Is it safe to take Lipitor for many years, how young is too young to start? - High Cholesterol Message Board

Tenacious · 03-18-2006, 07:24 AM

My Husband is 42 yrs, his Cholesterol is 235, his LDL is 162, His HDL was 45, His ratio is 5.2 They forgot to give me his Tri's but I know I am getting the personal results in the mail soon. He is already very thin, does not eat alot of fat at all, It is more a family genetic thing and I JUST know dieting will do nothing for him. He has to get it taken again in 3 months. What in the world do you feed a THIN man who needs His strength (one of the reasons he went to the Doctor is he feels run down), his thryroid was normal though. We rarely eat meat, he hardly ever touches sweets. I hate to have him start any drugs if he will have to take them for the next 30 yrs! WOn't this destroy his liver and joints over time? Is it safe to just NOT take the drugs and keep high cholesterol ?? His Mom is the only one who is on it and she did not start to take hers till she was in her late 50's , I think. His dad never took it, he is 76 yrs, I think he refused when he got his cholesterol taken, I am not aware of his numbers though. Worried about my Husband's health, thanks .

Lenin · 03-18-2006, 07:38 AM

His triglycerides are 140 (if I've done the calcualtion correctly!

)

If I were he, I would try getting my fat intake below 30% of calories...not by guesstimate, but by counting...20% is even better. Keep saturated fat at half this amount and stop eating ANYTHING with hydrogenated oils. THis should get LDL down and might lower Triglycerides as well.

If he doesn't like sweets then sugar is probably not an issue.

Exercise is supposed to raise HDL...he can try aerobics/cardio.

There are other less druggy approaches like sterol/stanols (like Benecol spread and the Heart Healthy orange juices (and cholest-off)...check for "plant sterols" on the label.) Niacin is an "almost" drug approach but it's worth a try to see if he can stand the flush...It wiill raise HDL as will some alcohol every day!

A high fiber diet...lots of legumes...should help by sequestering some of the dietary cholesterol. And less eggs if he is a big ovo-eater!

If none of this works, there are always the statins to fall back on especially if he has a familial history of heart disease or other risk factors.

Tenacious · 03-18-2006, 09:08 AM

Again ,what does a thin man eat--how feels run down anyway? Does statins make you tired --in case he has to go this route? It sounds like Beans beans beans. What else, nuts? I heard you need to stay away from Carb's, like pasta, white bread. Do I have to buy whole wheat and wheat speggetti? There is no family history of any relatives dying young to Heart Disease. His Dad is 76 and is having problems now, but he never took anything for Cholesterol. Husband only eats about 2 eggs a week now. I use One of those margarines with no Hydronated oils in it. I think I need a good book, I just wish more books would talk about the THIN man who has High Cholesterol, it is like they all assume we can stand to loose more weight and eat less fa. My husband NEEDS the fat--just the good kind, I guess.

Lenin · 03-18-2006, 09:44 AM

Don't go the low carb route. A thin man who is restricting his fats to avoid statins wouuld starve to death by restricting carbs also.
It's enough to avoid the sugars. Pasta, potatoes, rice, and good bread should be the core caloric sources of his diet.
For good fats, eat FISH.

If he wants to eat high fat to maintain his weight, he'll have to take statins to control his cholesterol.

(There's NOTHING wrong with being thin!)

Stumper · 03-18-2006, 02:23 PM

First off, at the age of 42 one might feel a little rundown from time to time but it shouldn't be TOO much. At 42 I felt like I could still climb mountains and then someone warned me..."Wait until you hit 45". I said , Naaaw, but then when I hit 45 I felt something that said "slow down a little buddy".
But if he is feeling REALLY rundown then I would have complete bloodwork done, especially pay attention to his iron. You said "We rarely eat meat"...Yes,,,
THAT is a clue.
Meat can build iron faster than ANYTHING you can eat...good red meat. It will build iron faster than any plant or grain foods. Cream of Wheat, however is quite high in iron.
His only problem may be that he needs red meat in his diet. Forget about the cholesterol right now as he needs energy. Then you can always look at the cholesterol, or Statins.
My sister is a doctor, surgeon, and a registered dietician, so I have learned alot on an occassion, about diet