High Cholesterol and Thyroid

lazieats

Hello,
I'm wondering about the connection between high cholesterol and my thyroid issue.

Back story: Few years ago I had my entire thyroid removed due to a large tumor that turned out to be malignant. (Goiters are as attractive as they sound, you betcha!) Luckily it didn't spread, but my endo at the time said I needed to be on a high dose of thyroid hormone to make sure those cancer cells couldn't come back (that's my version, I'm sure he said it better and more thoroughly.) I didn't have regular medical care before then due to lack of insurance, so I was surprised when I found out I had high cholesterol. My GP said it was probably due to the thyroid kerfuffle and that, though my cholesterol was super high, she wasn't worried since my gender (female) and age (early thirties) protected me from stroke, etc. She said it should return to a healthy place soon. I lost my insurance soon after.
Fast forward a few years. Finally get insurance again and my cholesterol is still way high. High enough that my new doctor says she's giving me three months to lower it or I have to go on meds. She said that it had nothing to do with my thyroid and everything to do with my diet.

I'm mainly an herbivore, so I couldn't figure out where the cholesterol could be coming from. I went through my daily nutrition for the past 40 days (thank you, MFP!) and my ingested cholesterol is typically only 10% of the limit of what the American Heart Association recommends for high cholesterol patients. My saturated fat intake is typically in the 8 to 10 grams a day, which is about the limit for the amount of calories I eat right now. (It's the coconuts. I'm coo coo for coconuts. I've since cut them out of my diet.)

So, what is up? Is my new doctor wrong and I need to push for more thyroid testing (that level was normal, she said) or am I barking up the wrong tree and need to figure out what I'm missing in my diet?

I'd appreciate any help in this. Thank you!

editorgrrl

lazieats wrote: »

Finally get insurance again and my cholesterol is still way high. High enough that my new doctor says she's giving me three months to lower it or I have to go on meds. She said that it had nothing to do with my thyroid and everything to do with my diet.

Your high cholesterol has nothing to do with your thyroid—and is less about your diet than genetics. I have vegan friends who take cholesterol meds.

ChelleBelle2708

actually only this morning I read an article which also contained the relations between Thyroid and Cholesterol...

4th point down in this article..

http://hypothyroidmom.com/the-thyroid-is-connected-to-so-many-parts-of-the-body/

CSARdiver

Hey fellow survivor! Well your doc is correct in keeping your TSH low, which has some influence on cholesterol. What is your level by the way? Is it within 0.3-3.0?

From NCBI:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3109527/

The primary impact is genetics, so if diet and exercise are not cutting it, then pharma is the next option.

lindsey1979

Do you know what your actual cholesterol numbers are?

I know that there has been some shift in the medical community about cholesterol lately, so depending on what your doc is looking at to assess risk, a second opinion may be in order. For example, total cholesterol used to be the standard to assess risk, but now many docs are starting to look at various components to evaluate risk. Over 200 total was considered high. But, then you've got to look at the reasons it's high.

In my case, my total is 215, but I have very high HDL (the good kind) -- at 87 (anything above 60 is considered protective against heart disease). If HDL wasn't so high, my total numbers would be below the 200, but that wouldn't actually be a better situation because the more HDL you have the better (from omega-3s like you get in supplements, salmon, certain nuts, etc.). A better way that they're beginning to evaluate risk is the ratio of your total versus your HDL. An ideal ratio is between 1 and 3.5. A higher ratio indicates greater risk. So in my case that's 219/87 = 2.47, which is in the ideal category.

And, then docs will also look at non-HDL levels and triglycerides as part of the analysis. Non-HDL levels below 130 are ideal and triglycerides below 150 is considered good. My non-HDL level is 128 and I've got rather low triglycerides at 36.

So if you just looked at my total cholesterol, you'd think it was bad at 215. But you look at (1) the ratio of HDL to total, (2) non-HDL level and (3) my triglycerides level, it's flippin' fantastic. So, depending on what your specific numbers are, it may make more sense to get a second opinion if your doc is only looking at total cholesterol to assess risk (that's the old school methodology).

Here's a little blurb on it from Mayo clinic:

How important is cholesterol ratio?

Answers from Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, M.D.
For predicting your risk of heart disease, many doctors now believe that determining your non-HDL cholesterol level may be more useful than calculating your cholesterol ratio. And either option appears to be a better risk predictor than your total cholesterol level or even your low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or "bad") cholesterol level.

To calculate your cholesterol ratio, divide your high-density lipoprotein (HDL, or "good") cholesterol number into your total cholesterol number. An optimal ratio is less than 3.5-to-1. A higher ratio means a higher risk of heart disease.

Non-HDL cholesterol, as its name implies, simply subtracts your HDL cholesterol number from your total cholesterol number. So it contains all the "bad" types of cholesterol.

An optimal level of non-HDL cholesterol is less than 130 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), or 3.37 millimoles per liter (mmol/L). Higher numbers mean a higher risk of heart disease.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-cholesterol/expert-answers/cholesterol-ratio/faq-20058006

bametels

My doc says the thyroid can affect cholesterol levels. When my TSH level starting going up, my LDL and triglyceride levels increased and my HDL level decreased pretty significantly. To her, it was another indicator that my thyroid was failing. (I had a previous history of thyroiditis and was advised thyroid failure could happen later in life). I've only been on meds for three weeks and am already seeing significant changes so I'm hopeful that my next cholesterol test will show that the levels have decreased.

lazieats

lindsey1979 wrote: »

Do you know what your actual cholesterol numbers are?

My total is 255 and my LDL is 70. I didn't see my HDL and the doctor didn't mention it. I have to go get my lab reports because she said my thyroid was fine, but I didn't see that number, either. I have a few other more immediate health issues, so this thyroid thing has been at the bottom of my concern list since my other doctor had said I had years before I needed to worry about heart attacks and strokes. But I really, really do not want more meds. Once I got home and realized the conflicting information and that my diet wasn't adding up to having high cholesterol, I realized I need more help in sorting this out.

I seriously do not want to believe that I am doomed to more meds because of my genes. I'm already doomed to diabetes (about 80% probability, anyway) and just do not want to deal with more. I will if I have to, but I don't wanna and am willing to do what needs to be done to keep it from happening. I just need to figure out what needs to be done and what my plan is.

Any really good thyroid books anyone can suggest??

editorgrrl

lazieats wrote: »

I really, really do not want more meds. Once I got home and realized the conflicting information and that my diet wasn't adding up to having high cholesterol, I realized I need more help in sorting this out.

I seriously do not want to believe that I am doomed to more meds because of my genes. I'm already doomed to diabetes (about 80% probability, anyway) and just do not want to deal with more. I will if I have to, but I don't wanna and am willing to do what needs to be done to keep it from happening. I just need to figure out what needs to be done and what my plan is.

Taking thyroid hormones or insulin or statins is not a failure—it's a marvel. You can take these medications and feel better, be healthier, and live longer.

I'm not saying don't try changing what you eat. But if you do and you still have high cholesterol, take the meds.

CSARdiver

lindsey1979 wrote: »

Answers from Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, M.D.
For predicting your risk of heart disease, many doctors now believe that determining your non-HDL cholesterol level may be more useful than calculating your cholesterol ratio. And either option appears to be a better risk predictor than your total cholesterol level or even your low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or "bad") cholesterol level.

To calculate your cholesterol ratio, divide your high-density lipoprotein (HDL, or "good") cholesterol number into your total cholesterol number. An optimal ratio is less than 3.5-to-1. A higher ratio means a higher risk of heart disease.

Non-HDL cholesterol, as its name implies, simply subtracts your HDL cholesterol number from your total cholesterol number. So it contains all the "bad" types of cholesterol.

An optimal level of non-HDL cholesterol is less than 130 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), or 3.37 millimoles per liter (mmol/L). Higher numbers mean a higher risk of heart disease.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-cholesterol/expert-answers/cholesterol-ratio/faq-20058006

This is spot on. All the recent studies support the use of the ratio calculation. Due to insurance involvement the bureaucracy is holding back implementation of this.

It's not that it's bad, but carries a higher incidence of risk. Not that this has any bearing on an individual, but how much of medicine is going.

I'm torn on this one. I agree with @editorgrrl regarding the medical marvels. I work in pharma, but like @lazieats
, very anti-Rx - largely due to the number of adverse events I see on a daily basis. I don't take it until I absolutely need it.

Is that a 3day walk pic?

lazieats

Ok, just got a copy of my most recent lab work. My chol/HDL ratio is 4.64. Not good. My HDL is 55, btw. My triglycerides are at 151, also a smidge too high. My non-HDL cholesterol is 200, which is also a bummer.
My thyroid numbers are 1.16 for FT4 and TSH is 4.76. I have no idea if those mean anything, but I thought I'd throw it out there if someone could do an "ah ha!" moment with the info.

You're right, @editorgrrl , I should look at this a lot more optimistically. There is help out there and it's pretty easy. With all my issues, I just didn't want to add one more thing to my list. I'm feeling pretty broke down at only 36-years old. It's kind of a bummer, but hey, I'm still here! My brother just had a stint in his heart put in and is scheduled for a triple by-pass. That would be my younger brother and he has horrific, documented on Facebook, eating to blame. I suppose my having to go on the same meds as him does rub me the wrong way when I work really hard to be as healthy as I can. But you're right, I'm seeing it as a failure on my part when it doesn't seem to be, yet.

@CSARdiver if you are referring to my pic, it's from a Color Run, taken pre-hosing of color. It was my first event like that and I would totally do another one. Not that I ran more than a little, but it was a fun way to get some exercise. Have you done a 3day walk?

Thank you, everyone, who has helped me start figuring this out. I seriously appreciate the guidance. I'm doing research and hope to pay this help forward when I can!

CSARdiver

TSH is a bit high (should ideally be 0.3-3.0) most docs try to keep it below 2.0 after total thyroidectomy. This may be having an impact on your cholesterol.

My wife has done one and we want to do one as a family as our kids are getting old enough to due this. She is doing the color run with our five year old daughter next year and we all do a few local mud runs - great stuff!

It's the attitude you put forward that makes the most difference in this - just keep focusing on the positive and simply minimize those negative elements you have no control over. Sounds like you've got a great attitude!

Fuzzipeg

I wonder if you have set your own "immediate" issues against a comprehensive thyroid symptom list. Thyroid Mom, a blog with relevant info, lists 300 of them, some probably would fall under a series of shared umbrellas. Stop the thyroid Madness, there's a book and a site, together with Mary Shomon's site and books provide symptoms list and loads of information as well as for those in the US, information about doctors who have a proven interest in all things thyroid. Many people here have the help of a medic who cares others, the majority are treated by ones who know less than they have discovered for themselves.

The thyroid interlinks with every one of the bodies systems, it works with our glands and organs to create hormones and all manor of other things essential for good body function. It is far from the simple problem many doctors give the impression of it being.

My symptoms include respiratory, muscular skeletal, fatigue - too much day not enough me, food and chemical intolerance's, all can be part of Thyroid problems but not necessarily the first which come to mind for medics. I was even told the extra weight I carry is over eating without testing. Even our local Endo insisted he does not do allergies. My question is. When is an allergy not an allergy? when its a symptom of hypothyroidism. Links have been shown to IBS, fibro, chronic fatigue, urinary tract problems, cancer and more.

lazieats

I've been doing a some more reading and, you're right, @CSARdiver . I had it turned around and thought that high TSH was a good thing. All things are not equal, as I had thought, therefore this could definitely be impacting my cholesterol.

Thank you, @Fuzzipeg , for the directions to more info. I had come across the STTM site and book, but the rest were all new. I'll be getting as much as I can so I can be ready to argue my case when I go for my next appointment. I hope my new doctor is willing to work with me.

lazieats

My friend sent me this article and I thought I'd leave it here for future readers:
THYROID AND CHOLESTEROL
Does thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) affect cholesterol levels? by the American Thyroid Association.
http://www.thyroid.org/patient-thyroid-information/ct-for-patients/vol-5-issue-12/p-3/