1) It has recently been brought to my attention that often a high cholesterol is the result of hypothyroidism, and that the standard current tests for hypothyroidism are not accurate to reveal this problem. A knowledgeable site discusses this is:
www.drlowe.com. It is said that if hypothyroidism is treated, then the cholesterol will normalize. Also, to treat the condition, the Armour thyroid is recommended instead of the prescription Synthroid. Might be worth looking into with an understanding physician.

2) My total cholesterol has been high for years. Because my diet was incredibly good, when I first learned of it, I was indignant -- thought I needed to go on starvation. Well, "the rest of the story" is that my ratio is fantastic. Believe it or not, my total is 259, but my HDL is 114. I've never heard of anyone else's being that high. I still have an excellent diet and have been on a walking program for years. There are just a lot of things we still do not know about.
BG