I'm 26, female and average weight. My Grandpa died of a heartattach at 28. Needless to say I am very worried. My calculations are HDL-40, Tri-140 and LDL of 287. My TC is 358. I don't think the triglcerides are my problem so maybe carbohudrates aren't affecting me so much. What type of foods would make the LDL so out of control? Any advice??

You have apparently and unfortunately inherited a genetic defect in the way your body processes cholesterol. I think most experts would agree that cases like yours probably won't significantly change even with strict diet and exercise. If you really want to do it naturally, check out Dean Ornish's diet, but it's a toughie...not many people can adhere to it.

I'm a firm believer in trying natural methods to reduce cholesterol first, since I hate taking medicine. But truthfully, statins were invented for cholesterol problems of your severity. If I were in your shoes, I'd probably take one.

IMHO, trans fats.

I found a name for your problem -- familial hypercholesterolemia. It typically presents with extremely high total and LDL cholesterol, but normal ranges of triglycerides. Strict diet may help, but more aggressive treatment is warranted if diet doesn't make marked improvement within six months' time.

You really shouldn't ignore the problem, it's serious.

Hello, Just wanted to add on the diet thing...Strict diet also counts total fats and cal., not just carbs. I didn't have a problem with my trigs either, but I did have the high LDL and family history like you have mentioned. I'm closely monitored by my doctor; eventhough, I'm not on meds. My doctor and I have gone the diet and exercise method. I hate calling it a diet, because it's not a diet to loose weight. It's more like a life style change. One of the biggest changes is no more fast food, restaurant food, or take-outs every week. Eating out once a week will definately raise my LDL quicker than anything, even an occationaly duck. I try to keep my total fat to 10-25% of my total cal. for the day. I started off making a food diary so I could keep track of what I ate and discovered where the hidden fats were. Then I kept the food diary to help me proceed with my new diet plan. After a while I had my menus memorized. I also exercise, which I can't stress how important exercise is. (It's different if you have a medical condition that you can't walk.) I walk 30 min. in the morning and alternate weights and aerobics at night for 45-60min. For me, I find that the night time exercise is extremely important. The exercise has also given me strength that I never had before, so that's why I'm so pro exercise. Another thing to add is to eat your oats and tuna packed in water. Make sure your doctor keeps close tabs on your blood work. Oh, also so you might want to look out for the C-reactive protein, which appears in blood work when you have an infection. Your doctor might want to put you on meds. since your total cholestol is over 240.

------------------
Magpie