I just heard that my cholesterol is 8 and has to be 2. Do I have to take cholesterol pilles? Do I have to go on a special diet. I am a smoker too. Please help!!!
High Cholesterol: I just heard that my... - Cholesterol Support
High Cholesterol
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annake1
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You need to give us full LIPID results to offer you any help!
I am not sure where the guide line of 2 came from?
The OP may be referring to LDL. I had an LDL of 6.6 - with advice to lower it to 2.0. I now have it at 2.5.
Are you on Statins Bazz, if not how did you get such a drop
I am now on 5mg of Crestor - this is a very low dose of statins and I have not noticed it in any way ie no side effects. I have also improved my diet considerably . Exercise wise - I am a distance runner who runs 4 times per week - totals usually around 30+ klms per week . Unfortunately for me , exercise did nothing for my cholesterol readings hence I believe that my high readings are genetic and why I have now decided to accept statins. A high level of hardening of the arteries ( as indicated by my calcium score test) indicates even higher levels of soft unstable arterial plaque - my aim is to try to decrease the rate of increase of the hardening by reducing the growth of the soft plaques. Who knows whether a reduction in my cholesterol will result in a lessening of future plaque deposits - but I am hoping that it does , at least enough such that I can get to 80 Years old. In the meantime I run and enjoy life to the full 
No your level for a man is 9-10 your cholesterol level comes up from the liver so you do have to watch your levels if you feel dizzy just eat a few jelly babies and that will stabilise you ok. I read one chap saying it must be 2 your find he will collapse and end up in hospital think someone is out to polish him off.
I went from 9 to 7.5. Which was what my doctor wanted. Now he wants me to go down to 6.5. This stuff is always changing. Check out all the forums and just keep up with the latest journals.
HMM - if you are talking about total cholesterol levels - I would say that 9 is extremely high, 7.5 is very high and 6.5 is above normal. I have had extremely high cholesterol levels for 30 years - to find now that I have hardening of my arteries well over the desirable level for my age group. I should really have done something about it a long time ago - but I am 70 now and we all have to die of something sooner or later . youtube.com/watch?v=WdEoput...
I took statins for around 20 years finally stopping them when 67 yrs only to be told three years later that I have blockage of the arteries so the statins didn't do much good for me!
Are you on medication now to correct the blockage of arteries?
I'm on Listinopril and Securicon to slow my heart and lower BP. I refuse to take statins even though my cholesterol is high. I go to fitness classes with cardiovascular exercise twice a week one week and once another as I have joined a choir (even though I can't sing!) once a fortnight. I am careful (most of the time) with what I eat, trying to follow LCHF diet. I will be 72 in May so will see what happens, time will tell.
Recommended exercise regimen is 30 minutes per day, for at least 5 days per week. The exercise should elevate your heart rate to at least 120 bpm in order to be effective.
The problem with a LCHF diet is fat is calorie dense, so that a small amount adds a lot of calories and it is easy to gain weight. If you haven't lost weight on your diet, you should re-evalute.
Good luck.
When you first went on statins did you change your lifestyle and diet? Did you begin exercising 5 days per week for 30 minutes each day? Did you modify your diet to dramatically reduce or eliminate sugar and simple carbohydrates? Did you reduce your consumption of saturated animal fats? If not, then taking statins won't help you. If you didn't change your diet and lifestyle then stopped statins, 3 years is a long enough period for a poor diet and lifestyle to take you over the top.
I'm off statins because I made all the necessary diet and lifestyle changes, and I monitor my blood work every 6 weeks to ensure that my lipid values are in the optimal range. My process for coming off statins was gradual with careful monitoring of blood lipid values during the period of weaning.
The decision to stop statins should be taken very seriously, with medical advice, and with an acknowledgement that the behaviour that caused the medical problem must be changed. For those who cannot affect their lipid values due to genetic reasons, statins may be their best option.
Statins are Taboo in the states it kills over one million a year mind you there are allot of states there yet they send them here always read up what ever tablets you take I was on Statins for 8 years never bothered me till I got pains in my legs and ankle found out it are the tissues aronthe muscles and caused great pain for 8 years on although I stopped 8 years previous they could not help with the pain so I had to find the cure for myself which took just under a month and so pleased I have no pain although I keep taking my cure weekly and pleased so far it's been over a month now. But just heard insulin is bad for you and that's from a Doctor. Eh I'm off that and lucky I ain't been on that long they say it's bad for the heart don't believe in medicine anymore it's all fake.
Well then, who could argue with that logic?
cholesterol normal level for a woman is 5 any reading over that you nee d to see a doctor for advice
Where di this guide line come from?
directly from the doctor yesterday
Not if you are post menopause. Anything up to 6 is probably ok, depending on having a good BP, weight and general health.
No just eat the right fruits cranberries keep it lower anyway I found by many people on Statins with a cholesterol of 4 got to be a guinniepig my doctor who I trust is the computer I feel 45-50 good eh at 70 mind you don't smoke or drink and cook fresh meals every day and ready to run in the better weather Beetroot fresh slice into a saucepan and simmer when done take out the slices and eat them when cooled and once the beet juice is warm enough pour it into your drinking bottle and enjoy good for pain relief same as shallots too
So far no response from the person who did the post!
You need to stop smoking!
That is not my TOTAL cholesterol - only my LDL component. My Total cholesterol is now 4.4.
Thank you Dottie, I forgot to say that I also take aspirin, cod liver oil capsules - Omega 3 and vitamin C powder and was recently given calcium + vitamin D at my clinic. I will look into the magnesium as I'd love to stop the pills. Shake, Rattle & Roll!
Good morning. My cholesterol was always around 8 went down to 5 on statins and has been creeping up the last time serum cholesterol was 9.4 mmol/L ratio of 7.8. serum potassium 4.2 mmol/L recommended 3.50 - 5.10 mmol/L.
I've been following Dr Kendrick and others for years
I have always been healthy with very good lungs (tests showed a few years younger) and heart, in fact the 6 and 12 lead tests were absolutely fine. Unfortunately they sent me for a screening to find out why I was having a tight chest, which I think was due to a chest infection on top of asthma and reflux and being out in extremely bad weather visiting the Dr which is where it all started! They could see blockages! They stopped me swimming and I haven't got back into it and I often feel very stressed when going out. The BP and heart pills are to take pressure off the arteries.
Great post and more magnesium research here
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/267...
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/268...
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/244...
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/218...
The list go's on and on
do you just spray the oil on you. do you make your own.
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You have to be careful with your comments, you are not a medical professional. I 've come off statins but in a controlled fashion while changing my diet and lifestyle and now have normal lipid levels. For those who cannot achieve that on their own statins may be their best option. You don't want to be responsible for someone's death.
Do you know what your APO B level is. This is more important than good old LDL C levels that your doctor is giving you. Has anyone on here bothered to check their APO B levels ?
Would it be possible for you to explain APO B levels and is it available via NHS?
In our bloodstream we have lipids that carry cholesterol and Triglycerides amongst other things. Lets think of these as submarines travelling through your blood stream carrying cholesterol. These subs are called LDL. Now current belief is that cholesterol gets logged in your artery walls and oxidises and is rightly considered a foreign body and is therefore patched over by Macrophages etc to form plaque. When plaque ruptures we can get a heart attack as a result. Now here is the important bit, two people may have the same LDL level, let say 3.0 mmol. But one might have this amount of cholesterol distributed in a large number of submarines whilst the other may be packing large numbers into far fewer submarines. Its kind of like car sharing. Each person can go to work one per car but the same number of people could go to work in only a few buses. Research shows that the number of submarines and not the amount of cholesterol is more predictive so if you are packing your cholesterol into a few sub's compared to someone else who is packing far fewer into MANY more sub's then the latter is at greater risk. This is an explanation as to why some people with 'low' LDL count have heart disease, they may well have their low LDL cholesterol distributed amongst many sub's or liporproteins. The many variety will also be smaller and hence easier to lodge in the artery wall.
So LDL P or particle count is a better indicator of risk than LDL C (thats the ones you get on the NHS). A good marker of LDL P is APO B. If this is high you have many LDL particles and are at greater risk. Your ratio of APO B to APO A is considered an excellent marker.
Requesting a test for APO B is likely to be futile as the NHS is locked into bog standard cholesterol theory. You can get it tested through private providers in the UK like BlueHorizon or get it cheaper as I do in the Algarve Portugal.
PS The USA's leading lipidologist echoes the above or should I say I echo him
Hope this helps
Well said statins should be taken off the market
I took. Them 30yrs I'm 78yrs and have blocked carotid in my neck
No not for a woman your level should be around 4-5 a man is 9- 10 2 is very low if you feel dizzy then eat some jelly babies to boot you up for good congestion eat cranberries they are high than most fruits that carry polyphenols which everyone needs in their dietry. Let me help you with some more for pain two shallots head and tail them put into a cooking pot one cup of springwater still simmer down till the onions are soft then add quarter teaspoon of cinnamon and the same with turmeric add some honey and leave for 5minutes take out the onions when warm eat them believe me they are yummy. Once the juice has cooled pour into your drink bottle and drink three mouthfuls every couple of hours till it's gone do that the following week then rest eat blue berries they are good too with polyphenols in them to I eat Brazil nuts & Almonds cob but walnuts too no others lemon you can do the same wash two lemons then cut in quarters place into a lot add spring water Still simmer again the lemons will soften up switch off gas ? Electric pour some honey and the same mixture cinnamon and turmeric strain into a siv to. Collect the dross then again pour into a bottle and have a swig now as he then that will. Cleanse your body and cholesterol too never drink Soya actamol is good for the body. Try it for a week and you will feel the energy you need. Never buy off the internet prices are too high when you can buy them from the fruit store at a lesser price. Good luck,
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