Hi All, I am new here and have recently had a health check at the doctors surgery and it looks as though my cholesterol and triglyceride readings are high. My total cholesterol was 6.51, my HDL was 1.44, my non-HDL was 5.07, my Chol/HDL was 4.5 and my triglycerides were 4.80 mmol/L. I am a 42 year old male.
The nurse didn't mention seeing the doctor so apart from cleaning up my diet and exercising more should I look at going back to discuss medication? I would prefer not to take medication if this can be addressed through lifestyle choices alone.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Welcome to the 'cholesterol' community! There are many informed members here who can help provide you with feedback from their own experiences and research. Although none of us are doctors, you don't have to be a doctor to develop strong knowledge on a health topic.
From the information you provided it appears as though you are consuming far too many simple carbohydrates, potentially including sugar and equivalents. This is evidenced by your Triglyceride values. If you modify your diet to dramatically reduce and ideally 'eliminate' sugar and simple carbohydrates from your diet, your non-HDL will likely decline into the normal range.
Check your blood test to see if you also have values for the following:
- hbA1C
- ALT (liver enzyme)
- uric acid
If you have these, please provide them.
Can you also provide some vitals such as height and weight?
Do you exercise daily?
I encourage you to watch this video:
youtu.be/ZSpB-j5DL9E - 13 minutes
You should try and get your triglyceride level to below 1.0 mmol/l.
With dietary and lifestyle modification you can likely achieve your health objectives without the use of pharmaceuticals.
Good luck.
As an Ambassador will you be attending=g Heart UK conference.
Heart UK gave birth to Cholesterol Support!
Unfortunately that won't be possible as I live in Canada. This new designation is not a paid position.