I requested a blood test just to see my cholesterol levels. Have been running for a year and go out regularly with a 10k once a week and 2 x 5k, walk a lot too. Have lost 3 stone by reducing calorie intake and just cut out bread too. It came back high and I need to see a doctor. I am still a stone overweight which I am working on but I do not smoke, drink no alcohol either. Seems strange, anyone else had this issue. Have been researching what I need to give up to bring it down - any tips 😕
Blood pressure is fine and I think my heart and lungs are so improved since IS started running but disappointing I didn't get a good result
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JoolieB1
Graduate10
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It is,worth getting a detailed medical check..it can really pinpoint issues..x
Agree with old floss,best to get it checked out. I had my BP and pulse checked on Monday,bloods on Tuesday,all seem to be fine and clear (still to have and echo and stress test) so could be genetic if anything. I have family history with both my parents (my mum sadly gone to heart related problems,dad still with us). Best to be safe and get checked And having gone through the shock of it all this week,with you all the way x
Just a thought. Did you get a breakdown of your ldl/Hdl (good/bad) cholesterol? I had mine checked recently. Overall by cholesterol is 'borderline' but was told I could disregard this as my good cholesterol levels were high and the the ratio of good/bad cholesterol was healthy. Doing lots of cardio like running raises good cholesterol. Eating good fats like in nuts and seeds helps too. Some friends have been told they have high cholesterol but have no idea of the hdl/ldl breakdown.
I have a GP appointment in a couple of weeks and will ask them for details. One thing is that it is pretty hard to get simp,e information about how to bring it down. Eat oily fish, reduce butter and red meat, hard cheese etc. Diet is the only thing I can do because I don't smoke or drink and OBVIOUSLY exercise regularly LOL
Try a whole food plant based starch based no added oil way of eating. I lost 26k and my cholesterol went from 6.8 to 4.4! I f you search Starch Solution you'll find all the answers you need.
I have a bit of knowledge in this area. In the old days we just looked at Total cholesterol level ,the TV adds still play on this with various chop lowering products. In actual fact the total cholesterol gives us little info, it's the Ratio level that's important. That is the amount of good fat (HDL) vs bad fats (LDL, VLDL and Trygs). That last one triglycerides are usually due to being overweight but as you're losing wt they'll come down as well. We now use your Ratio ( good vs bad) to determine chol risk And then add in any other risks like smoking high BP etc. Eg my chol level is 7! but my risk is low because I have a lot of good hdl in that 7. My friend has a chol of 4 but is at high risk because most of that 4 is made up of bad chol! The practice nurse is usually the one clued up in this regard as they run the heart clinics.
There endith lesson 101 cholesterol demystified, or have I just bored you all rigid?!
I don't go a bundle on this stuff. my gp gave me a load of hard sell about it. on my 2nd test he didn't even give me the figure, just his assessment of my risk. his threshold for prescribing drugs was different to the current nhs advice so I was dead sceptical. i am a new patient and just wonder if i am being added to the long list of medicated "well" It was my husband that sowed the seeds of doubt in my mind as he was prescribed both blood pressure and cholesterol medication and he doesn't believe either was justified. He stopped taking both. He was worried about the BP medication as he felt so shite whilst taking it. he said it hurt his eyes, so he stopped taking it. He pointed out that once the doc has prescribed, that no-one actually follows up if you collect it, ,so they can't be that concerned.
I have familial risk but my dad smoked like a chimney, lived on dripping sandwiches, sugary tea and much beer etc. I lead a healthy lifestyle and don't like the thought of medication unless it's absolutely necessary.
The body makes cholesterol for a reason. I told the doc I was training for a half marathon, and that might be the reason for the reading. he rejected that and added that I was also not doing my joints any favours! Hmm 😕
I shall carry on running, eating healthily, not drinking and not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight. ,That'll have to do ☺
It could be nothing but a money making racket, feeding into our paranoia about our health. I don't particularly trust my gp either which helped me shape my opinion. You will,have to make your own mind up based on the facts. There is a lot of info out there, much of it contradictory though
There is no way I want mess for it, so I will be looking at diet and continuing to live a healthy active life. My dad died of a heart attack but he smoked like a chimney, had stress coming out of his ears and was overweight too
Ps I eat butter cos it's natural, and i reckon better absorbed into our bodies, and subsequently processed therein than marge, which is a molecule away from being plastic 😊 I don't eat much though! All things in moderation ☺
Totally agree, real butter is best, ditched plastic junk a long time ago too. I have given up bread and the weight is dropping off so no bread means a lot less butter
I'm with Hillrunner and Annty - i would look into this further. I eat a mainly plant based diet.......just occasionally a little meat , very very little diary....I use soya milk etc. However, my natural cholesterol levels remain high, it's genetic . That means my body makes way too much cholesterol regardless of how 'good' my diet is.
This puts me at high risk of heart disease.
The choice around accepting medications to prevent the naturally occurring high cholesterol and reduce these risks lies entirely with the individual. I am of the opinion the more knowledge you have on the subject the better your decision making in such instances.
I agree with MW regarding marge vs butter, even though I'm not really partial to either.
I'm sorry for your news, it's so disheartening when your doing all this hard work. I agree with asking for a break down, MrRfc had that, he had been prescribed fish oils for his kidneys and the healthy fats in that put his cholesterol reading out. When they did the one with both reading it was actually very good. The good news is that you have a great basis for good health and if it needs a bit of tweaking you will have the discipline to sort it out. It's a hiccup rather than a massive brick wall. RFCx.
I had kipper with barley and stir fried vegetables (very Jamie Oliver) tonight and feel very full. Since giving up bread my tummy feels so much more comfortable too. Making sure veg and fruit are eaten a lot more - even snacking on mange tout LOL
I've been on meds for high cholesterol for years, sometimes excercise & healthy diet doesn't always correct it, and can be heriditary down from parents (genetic) so need treatment. Make sure you see your doctor Joolie... don't worry about it, but nip it in the bud..
Perhaps if I hadn't been improving fitness through running, I would be in a right state by now. I was so lazy and I have lost two stone at least so well on the way to enjoying my life more
Oh dear. It is very upsetting. I had a similar experience and my cholesterol level was very high (10) probably genetic origin. With porridge, oily fish and all the other aspects of a diet to lower cholesterol I got the level down considerably but I do have to take a low dose of statins which fortunately don''t have side effects on me. My level is now about 4.3. You are doing all the right things and I'm sure you will get the level down. Hope my experience resssdures you.
I'm no expert on this subject, but I was very interested to see the results of the 'Trust me I'm a Doctor' prog on the BBC recently when drinking cider apple vinegar every day had an astonishing effect on cholesterol levels. No-one seemed to know why, but it worked.
I don't usually go in for a lot of quackery, but it made me think.
PS I've not had mine checked in case I don't like the result - it is, after all, mince pie season
Ahh you have to use a straw! I tried it for a few days, but it's very acidic so you have to dilute it a lot and you end up drinking vinegary water all day - not too pleasant, even when squash is added!
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And having gone through the shock of it all this week,with you all the way 
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