9.7

[Lyngal]

Hi I've been told my cholesterol is 9.7. But my dr has given me no further advice or medication just that she was referring me to a lipid specialist, my dad died of an heart attack at the age of 48 and my 2 brother have high cholesterol.

[sandybrown]

Go and see your specialist, write down all your questions and answers. While waiting for your appointment you can try food and drinks intake control and regular exercise and see if this can help to lower your cholesterol numbers.

[Hidden]

Hi Lyngal

Your doctor has referred you to a lipid specialist because that's what the NHS guidelines suggest with your level of cholesterol and your family history.

You are being referred for suspected familial hypercholesterolaemia (usually called FH round here to save time typing).

Lipid clinics vary - some are good, some are bad, some are downright appalling, but with your family history you will probably be prescribed statins when you get to one.

It's absolutely awful that your GP didn't give you any further information, but sadly not untypical. The same thing happened to me. My advice is to ring the surgery and say you want a further appointment to explain why you have been referred and what you are being referred for. (don't say you've read this)

When you get to the lipid clinic, the chances are - in England - that if you want a genetic test to confirm the diagnosis, you won't be offered one. The only way to get one in England on the NHS is to kick up a big stink and complain, to the hospital (who will say they don't fund it) and then to your Clinical commissioning group. If you do this, and make absolutely clear that you will complain to the parliamentary ombudsman for health if you don't get the test, the CCG will probably fudge things and offer to pay for it via in individual funding request, to avoid the complaint to the ombudsman.

Good luck from someone who has been there, done that and got the t shirt. My genetic test (which took me 3 years to get) has proved negative and I don't go to the lipid clinic or take statins. Your choice may be different - your family history sounds quite worrying, so you may decide statins are right for you.

But you don't have to go to the lipid clinic if you don't want - your GP can prescribe statins for you. They are passing the buck to the lipid clinic because guidelines say they must offer a referral. If you get there and decide it's not for you (I found them to be worse than useless) simply go back to your GP and say you want them to manage your cholesterol. The lipid clinic isn't compulsory.

[sos007 Ambassador]

2 words for you - LIFESTYLE CHANGE. Otherwise you will also die young. I had 3-bypass last year. High cholesterol, high BP etc...I became a vegetarian but still eat dairy (goat milk), egg whites and fish. I exercise daily, with alternating steady state cardio with high-intensity cardio. I also lift weights 4x per week. My bloodwork is now exceptional and I'm almost completely off of all my heart medication.

No time to waste, you are a ticking time bomb. If you want to live, you must adopt this approach.

[sandybrown in reply to sos007]

I exercise daily, with alternating steady state cardio with high-intensity cardio. I also lift weights 4x per week.

I will be 70 in December. Have been advised that I have to be very careful on HIT and weights. I only use a tread mill for 30 minutes in the gym. Would it be possible to expand on your exercise and the guide lines that you received. Thanks.

[sos007 Ambassador in reply to sandybrown]

I did not receive any specific guidelines on exercise, I did my own research on the internet. I began post op by walking at my own pace for 5 minutes daily. I gradually, over a period of 9 months, increased to 90 minutes daily while gradually, as I felt comfortable, increased my pace. This was done outside regardless of weather. Frustrated by stagnant state of belly fat, I did more online research and learned about HIIT. I began to go to the gym and used a treadmill. I began with alternating speed between 2.5 and 5 Mph every 2 minutes. The higher speed walk was done for only 1 minute at a time while the slow speed was for 2 minutes. Al time on treadmill was 30 minutes. I then created my own weight training program for 30 more minutes, for a total of a one hour daily program.

My cardio HIIT gradually progressed as I got more fit. Today, I do weights first for 35 minutes, then cardio for 25. For cardio I alternate between steady state one day (4 mph), then HIIT the next day. HIIT is now a 2 minute warm-up from 2.5 to 4 mph, then 8 mph for 90 second., and back down to 4 mph for 90 second. I do 5 repetitions of this. On my last rep at 8 mph, at the 60 second mark I raise speed to 9 mph for a full sprint for the remaining 30 seconds. I jump off treadmill (feet go to the sides), for 30 seconds. I wait for my heart rate to drop back down to 130 bpm, then jump on at 9 mph for another 30 second sprint. I do this for 8 repetitions. For each repetion I increase speed by 0.1 mph, so rep 2 is at 9.1 mph, rep 3 is at 9.2 mph...etc. Doing hit is exhausting and your body needs to recover so I don't go to the gym 7 days per week any more, I go 4 days. In between workouts I just take a couple of walks totaling 40 to 60 minutes at a modest pace.

[sandybrown in reply to sos007]

Thank you. I am looking into doing weights on to[p of 30 minutes on the tread mill.