Hi, I have been informed by my GP that I need to take action for my high cholesterol, but the advice isn't helpful. I already follow it all naturally!
Here are my results, along with the latest thyroid results.
Thyroid (I was on 75mg but have taken a break to see if my levels have returned to normal - was wondering if it was pregnancy induced hypothyroidism and am not passed that stage of life, breastfeeding finished over a year ago etc). SO, unmedicated for the past 6 weeks.
TSH: 2.3 uIU/mL (range 0.3-4.9)
Free T4: 13.1 pmol/L (range 9-19
I didn't have full thyroid panel.
Cholesterol
Total: 6 mmol/L (range 1)
LDL cholesterol: 4.7 mmol/L (range <3)
cholesterol (HDL): 4.8 mmol/L (<4)
I don't understand why HDL is twice?
Also, one year ago my total cholesterol was also over 5 so I improved my diet and exercise even further, it could not be improved any more at this stage. Yet is has worsened.
No history as far as I am aware.
Any advice most welcome! Thank you. I am 45, female, not on HRT, BMI around 22.
Written by
Aloha79
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Your cholesterol is high due to you being low in the thyroid department... do you want to leave it longer to see if your thyroid output picks up or start taking levo again?
Thank you, I think you are right. Looking back, my cholesterol hovers around 5-6 when my TSH edges towards 2. I will go back on 75mg and go from there.
thank you - yes, I usually get all of those things looked at, no red flags 6 months ago. Where I live it is not hard to see a GP/get tests done etc,. This was a check only for cholesterol with a few others in the panel, so not a thyroid screen iykwim. D/B12 in the high range, ferritin is always low, was 40 6 months ago but is usually 9-19. TPO/TG never flagged anything other than optimal, full thyroid screens always within optimal (as per research, not the usual "range") though I have been off medication and seen an increase to TSH 2.
I take a decent multivitamin but my diet is optimal so it covers all recommended nutrients and more.
Apologies, all is correct apart from the range for total cholesterol! I typed in 1 but it should read <5. Otherwise all as it appears in my test results.
Aloha79 - Can you triple check both “HDL” and “Non HDL” please? If what you have typed is what the results provided to you actually say, then you should question the results
I have typed them verbatim but I would imagine, as a PP says, the second HDL is the non-HDL, so 4.8 mmol/L. Triglycerides are in range of 1.7 mmol/L (0.6-1.7) just.
Aloha79 Given the errors, anything anybody says (including me) in interpreting your results should be taken with a pinch of salt.
Similarly, we don’t know if it was a fasting test, so interpretation of triglycerides would be unreliable.
What I would say is that:
Total Cholesterol is not particularly useful
We don’t know your HDL level, but if we derive it from the other figures, your HDL is presumably low, whereas it wants to be reasonably high
Your LDL is a bit high. People will argue as to why that is. Some will say it is because of hypothyroidism and diet has no part, some will say it is partly hypothyroidism and partly diet, some will say it is purely diet. Personally, I will say diet is involved and hypothyroidism may be involved. So, given that, and given that your HDL can be derived with a low result, I would ask what dietary advice you are following? The basic advice is to eat the right types of fat rather than going low fat, and avoid refined carbohydrates. Most (but not all) plant-based fats are good, eggs in moderation are fine, fermented dairy (cheese and yoghurt) is fine, other animal-based saturated fats are bad. There’s more to it than that, but that’s the basis
Thank you for taking the time to reply! And to clear up any confusion, there are no errors in the results and the typo was a 1 for a 5 in the total range.
Otherwise, that is where is it confusing, the dietry (and additional lifestyle) advice they send out to you - it is naturally my lifestyle! My diet is excellent and even more so since the high result 6 months ago. I improved it further but I already cook from scratch, mostly plant based with some fish, lots of good protein (I don't eat meat) and fatty fish. So I have to look at ways outside of diet. Non smoker (never), I don't drink (I have small children so no time!!), very healthy BMI, decent exercise. I will try the advice to up the levo and go from there. Next thyroid panel is in 6m so I should see an improvement.
Serum ferritin level is the biochemical test, which most reliably correlates with relative total body iron stores. In all people, a serum ferritin level of less than 30 micrograms/L confirms the diagnosis of iron deficiency
Never supplement iron without doing full iron panel test for anaemia first and retest 3-4 times a year if self supplementing.
It’s possible to have low ferritin but high iron
Test early morning, only water to drink between waking and test. Avoid high iron rich dinner night before test
If taking any iron supplements stop 5-7 days before testing
Eating iron rich foods like liver or liver pate once a week plus other red meat, pumpkin seeds and dark chocolate, plus daily orange juice or other vitamin C rich drink can help improve iron absorption
This is interesting because I have noticed that many patients with Hashimoto’s disease and hypothyroidism, start to feel worse when their ferritin drops below 80 and usually there is hair loss when it drops below 50.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
New here, can someone help with my results please.
Trouble collecting blood and how are my readings?
High cholesterol?
Cholesterol numbers
