My mother and her brother both died in their mid 40's with heart failure due to v. high cholestorel. Can I stop the inevitable?

[callmedave]

First of all I think this forum is great and I've learnt a lot from many people posting on here. I do however get lost with all the mixed advice given and I know most will say that I should speak to a GP/cardioligist etc but I would like to learn from people going through similar experiences. I am now 38 and my GP informed me 4 years back that my LDL (Bad) cholestorel is 9.2 and subscribed me to Statins and encouraged me to improve my diet immediately. I did that and found the statins introduced me to muscular pains I had never felt before, though managed to reduce my LDL cholestorel to 5.6. There was no way I could keep taking those statins, so I came off them and whilst I had a good diet I became complacent with food, though I have maintained good levels of excercise.

Just recently I got my bloods checked and I've been told my LDL is now 8.6 and due to my family history my doc has pretty much said I have no choice but to take statins. Just last week my mums younger brother now aged 52 has had a quadruple bypass as he also suffers with very high cholestorel.

Should I just accept the inevitable and live my life, or can I genuinly change the outcome of my future? Any help/support would be much appreciated. Thanks.

[DakCB-UK]

I think you can change it.

The above give some diet approaches but if you choose to go the medication route, statins are not the only drug. The newest are the PCSK9 inhibitors. Others include absorption inhibitors like ezetimibe or the older drugs of bile acid sequestrants and niacin. The older ones have well known side effects. The newer ones may have side effects but I don't know them yet.

If your numbers and family history are that bad, have you been referred to specialist clinics? GPs are great but you sound like an extreme case.

[DakCB-UK]

How do you get enough nutrients, especially protein, that way? Do you do much exercise? I struggle to eat enough to keep weight on when I do a day's gentle walking as it is and if I had to avoid most cafe/restaurant foods, then I'd be carrying so much food as to need even more to fuel carrying it...

[callmedave]

Londinium, Thanks for the advice. I have been referred to a specialist consultant in the coming weeks to medically discuss the best way forward. Your comments has certainly helped me to at least ask the right questions as I am starting to realise how little I know. In terms of specifics, I actually don't have these answers as all I know is the levels of cholestorel. Interestingly enough though I do suffer from Ankylosing Spondylitis (Arthiritis) which I was diagnosed with at a young age. This causes inflammation in my joints but I have generally managed this quite well with excercise.

[callmedave]

They were both diagnosed with high LDL cholesterol, but that's all I am aware of. Two of my other aunts (mums sisters) also currently suffer with the same. Thanks.

[callmedave]

Correct, it wasn't the cause of death. Both suffered with heart failure (not sure of the exact diagnosis). Leading to their death I know they had been diagnosed with high chol. Statins wise they actually decided against taking them at all, but my uncle who just two weeks back had a quadruple bypass has been on statins for 5yrs+.

[callmedave]

Thanks Helen for the encouraging advice.

[Anotherview]

Thank you for the science and some sanity.