Need help: Not sure whether to start medicine on lowering cholesterol level

[Moscyn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by donheff My take away is that strict LCHF (like Atkins) is great for quick weight loss and lipid improvements but, at least for some non-obese people, may not be essential long term. Staying away from sugar and highly processed grains has been key for me.

Glad to note this. I am not overweight and triglycerides is good. And after reading on LCHF, I am trying to stay away from processed food. Currently I am on vacation in Japan, and it's really hard to stay away from rice!


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[RonBoyd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moscyn it's really hard to stay away from rice!

Actually, Rice is a fairly decent source of Resistant Starch... provided it is cooled before consumption. (RS is a non-digestible carbohydrate.) That is why Sushi is so good for you. <chuckle>

Of course, Rice that is eaten while still hot is the type of carbohydrate that you are trying to avoid. On the other hand, there are some who say that re-heating Rice after a night in the refrigerator (Fried Rice, for instance) will remain a RS.

Research on Resistant Starch is just coming into it's own... along with Prebiotics. Google it.

[RonBoyd]

Resistant Starch and Rice... as in:

Rice and Bean Salad | Food Renegade

Be sure to read the sited article on Beans. (I'll add the Link here.)

Why Beans Are Hard to Digest & 8 Tips For Making Them Easier on the Belly – Nourishing Days

[braumeister]

I'll just add one more comment here.
As noted earlier, you should really ask yourself WHY you're concerned. Can you find any credible evidence that lowering your total cholesterol is a good idea?

Remember that half the people who show up at the emergency room with heart attacks have high cholesterol and half have low cholesterol.

[heeyy_joe]

Low carb, ditch the sugar! My borderline levels dropped big time.

[Chuckanut]

Statins lower cholesterol. No doubt about that. Is there evidence that they increase the lifespan of an otherwise healthy person who does not have diagnosed cardio vascular disease? That is my question.

Count me as another vote to cut carbs, especially sugar and those in highly processed foods. I did and my lipids improved (HDL up, Trigs down, blood sugar down, LDL about the same), and my reflux went away. No statins at this time.

Just my story. Take what you want and leave the rest.

[Chuckanut]

Quote:

Originally Posted by braumeister I'll just add one more comment here. As noted earlier, you should really ask yourself WHY you're concerned. Can you find any credible evidence that lowering your total cholesterol is a good idea? .

Good point.

Fwiw, I read the info sheet that is included with a well known statin. Nowhere did it indicate that the drug will increase the lifespan of a male who has not had CVD. Or improve quality of life for the same male.

Please correct me if I am wrong.

[inquisitive]

Could you convert the cholesterol numbers into the other format? My values were not reported like this so I do not know how high the good/bad cholesterol is.

I think the question is, why is the cholesterol high? I read a book by Esselstyn (sp?) called the engine 2 diet, which is about a vegan diet with no oils, and people had dramatic improvement in their cholesterol values. It sounds like you are already exercising. Maybe go on medication if you cannot improve the values with lifestyle changes?

[Senator]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pb4uski A friend swears by red rice yeast...

Try Red Rice Yeast. It's in a capsule form. It is supposed to help. That's what my Dr. said to try.

[Moscyn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by inquisitive Could you convert the cholesterol numbers into the other format? My values were not reported like this so I do not know how high the good/bad cholesterol is. I think the question is, why is the cholesterol high? I read a book by Esselstyn (sp?) called the engine 2 diet, which is about a vegan diet with no oils, and people had dramatic improvement in their cholesterol values. It sounds like you are already exercising. Maybe go on medication if you cannot improve the values with lifestyle changes?

Tot chol of 7.7 mmol/l is 297.29 mg/dl
HDL-chol of 1.8 = 69.498
Direct LDL-Chol of 5.3 =204.633
Chol/HDL ratio at 4.2 = 162.162

Reading this and other threads and other articles, I want to do more lifestyle changes before trying any medication. My numbers above have been largely the same for the last 9 years.


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[Lsbcal]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moscyn Tot chol of 7.7 mmol/l is 297.29 mg/dl HDL-chol of 1.8 = 69.498 Direct LDL-Chol of 5.3 =204.633 Chol/HDL ratio at 4.2 = 162.162 ...

I am no expert but these numbers do not appear worrisome. From the site below the total cholesterol is just on boundary between desirable and borderline high. FWIW, my total cholesterol is about the same and the doc is OK with it.

Cholesterol levels: What numbers should you aim for? - Mayo Clinic

[inquisitive]

Those numbers are extremely high. If LDL should be less than 70 and total less than 200, then a total of 300 and LDL of >200? I wonder if there is a strong genetic component, did your parents have high cholesterol? But your HDL is very high which is good. I have been wanting to raise my HDL, will have to start exercising and drink alcohol sporadically. What do you attribute the high HDL to? I think mine was under 40.

From what I've read of the diet I mentioned above, everyone had dramatic improvements in their cholesterol values by changing diet along with exercise. So I think it should be possible to improve based on lifestyle changes. Someone above gave themselves x time to do it and then had the values rechecked, I think it's a good approach if there aren't pressing issues.

[Lsbcal]

Maybe I interpretted the numbers incorrectly? I thought that "Direct LDL-Chol of 5.3 =204" was Total Cholesterol but maybe it is only LDL?

[Moscyn]

Yes, my LDL is very high. It came down a bit after some lifestyle changes of 6 months and went up again 4 months later - I think the numbers were messed up by prolonged flu medication including a course of antibiotics. I am giving myself another 6 months for my next test. My HDL is high likely due to fish oil and exercise but it has always been high just as my LDL has always been high for many many years. I have 2 doctors (textbook style - don't even look at any other numbers other than my LDL) insisting to put me on lowering chol medication, another one asking me to seriously consider taking meds and one who told me to make further lifestyle changes. I've had these numbers for the past 9 years. Never worried much about them until now as I move into my mid fifties. Someone in this thread asked whether lowering chol has any definite positive impact to health. I guess I don't know the answer to that but like most doctors tell me a higher than normal range is a red flag.


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[harley]

Quote:

Originally Posted by braumeister Remember that half the people who show up at the emergency room with heart attacks have high cholesterol and half have low cholesterol.

Do you have a reference to back that up? I'd be curious to see it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lsbcal Maybe I interpretted the numbers incorrectly? I thought that "Direct LDL-Chol of 5.3 =204" was Total Cholesterol but maybe it is only LDL?

Total Cholesterol was 297. Definitely high. But I think the HDL/LDL ratio of 4.2 is wrong. Isn't it 204/69? Basically 3/1? Still high, but not horrible. I've read in many places that a high HDL number is much more important to heart health than a low LD number.

[2soon2tell]

I am one who cannot tolerate statins because of liver or muscle problems. I can take Zetia which lowers cholesterol by slowing its absorption in the intestine.

Another thing I take is 500 mg of flush free niacin twice a day. This lowers my total chol and has raised my HDL chol.

[rbmrtn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by harley Do you have a reference to back that up? I'd be curious to see it.

I had it was closer to 75%, Most*heart attack patients&#39; cholesterol levels did not indicate cardiac risk | UCLA

[Lsbcal]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moscyn ... I've had these numbers for the past 9 years. Never worried much about them until now as I move into my mid fifties. Someone in this thread asked whether lowering chol has any definite positive impact to health. I guess I don't know the answer to that but like most doctors tell me a higher than normal range is a red flag. ...

I do not have any strong viewpoint on this stuff. But I wonder how long an individual doctor studies this kind of issue before selecting their viewpoint? I'm not critical at all of the docs and would respect their views. I'd ask them to point me to some references I could read. Some docs will be amenable to this approach I imagine and others would perhaps feel we are second guessing them.

At any rate if I had high numbers I could not bring down over time, I'd want to have studied this issue by sourcing "reputable" articles. It's important to get good quality source material to make the best choice for oneself.

[mountaintosea]

Just my two cents, but doc tried to put me on statins. So far I've resisted. My advice from my mother was don't do it. She was on them until her 80s. She was having muscle problems, cramps etc. She told the doc that she is in her 80s and she's going to quit. She will be 90 this January. Her cholesterol had been in the 300s. Mine was about 211. My triglycerides are around 50, HDL 60s and LDL around 140. Obviously they didn't like the LDL.

[braumeister]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rbmrtn I had it was closer to 75%, Most*heart attack patients' cholesterol levels did not indicate cardiac risk | UCLA

That's a good reference. You probably won't find many published studies like this, because it goes against the conventional wisdom. My oft-repeated point is that there is simply no valid evidence that high total cholesterol (or high LDL) has any bearing on your heart attack risk. High HDL seems to be helpful, as does low triglycerides, but that's about it.

As one of my favorite writers on the topic says:

Quote:

cholesterol will remain the mass murderer for as long as statins are as lucrative as they are or until the public are enlightened and courageous enough to say no to doctors who try to put them on this medication

Cholesterol & heart disease – there is a relationship, but it's not what you think