Hi I am new and came across the site while looking for answers, I have just had my yearly blood test and my cholesterol has gone from 6 last year back to 7 which is where it was 2 years ago, I dieted and lost the weight I had put on after quitting smoking and used benecol for a while last year but Dr says I have to get it back down again before Christmas, its so annoying that when you think you are doing things right it still goes up, should I just opt for the statin or is it safe to try to get it down by myself, 7 seems so high and is stressing me out.
Breakdown is HDL 1.5 LDL 4.6 Trigliserides 1.7 any advice would be much appreciated
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AlexandriaT
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Do you have any other medical conditions?, family cholesterol? age? Sex, BMI? all these have to be considered first. Life style change is trhe first option, if this do not work then medication. Medication have side effect!!
Total cholesterol should be 5.0 millimoles per litre (mmol/l) or lower. The average in the UK is actually around 5.5 mmol/l for men and 5.6 mmol/l for women.
LDL cholesterol should be 3mmol/L or lower
HDL level above 1 mmol/l
Triglyceride level under 1.7 mmol/l
People with higher risks, such as heart disease or high blood pressure will be set lower targets:
Total cholesterol of 4mmol/L or lower
LDL of 2mmol/L or lower
Cholesterol numbers are used to calculate the overall risk of coronary heart disease.
The ratio of total cholesterol to HDL - total cholesterol divided by HDL - should be below 4.
Doctors will set individual cholesterol targets for patients based on their overall risk factors. Treatment may involve diet changes to cut down on bad fats, increasing exercise, or taking cholesterol lowering medication, such as statins.
Here's a plan of action. Start on statins straight away and get your cholesterol down by 30% (5 mmol/l). If, with further life-style changes, diet and natural supplements, you are able to further reduce your cholesterol level by another 30% (to 3.5 mmol/l), you wouldn't have done yourself any damage and can then choose to come off the statins if you wish.
Hi thanks for the answers, yes I suppose the easy option would be to go straight on the statins but my Dr has this idea that once on the statins we become lazy and reliant on them to do the job for us and he says we then eat eat whatever we like with no thought as to the fat we require etc, my partner is on statins and has been for 15 but he had very high BP and a small stroke, his is very low but I and he watch his diet, my sister is on them and a friend and they are both over weight and eat what ever they like thinking the statins will keep them safe, my sister has some furry arteries so its not working for her is it.
My BMI is 23.9 I am 60 and 5.4 inches tall and waist is 31 and hips 39 eeeeek LOL I did smoke till 3 and a half years ago but packed up, my BP goes up to 140/80 at Docs he reckons I have white syndrome as well.
So thats it any suggestions now you have my life story, sorry for boring you.
Take a look at lief-line screening, they offer a package, value for money.I had life-line scanning two years ago and again this year. Take up walking, The Mail On Sunday has a write up on the better way of walking! Life style change is better than medication.
I have both high BG and cholesterol, managed to lower BG but not cholesterol!.
Search on the Internet for oxdised cholesterol, you may find tips on oils and cooking.
Thanks Bala for you response, is life line scanning like an MRI if so having one booked through my rheumatologist in the next week or two as he is looking to find out why I have no responses in left leg, think I have back problem but that's another thing what is BG ?
Life style change can help some people. You need to address all other medical problems first before going on to cholesterol medication.
Blood Gloucese (BG) / Blood sugar, HbA1c testing
I am 67, male and Asian, therefore having difficulty to bring down cholesterol by life style change!!!.
Life-line screening is like private check up with one payment, the package do 4-5 tests. You can find this in new papers and also on the Internet. Each time I went there were many people doign the check up.
Hello AlexandriaT, Welcome! Now, first of all, don't get all het up about figures, etc. You have your full picture. Your Dr seems to be on the ball and NOT stuffing pills down you at the first hurdle! Excellent. You have done yourself the first great service. Giving up smoking. What an achievement! Next, your diet and exercise regime seems to be doing the business. Your figures are not unlike mine, (total 6.8 LDL 3.8, HDL 2.3 Trigs 0.7) The main reason my HDL is quite high is because I had to give up dairy two years ago and that has increased the HDL levels. I was suffering from IBS and had been for over 20 years so now that my body is not under so much stress my HDL figures have increased and the LDL gone down, although my overall total is much the same! Your BMI, weight, height ratio (waist measurement half of height) is OK.
Have you been under stess recently? Sounds that perhaps you have re your husband's health problems. If you have been worrying about his health it will, of course, reflect on yours! If you find you are suffering from stress visiting the Dr for your BP tests then it is likely that you struggle with coping with stress and that will affect your coping mechanism. Perhaps you could look into relaxation techniques to calm yourself (yoga, pilates or even just listening to music and getting some "me" time!)
The examples that you state about your family's reliance on pills and lack of lifestyle changes shows that you have the right mind set to see that there are alternatives to medication and that you have to put in the "hard yards" to see the results! Give that a try first and follow your Dr's guidance. It seems that he is of the same mind that taking medication should be the last resort. Well done for your work so far and keep it up. Get out and about, both of you, now that the weather has improved and get some "green gym" work in! A nice walk out and about amongst the spring blossoms does more good than any pill! Best wishes to you both.
Hi Patch, your answer is much appreciated and runs the same way as my thoughts, had porridge for brecky this morning and will aim to get LDL down and not worry to much about the rest for now.
Yes have been stressed for a while so I am sure that doesnt help also this may sound weird but years ago, well about 10 I had my cholesterol checked when moved to new Drs and it was 4.3 and partners had gone up a bit so we both went on a fat free low calorie diet, I went from 8.5 stone to 7.6 and my cholesterol went up to 5.4 how the hell did that happen, since then I seem to be trying to get it back down only to find dieting raises it?
I think you should try to lower your cholesterol by dietry means first, you have done it once. Check out the Portfolio Diet on the HEART UK website. I know people on this site have varying opinions about Benecol products, but they can lower cholesterol further.
You mention going to a rheumatologist and statins can aggravate existing muscle problems, not in everyone I hasten to add.
Statins artificially lower cholesterol by blocking an enzyme, so when you stop taking them your levels will rise again.
The level of below 4 for TC is recommended for anyone who has had a previous vascular event, not for people who haven't, I will wait to hear from somebody whose natural level of total cholesterol is 3.5!
Hi Al, I agree, if total cholesterol is meant to be below 4 that means we all need to be on statins, as healthy people do we have levels that low usually , yes after an event then maybe yes you do need to take pills, but how did they first discover cholesterol and how was it decided that it needs to be lowered,as the human race has obviously been living with it or dying without it for years, is it not what we eat as in fast food, processed food that causes us the majority of problems, not the cholesterol alone, as I said its OK to take meds but we still have to be responsible for our bodies as well.
I am going to try and lower it without the pills and then If I cant I will know I have tried, want I.
Life does seem to need higher and higher doses of drugs LOL
Cholesterol goes up naturally after the menopause so any idea that it should be under 4 is just bonkers. The idea that cholesterol is bad for us is based on questionable science from 40 years ago. Look on line for the cholesterol controversy.
If you want to lower cholesterol there is evidence that eating a low carbohydrate diet is more effective than low fat.
Eating good fats are vital for our health. Tubs of margarine are not full of good fats. You are right that processed foods are the cause of many health problems.
I had a look at that site, seems carbs are like everything else, eaten in moderation are ok but its what we seem to eat the most of in this healthy modern world :O)
I am cutting out the white bread and going for wholemeal, cutting down on white rice and pasta which I love and will try eating only fish for a month and see if that helps, seems strange that stress can increase LDL and its that same stress we get from worrying about our health and cholesterol, I am aiming to lose at least 3 kg as well hope that might help.
Yes, it's too easy to eat a lot of carbohydrates. Your food plan sounds like a good idea, perhaps treat yourself to a good steak at the end of the month! I also try to eat carbohydrates that are slow release or low GI, like sweet potatoes and I make buckwheat pancakes.
I have found that exercise seems to help with the stress, as well as finding an absorbing hobby now that I am retired.
Maths is very interesting. differnet unis of measurements and calculation. We need to look at the fundementals!
For BG/BS there is a prick test (Home), now HbA1c.
Life lins screening has a machine that checks all waht is required for cholesterol there and then blood temperature has not changed. Home cholesterol test is very limited.
NHS lab test, blood is collected in the morning at 8AM during the day all the collected blood are stored and will be send to the hospital lab for testing.
I am sure your life style change will help you to reduce your numbers.
LMAO think I have lost the will to live, my Dr said Total Cholesterol is 7 and then I asked for breakdown and that was what he gave me, I even think the experts are not totally sure how it all works so how are we supposed to understand, maths did used to be my strong point but maybe age has taken over, and I thought I was a young me LOL
love this it tells me how to lose weight and lower cholesterol, thought u might like to take a butchers, is there a recipe book out their that is user friendly?
Some useful ideas on food with one big exception. You really need fat in your diet to remain healthy, it's a vital part of every cell and how they work. You need natural fats to help with the absorption of fat soluble vitamins. Eating fat does not contribute to heart problems. I know this idea is not generally accepted, but there are many studies that support this.
I also disagree about eggs! As Ancel Keys said, there is no connection between cholesterol in food and cholesterol in our blood (or words to that effect).
Had this big bowl of porridge this morning as I know that it is a cholesterlo carrier so will help to clear my body of excess C, also had some nuts last night so will continue for one month on this regime, also had a load of veg and only 100grams of chicken, will keep you all informed as to how its all going including weight loss.
You are great as at least on here you get feedback, thanks for that.
Not too low just enough to cut out the bread and fat, lost 2 pound this week already, most of that will be water I expect, on-wards and downwards I hope,
Was talking to some one last night who 2 years ago was told his C was double figures, he cannot take statins so has got it down with diet only, so it must be achievable.
Don't forget to go for that daily walk. Diet is good, but not everything. Exercise of any sort is a great way of getting those endorphins up to help with lowering the stress levels. Let yourself have the occasional glass of red wine too. It should be a lifestyle change not a chore. Enjoy your food and watch those sugars!!!
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