid red meat or reduce say once every 2 weeks, eat breast chicken if you want to eat meat with lentils for example. Eat lots of veges and fruits, nuts like almonds and walnuts unsalted. Avoid crisps and white breads......if your hungry eat a healthy cereal bar or eat fruit. And lastly porridge contains soluble fibre which reduces low-density lipoprotein (LDL bad cholesterol) porridge contains beta-glucan. Eat it daily with Almond milk or soya with berries and honey.................this should get you started in the right direction, reduce beer/wine intake as well forgot!

[luvin_life in reply to rouluer]

Thanks very much for this. All useful info as I have not got very much from GP. I have just been and bought some walnuts for the afternoon lull of hunger. I know I can. The fish aspect might take a bit longer as I am not a fan.. I am going to try again with it though as it opens up many menu choices.

[rouluer]

You not alone on fish aspect, just concentrate on plant nutrients, raw food, limit meat and dairy, eat lots of varieties of fruit and you'll see a dramatic decrease in your cholesterol levels as well as your weight, continue exercising which is great for your cardiovascular system. Good luck! And keep us updated on your progress.

[Slimforsummer]

Try the British Heart Foundation free online program to lower your cholesterol. Full of accurate up to date information which if you follow could help make a difference. Good luck