I have a question I hope some of you will take the time to answer - I'd appreciate some input. My last lipid profile numbers were as follows: Total 236 - HDL 44 - LDL 171 - Tri's - 104. Non-HDL - 191. 6 months ago they were Total 224 - HDL 50 - LDL 150 - Tri's 124. My dr. wants to put me on meds. I'm being reluctant. I don't feel I eat unhealthy (I eat fruit and vegetables every day with red meat maybe once a week), but obviously something is causing my LDLs to be high. I'm 5'4" - 150 lbs female - 46 years old. I have hypothyroidism and take meds for that. I quit smoking 1 1/2 yrs ago. I take 1000 mg flaxseed oil a day along with a diuretic (I get fluctuating high blood pressure and the diuretic keeps the BP at a normal rate). I do ab excersizes every morning, take a cardio excersize class twice a week, and walk 2 miles a day. I also just last week started taking a NatureMade product called Cholest Off. I like to drink beer on the weekends (average 6 to 10 beers on a weekend with an occasional martini). Is it possible dropping 20 -25 lbs could make that much difference in my cholesterol numbers? How about quitting alcohol all together? I know the beer is what's keeping my weight up, but quitting smoking was hard enough - it's hard to give up everything to take the edge off. Any ideas? thanks.

I have a question I hope some of you will take the time to answer - I'd appreciate some input. My last lipid profile numbers were as follows: Total 236 - HDL 44 - LDL 171 - Tri's - 104. Non-HDL - 191. 6 months ago they were Total 224 - HDL 50 - LDL 150 - Tri's 124. My dr. wants to put me on meds. I'm being reluctant. I don't feel I eat unhealthy (I eat fruit and vegetables every day with red meat maybe once a week), but obviously something is causing my LDLs to be high. I'm 5'4" - 150 lbs female - 46 years old. I have hypothyroidism and take meds for that. I quit smoking 1 1/2 yrs ago. I take 1000 mg flaxseed oil a day along with a diuretic (I get fluctuating high blood pressure and the diuretic keeps the BP at a normal rate). I do ab excersizes every morning, take a cardio excersize class twice a week, and walk 2 miles a day. I also just last week started taking a NatureMade product called Cholest Off. I like to drink beer on the weekends (average 6 to 10 beers on a weekend with an occasional martini). Is it possible dropping 20 -25 lbs could make that much difference in my cholesterol numbers? How about quitting alcohol all together? I know the beer is what's keeping my weight up, but quitting smoking was hard enough - it's hard to give up everything to take the edge off. Any ideas? thanks.


Yock,

Your numbers don't seem high enough to justify medication.

Keep up your exercise program - that not only helps with cholesterol, but overall health and longevity, and it just makes you feel better too... I'd try cutting back on the beer a little - I'd cut the beer in half, and have a couple glasses of wine in their place. There's a lot of carbs in 10 beers - reduce the beer and your weight will probably drop. I can't predict how much of a drop in cholesterol you'll get by losing weight - but it should be noticeable.

Also stay on the Cholest-off - you have to make sure you take it a good 20-30 minutes before a meal for it to have a noticeable effect. It won't do much good if your meal is mostly fruit and veggies, it helps mostly with your fatty meals, so take it before your red-meat meals, or if you're putting a fatty dressing on the veggies.

Sounds like your diet is fine, and your triglyceride level is very good - so I don't think you are consuming too many carbs.

I don't subscribe to the theory that high-cholesterol is one of the bigger risk factors in heart disease. I think that chronic low-level inflammation and the body's resulting inflammatory response, and high blood pressure are bigger factors than cholesterol.

You can help reduce inflammation with 80mg of aspirin a day. Folic acid (800mcg/day) is good for reducing homocystein levels - which is a marker indicating inflammation is present. And definitely stay on the BP medicine to reduce damage to your arteries. Damage to the arteries can cause an inflammatory response that causes plaque to develop.

Taking antioxidants will help your cholesterol from becoming oxidized - it is oxidized LDL that is most likely to form plaques.

I take 3-4 grams vitamin-c/day (in 2-3 doses), and Ester-E (400IU/day).

I'm also taking a natural supplement called Policosanol. In 6 weeks it helped lowered my total cholesterol from 264 to 225. I take 20mg/day in the evening (since your body makes most of it's cholesterol over night). You can buy it online from most vitamin shops - just be certain it is made from sugar cane, not rice. Only the one from sugar cane helps with cholesterol.

Regards,

HubbleRules
:cool:

My last lipid profile numbers: ~~ 6 months ago they were:
Total 236 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Total 224
HDL 44 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HDL 50
LDL 171 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LDL 150
Tri's - 104~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tri's 124
Non-HDL - 191

Stats:
5'4" - 150 lbs female - 46 years old
Hypothyroidism (take meds for that)
Quit smoking 1 1/2 yrs ago
Last week started taking a NatureMade product - Cholest Off
Drink beer on the weekends (average 6 to 10 beers with an occasional martini)
Take 1000 mg flaxseed oil daily
Take a diuretic (fluctuating high blood pressure - diuretic keeps BP at a normal rate)
Ab exercises every morning, take a cardio exercise class twice a week, and walk 2 miles a day.

Hello Yock,

Welcome to the world of cholesterol.

1) LDL cholesterol is calculated using a formula, so although your LDL is higher than 6 months ago, it may be more or less than 171.
2) Your trigs went down, which is good
3) Your HDL went down, not good
4) excellent that you quit smoking - one of the best things you can do for your health
I don't feel I eat unhealthy - (I eat fruit and vegetables every day with red meat maybe once a week) but obviously something is causing my LDLs to be high.
5) hypothyroidism is often associated with elevated cholesterol
Maybe your meds need to be adjusted.
How about quitting alcohol all together?
6) Re: beer - would be better to spread your 6 to 10 beers over the course of the week, rather than carb up over the weekend. Alcohol is good as it raises HDL, but by squeezing it all into just the weekend might be counter-productive.
Is it possible dropping 20 -25 lbs could make that much difference in my cholesterol numbers?
7) Dropping weight would help both your BP and cholesterol
8) Not sure what your "Non-HDL - 191" represents
9) Low cholesterol is significantly associated with increased all-cause mortality in men across the entire age range, and in women from the age of 50 onward. Low cholesterol shows significant associations with death from cancer, liver diseases, and mental diseases.
My dr. wants to put me on meds. I'm being reluctant.
It's good that you are reluctant. Once on cholesterol lowering meds, you are on them for life.

Now that we have all that out of the way...
Cholesterol is not the whole picture.
Ask your doctor to check your homocysteine, hs-CRP (high sensitivity C-Reactive Protein) and Lp(a) - Lipoprotein (a). These 3 factors indicate inflammation. Inflammation is the main risk factor for heart disease. Inflammation causes oxidized LDL and it's oxidized LDL that causes all the trouble.

You are exercising, eating healthy foods, stopped smoking... don't mess it all up by taking cholesterol lowering meds. Drugs just cover up the underlying problem(s), and only serve to attain perfect cholesterol levels but that does not prevent heart attacks and strokes. 50% of all people that have heart attacks and strokes have normal or low cholesterol levels and that's a fact.

Frankie

Some diruetics can can cholesterol and glucose levels to elevate. Do a search and you'll see for yourself. Or you can just ask your pharmacist.

Yock,

I'm with Hubble and Heart on this one about the inflammation. It is the real root of all of our problems. I believe there are some people out there with a total cholesterol of say 175 and they may have higher inflammation in their bodies and are at higher risk than someone with a totlal cholesterol of 250. The most important thing here is while yes taking the supplements that hubble mentioned you must also watch what you put in your body as far as food and drink. the caffeine in coffee alone has an inflammatory marker. Switch to say Chai Tea instead. The majority of your diet and I mean 80% should come from whole foods that grow in the ground like fruits and veggies. Animal proteins run rampid on the himan body. I'm not saying go vegetarian just try cutting out all red-meat and limit your meat to 3-4 oz a day of very lean cuts of white meat and fish. Stay away from pre-packaged foods hidden dangers in those as they are a major inflammatory. So yes add the supplements but also make changes in your diet. I am speaking from experience here. You sound alot like me. I am 47 years old about I think i'm 20 lbs overweight my doc thinks 10 I have been a steller gym rat for years and thought I ate just like you healthy. When I really took a look at my diet it was so far from healthy. As for the beer I would replace it with wine as hubble says. I have 2 glasses a night and on weekends maybe 3. Try this chardonay with a splash of red wine and frozen peaches. As long as you keep it in moderation it is an anti-oxidant..by the way I am down a whole size in 3 weeks after eating this way and I am never hungry..good luck, Lisa

I just read you answers to the cholesterol problem, maybe you can help me. I just toold my bloodwork yesterday so I'll get the results next week. My pmd has given up on me and sent me to a cardiologist for my lipid control, he hasnt heled much either. I've been on all the cholesterol meds and have had terrible results, Oh my cholesterol and triglycerides as well as ldh and hdl goes up but I get very sick. I have torn my muscles in my legs and have chest pain reflux and costacondritis. no fun. I took the 81mg of asa and after a years I was totaly black and blue md said I had to stop. I tried red rice yeast same reation as lipitor. Tried policanocol and even niaspan. All had reactions. I'm resigned to the fact that I will have to live with the elevated cholesterol and other lipid nos. Oh yes I watch my diet. Hardly eat any red meat. I live on chickem/fish/fruits and vegetables. I just happen to prefer them. I'm 5'6" and have gained 10 pound lately. I weigh 184 not happy . I work out with a personal trainer 1x week and walk a lot when my legs dont hurt. I've never fully recovered from all the leg problems I had. HELP. I even spoke to another cardiologist and he said to drink tonic water for my leg cramps. I bought it and uggh its awful. HELP+++HELP.

I just read you answers to the cholesterol problem, maybe you can help me. I've never fully recovered from all the leg problems I had. HELP. I even spoke to another cardiologist and he said to drink tonic water for my leg cramps. I bought it and uggh its awful. HELP+++HELP.
Hello hankypank,

We'll start with the easy one first. Tonic water (definitely an acquired taste) contains
quinine. I think you can purchase quinine tablets and they are indeed used for
muscle cramps, but I suspect your leg problems are more than just muscle cramps.

Statins are definitely not in your future.

Have your doctors done a CPK test to check for damage to muscle tissue?
If yes, did the test come back negative?
CPK can be negative but there is still muscle damage.
A muscle biopsy is the only test that will confirm muscle damage from statins.

Has your doctor checked your:
* Homocysteine
* hs-CRP (high sensitivity C-Reactive Protein)
* Lp(a) - Lipoprotein (a)
These three are more important risk factors than elevated cholesterol.
When elevated, they indicate inflammation.

What were your latest cholesterol numbers?
HDL
LDL
Triglycerides

Frankie