I'm a 47 yr old male with high cholesterol. I'm active and eat well but I'm still 15 pounds overweight. I very much hesitate to buy the drugs that most doctors prescribes for cholesterol. I saw an add on Centrum Cardio and would like to know more about it.

Any comments or suggestions?

Yves

I'm a 47 yr old male with high cholesterol.

Yves,
It would be helpful to all of us if you first post some numbers. (i.e. HDL, LDL & TRIGLYCERIDES).
The wording "high cholesterol" could mean a bunch of things.

Yes, I should have provided the following figures:

Cholesterol 6.6
Triglycerides 4.27
HDL 0.91
LDL 3.73
Total HDL ratio 7.3

These figures might have gone down a bit since my last test.

Yves

I was wondering about the Centrum Cardio also. Last check: T-248 HDL-47 and LDL-174 and tri. 100. Think it would do any good? The dr. wants me on Crestor and I have hesitated with all of the horror stories on statins. However, the high cholesterol is a family affair so I am not sure if anything will get this down. I am a 51 yo female. My mother passed away at age 64 from having a heart attack and two strokes, yikes.

Bakingnut

Centrum Cardio has plant sterols, which may lower LDL (approx. 10% or so). However, there is no proof that plant sterols actually lower one's risk of heart disease that I am aware of. Plant sterols are similar to cholesterol in structure, and have been found in artery plaque, the same as cholesterol.

If you have elevated cholesterol + risk factors, I think better alternatives are niacin, fish oil, red yeast rice, vitamin D and/or statin. If you have mildly high LDL and want to try something simple to lower it, just eat more fiber (oats are a good choice).

I was wondering about the Centrum Cardio also. Last check: T-248 HDL-47 and LDL-174 and tri. 100. Think it would do any good? The dr. wants me on Crestor and I have hesitated with all of the horror stories on statins. However, the high cholesterol is a family affair so I am not sure if anything will get this down. I am a 51 yo female. My mother passed away at age 64 from having a heart attack and two strokes, yikes.

Bakingnut

Bakingnut,

At first blush, your numbers don't appear too bad and your HDL is pretty good. However, given your family history, your Dr. is taking the most logical approach.

A further step, if you were so inclined, would be to get a good look at the condition of your blood vessels, heart pumping ability, blockages and so on.

Do you at least take a daily aspirin?

Good luck.

Bakingnut,

At first blush, your numbers don't appear too bad and your HDL is pretty good. However, given your family history, your Dr. is taking the most logical approach.

A further step, if you were so inclined, would be to get a good look at the condition of your blood vessels, heart pumping ability, blockages and so on.

Do you at least take a daily aspirin?

Good luck.

Thanks for your answer. How do you go about getting this information? I had a stress test (drug induced) a year ago, and they said everything looked alright. But that doesn't actually tell them too much about blood vessels does it?

Stay away from the statins unless you take a lot of CoQ10 with them-What are your C-reactive protein level and homocystine. Try taking a look at research on policosinal for LDL and 20mg/day is same as 100mg of aspirin for sticky plateletes. With family history, take a look at nattokinase.

Stay away from the statins unless you take a lot of CoQ10 with them-What are your C-reactive protein level and homocystine. Try taking a look at research on policosinal for LDL and 20mg/day is same as 100mg of aspirin for sticky plateletes. With family history, take a look at nattokinase.

Thanks for the advice. I have no idea what my C-reactive protein level or homocystine is. Maybe I should know this :) I will look into the policosinal but am wondering if it is just as good to take the phyto sterols?

Bakingnut

Policonasol is generally considered a scam. The only studies that showed a benefit were done in Cuba. Outside of Cuba, the results are a bit different.