Partner diagnosed with very high cholesterol at 37 yo. How can I support w/o nagging?

texasleahgirl

I'm jealous you did the Camino de Santiago! Very cool!

NewMeSM75

Steph38878 wrote: »

I have high cholesterol. I wasn't obese. I started exercising and eating healthy. My lipids improved but my cholesterol didn't. No matter what I tried, I couldn't prevent medicine. I even tried niacin which is a vitamin which improves for some people but not me.

I truly think trying to eat healthy and exercise is best to try before medicines. High fiber, low fats but good fats. I use olive oil instead of butter. High fiber pasta instead of white pasta. Meats - I go for ground round or sirloin if red meat but normally choose chicken, turkey or pork tenderloin.

You can look into fish oil.

Good luck!

I said that wrong. My triglycerides improved not lipids. Exercising and eating a low fat diet did great with my triglycerides. They improved dramatically.

I had to go through 3 different statin drugs before I found one that worked. One didn't lower my numbers. The next made me feel as if my whole body ached. Then I found the one that works now.

I don't advise medicines if it can be helped with diet and exercise. They have crazy side effects.

RachaelRenk

This is me. I'm 25 and was diagnosed with high cholesterol. My diet wasn't fantastic, but the biggest contributing factor is that it's genetic. For what it's worth, my doctor is way more concerned about my carb intake than anything else. Every time I get tested and we talk about my cholesterol, she reiterates the same two things...over and over...

1) Fit in more cardio
2) Cut back on the carbs

That's one perspective for you.

I was able to get my numbers down a little bit over a 3 month period. I'm currently on a very low-dose statin and trying to amp up the cardio (I like weight-lifting and was really focused on that during my 3 month trial period, apparently it doesn't have the same effect on cholesterol as cardio does. Sigh.) and lose weight before I test again next month.

DrifterBear

There is a huge genetic component, but don't discount diet and overall weight. It sounds like his lifestyle is clearly working against his health. My experience is from my dad who has always been well within a healthy weight range, probably at the lower end. He works out 5 days a week 3 cardio 2 lifting and closely watches his diet to limit eggs and other high cholesterol foods. He takes lipitor (I don't know the dose but he's been on it as long as I can remember) and rarely sees a number below 200.

But can you imagine what would happen if he didn't put all that effort in? It almost doesn't matter what his number is, he was diagnosed a long time ago with having high cholesterol and does everything he can to get his number as low as possible.

Aside from your partner's prognosis, there's only so much you can do to convince him to take action. Educate yourself, share information with him. Explain the importance and impact of his health on you (i.e. what happens if he dies or ends up in the hospital?). High cholesterol is a long-term issue, but could significantly shorten his life. You probably should start to change the diet, it doesn't sound like he would mind too much. But ultimately, if you have a 'partnership' you should try to get it on the table and work together as a team to tackle any issue that affects you both, especially when it comes to health, finances, kids, etc.

CharlieBeansmomTracey

amflautist wrote: »

Vigorous exercise, exercise that makes you sweat, will improve cholesterol, LDL, etc.

Here is some peer-reviewed research:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1402378/
Also Thompson PD, Crouse SF, Goodpaster B, et al. The acute versus the chronic response to exercise. [discussion S452-3]. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2001;33:S438-45. [PubMed]

Here is a friendly article: http://www.everydayhealth.com/high-cholesterol/treatment/fitness-and-cholesterol/

Also - again from peer-reviewed research: Eat dinner early, and no snacking in the evening. Give your body a good long interval to clear out the days food and rejuvenate various hormones.

umm I eat dinner sometimes late and I snack in the evening too. still lowered my cholesterol meal timing I dont see how it would have anything to do with it.and if vigorous exercise that makes you sweat was all it took then my cholesterol would have came down without meds. it didnt. genetic cholesterol is a lot more complex than you think.

melaniedscott

CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »

amflautist wrote: »

Vigorous exercise, exercise that makes you sweat, will improve cholesterol, LDL, etc.

Here is some peer-reviewed research:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1402378/
Also Thompson PD, Crouse SF, Goodpaster B, et al. The acute versus the chronic response to exercise. [discussion S452-3]. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2001;33:S438-45. [PubMed]

Here is a friendly article: http://www.everydayhealth.com/high-cholesterol/treatment/fitness-and-cholesterol/

Also - again from peer-reviewed research: Eat dinner early, and no snacking in the evening. Give your body a good long interval to clear out the days food and rejuvenate various hormones.

umm I eat dinner sometimes late and I snack in the evening too. still lowered my cholesterol meal timing I dont see how it would have anything to do with it.and if vigorous exercise that makes you sweat was all it took then my cholesterol would have came down without meds. it didnt. genetic cholesterol is a lot more complex than you think.

I'm with you...it is always more complex. And what works for one person may not work for another. Some people do everything right...and it never goes down. Some people do everything right and it goes down a little...but not enough. And some people drop their cholesterol relatively quickly. Statins work for some people. Others not as much. My gran tried them, hated them, they didn't lower her cholesterol significantly and she stopped.

And the severity differs, too. My gran's cholesterol was always at the top of the range (450-500...I'm told the test doesn't go higher) but it didn't cause the expected heart problems. Until her 70's, she was always pretty active and I think that helped. Some people have high cholesterol in the 300's range and have countless problems. One thing doesn't work for everyone.

GottaBurnEmAll

CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »

I have FH and what worked for me was a low fat,low cholesterol high fiber diet. I do have to take statins though,in less than 6 months of eating this way coupled with the meds my cholesterol is now in the normal ranges(for the first time in over 15 years). I was thin too when I was diagnosed with high cholesterol,but didnt know it was FH until the last year. for me diet and exercise alone did not help.


If he has FH low carb/high fat is not the way to go as those of us with FH have livers that dont process fats and cholesterol like most people,it signals our brains to make more and any excess can be stored as fat pads. I ended up with those and xanthomas/xanthelasmas.

FH is not something to play with,its the kind that can cause heart attacks,strokes and TIAs(it can also be passed down to your children if you have any). if you can get him a genetic test done to see if it is FH.

I was told to keep my fats,especially saturated fats low. so I was told to avoid fatty cuts of meat,red meats,cookies,cakes,pies/any fried foods,white flours,rice, I was told to eat lean cuts of meat,whole grains,fruits,veggies and foods low in saturated fat/fat.so far its helped. I do eat those things once in awhile though.

This. I also have FH, but do not have to take statins since I fortunately only inherited from one parent.

Low fat, low cholesterol, low saturated fat, high fiber with plenty of activity controls my cholesterol for now.

In the world of saturated fat, dairy is likely the least harmful of the bunch, btw, thanks to the butyric acid.

I still occasionally have things I shouldn't have, but it's rare.

CharlieBeansmomTracey

GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »

CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »

I have FH and what worked for me was a low fat,low cholesterol high fiber diet. I do have to take statins though,in less than 6 months of eating this way coupled with the meds my cholesterol is now in the normal ranges(for the first time in over 15 years). I was thin too when I was diagnosed with high cholesterol,but didnt know it was FH until the last year. for me diet and exercise alone did not help.


If he has FH low carb/high fat is not the way to go as those of us with FH have livers that dont process fats and cholesterol like most people,it signals our brains to make more and any excess can be stored as fat pads. I ended up with those and xanthomas/xanthelasmas.

FH is not something to play with,its the kind that can cause heart attacks,strokes and TIAs(it can also be passed down to your children if you have any). if you can get him a genetic test done to see if it is FH.

I was told to keep my fats,especially saturated fats low. so I was told to avoid fatty cuts of meat,red meats,cookies,cakes,pies/any fried foods,white flours,rice, I was told to eat lean cuts of meat,whole grains,fruits,veggies and foods low in saturated fat/fat.so far its helped. I do eat those things once in awhile though.

This. I also have FH, but do not have to take statins since I fortunately only inherited from one parent.

Low fat, low cholesterol, low saturated fat, high fiber with plenty of activity controls my cholesterol for now.

In the world of saturated fat, dairy is likely the least harmful of the bunch, btw, thanks to the butyric acid.

I still occasionally have things I shouldn't have, but it's rare.

I too only inherited it from one parent but for me I have to take the stupid statins. thats the only way to keep it down. I also have things I shouldnt from time to time.I wish I didnt have to take meds. but have tried so many and they worked but not so great,went off them,it went sky high and then went on this one statin and doing great.

CharlieBeansmomTracey

melaniedscott wrote: »

CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »

amflautist wrote: »

Vigorous exercise, exercise that makes you sweat, will improve cholesterol, LDL, etc.

Here is some peer-reviewed research:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1402378/
Also Thompson PD, Crouse SF, Goodpaster B, et al. The acute versus the chronic response to exercise. [discussion S452-3]. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2001;33:S438-45. [PubMed]

Here is a friendly article: http://www.everydayhealth.com/high-cholesterol/treatment/fitness-and-cholesterol/

Also - again from peer-reviewed research: Eat dinner early, and no snacking in the evening. Give your body a good long interval to clear out the days food and rejuvenate various hormones.

umm I eat dinner sometimes late and I snack in the evening too. still lowered my cholesterol meal timing I dont see how it would have anything to do with it.and if vigorous exercise that makes you sweat was all it took then my cholesterol would have came down without meds. it didnt. genetic cholesterol is a lot more complex than you think.

I'm with you...it is always more complex. And what works for one person may not work for another. Some people do everything right...and it never goes down. Some people do everything right and it goes down a little...but not enough. And some people drop their cholesterol relatively quickly. Statins work for some people. Others not as much. My gran tried them, hated them, they didn't lower her cholesterol significantly and she stopped.

And the severity differs, too. My gran's cholesterol was always at the top of the range (450-500...I'm told the test doesn't go higher) but it didn't cause the expected heart problems. Until her 70's, she was always pretty active and I think that helped. Some people have high cholesterol in the 300's range and have countless problems. One thing doesn't work for everyone.

my maternal grandma had high cholesterol but it wasnt genetic and she didnt have the health issues or ever have a heart attack or anything either. she loved cheese and was told not to eat it but she didnt listen. she died at 83 but she had dementia.see not all cholesterol issues cause heart issues, FH is the biggest culprit though,its worse when you have both parents with it and its passed down.you have it as a child and it can be fatal.

Im glad in a way only one parent had it.which is why its best to get tested to see what kind of FH a person has.my mom doesnt have high cholesterol.my grandpa didnt either so I know only one parent passed it down.

I dont like having it but it could be worse, I could need apheresis(which is like dialysis),which can happen in some FH patients(thats what happens when meds and diet dont work). the worse case scenario is those with FH could end up with a damaged liver and need a transplant. which is why I said FH is nothing to mess with if a person has it.

NewMeSM75

CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »

GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »

CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »

I have FH and what worked for me was a low fat,low cholesterol high fiber diet. I do have to take statins though,in less than 6 months of eating this way coupled with the meds my cholesterol is now in the normal ranges(for the first time in over 15 years). I was thin too when I was diagnosed with high cholesterol,but didnt know it was FH until the last year. for me diet and exercise alone did not help.


If he has FH low carb/high fat is not the way to go as those of us with FH have livers that dont process fats and cholesterol like most people,it signals our brains to make more and any excess can be stored as fat pads. I ended up with those and xanthomas/xanthelasmas.

FH is not something to play with,its the kind that can cause heart attacks,strokes and TIAs(it can also be passed down to your children if you have any). if you can get him a genetic test done to see if it is FH.

I was told to keep my fats,especially saturated fats low. so I was told to avoid fatty cuts of meat,red meats,cookies,cakes,pies/any fried foods,white flours,rice, I was told to eat lean cuts of meat,whole grains,fruits,veggies and foods low in saturated fat/fat.so far its helped. I do eat those things once in awhile though.

This. I also have FH, but do not have to take statins since I fortunately only inherited from one parent.

Low fat, low cholesterol, low saturated fat, high fiber with plenty of activity controls my cholesterol for now.

In the world of saturated fat, dairy is likely the least harmful of the bunch, btw, thanks to the butyric acid.

I still occasionally have things I shouldn't have, but it's rare.

I too only inherited it from one parent but for me I have to take the stupid statins. thats the only way to keep it down. I also have things I shouldnt from time to time.I wish I didnt have to take meds. but have tried so many and they worked but not so great,went off them,it went sky high and then went on this one statin and doing great.

This is me. We tried diet with exercise. Then dr tried niacin. Oh man. Side effects were that you have a stinging sensation like fire ants all over. Holy cow did it but still didn't help. Tried Crestor but I felt like I had the flu. I'm now on pravastatin. It seems to be helping. I test again in June.

With high cholesterol, I have high blood pressure also. My numbers aren't as high some people as much as I can remember but with the combination of high blood pressure, the doctor was concerned.

mjdegraw

I haven't read any of the other posts but I'm sure cooking healthy and fit meals would be a plus

mjdegraw

Also Dave Ramsey has got EMeals great program. Gives you meals recipies and choice of grocery stores to shop from. Also allows you to chose single, for two or family,and a great selection of diet types. Low carb, diabetic,low salt, and others good luck

CharlieBeansmomTracey

mjdegraw wrote: »

I haven't read any of the other posts but I'm sure cooking healthy and fit meals would be a plus

even eating healthy doesnt guarantee low cholesterol numbers for some of us. for some we have to watch our fat/saturated fat/cholesterol intake.eat high amounts of fiber and exercise too. some of us need meds,others can do it with diet and exercise alone, but it all depends on the type of high cholesterol you have.

Those with FH(familial hypercholesterolemia) shouldnt do keto or higher fat diets as our livers produce too much fat/cholesterol. so even dietary fats can raise our cholesterol where it may not in someone else with another type of high cholesterol.so low carb/keto usually means upping your fats,Those with FH should not do that.

I eat higher carb,low fat/cholesterol and high fiber diet,along with my exercise and meds my cholesterol is in normal ranges.so what works for one may not work for another.

melaniedscott

Steph38878 wrote: »

CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »

GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »

CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »

I have FH and what worked for me was a low fat,low cholesterol high fiber diet. I do have to take statins though,in less than 6 months of eating this way coupled with the meds my cholesterol is now in the normal ranges(for the first time in over 15 years). I was thin too when I was diagnosed with high cholesterol,but didnt know it was FH until the last year. for me diet and exercise alone did not help.


If he has FH low carb/high fat is not the way to go as those of us with FH have livers that dont process fats and cholesterol like most people,it signals our brains to make more and any excess can be stored as fat pads. I ended up with those and xanthomas/xanthelasmas.

FH is not something to play with,its the kind that can cause heart attacks,strokes and TIAs(it can also be passed down to your children if you have any). if you can get him a genetic test done to see if it is FH.

I was told to keep my fats,especially saturated fats low. so I was told to avoid fatty cuts of meat,red meats,cookies,cakes,pies/any fried foods,white flours,rice, I was told to eat lean cuts of meat,whole grains,fruits,veggies and foods low in saturated fat/fat.so far its helped. I do eat those things once in awhile though.

This. I also have FH, but do not have to take statins since I fortunately only inherited from one parent.

Low fat, low cholesterol, low saturated fat, high fiber with plenty of activity controls my cholesterol for now.

In the world of saturated fat, dairy is likely the least harmful of the bunch, btw, thanks to the butyric acid.

I still occasionally have things I shouldn't have, but it's rare.

I too only inherited it from one parent but for me I have to take the stupid statins. thats the only way to keep it down. I also have things I shouldnt from time to time.I wish I didnt have to take meds. but have tried so many and they worked but not so great,went off them,it went sky high and then went on this one statin and doing great.

This is me. We tried diet with exercise. Then dr tried niacin. Oh man. Side effects were that you have a stinging sensation like fire ants all over. Holy cow did it but still didn't help. Tried Crestor but I felt like I had the flu. I'm now on pravastatin. It seems to be helping. I test again in June.

With high cholesterol, I have high blood pressure also. My numbers aren't as high some people as much as I can remember but with the combination of high blood pressure, the doctor was concerned.

I contemplated adding niacin to my regime but my husband saw the list of side effects and had a total cow. Demanded I cease any thought of taking more than standard multi-vit amounts. And he doesn't demand very often...so I decided it wasn't worth it. My bp is awesome, so...

shaumom

just re: the dietary changes and how to do it - if you cook, you can cook whatever you want to, and that includes if you decide something is good for him, you know?

That said, I can see where it is difficult to figure out what to do, because of the conflicting information. I have been trying to separate the research into, hmm, groupings. I try to see how old the research is, is it done well, were there conflicts of interest, that sort of thing. It has helped me winnow out what seems to help. I'm currently leaning toward low carb being more help than low fat (on a long term study by the NIH, low fat and low carb both had lower bad cholesterol at the end of the diet, but low carb had LOWER bad cholesterol, and also had increased good cholesterol, which low fat didn't have). But that's just my own take on the research, you know?

And a couple things that have cropped up in my research, in case they help.

1. Auto-immune disorders - there is a weird, and so far unexplained, correlation between high cholesterol levels and auto-immune disorders. Doctors don't know if it is a cause and effect, from either side, but if your SO has high cholesterol but is thin and his diet isn't that bad, he might wanna check if his family has any auto-immune disorders and get tested for those. Like celiac disease, hypothyroidism, Hashimoto's, diabetes, and a lot more. They are more often found in women, and the beginning symptoms can be super vague (like fatigue, say), so doctors will not be very likely to test him for any right now, you know?

2. Mast cells can be involved in cholesterol issues - Mast cells are kind of jack-of-all-trades cells in the body. They are involved in lots of different processes, depending on where they are. However, mast cells can release some substances that can cause high cholesterol, like tryptase, which degrades the good cholesterol and so can lead to high 'bad' cholesterol in patients with perfectly good diets. So sometimes, if the cells aren't quite working how they should, things that help stabilize mast cells - making them release their contents a little less - can help lower cholesterol. Quirky, but can be useful. Especially as mast cell stabilizers are commonly bioflavonoids found in plant products. Luteolin and quercetin are two (quercetin is more well known as it is aimed at allergies, which arise from histamine release from mast cells). Olive leaf tea is a good one for this. Many fresh herbs are as well. I believe I've read something about blueberry leaf tea, too, but wouldn't swear to that. Just...something you could explore, you know?

Rocknut53

@alaskagrown "If you've ever been through this diagnosis as either the affected or the partner, please help!"

Both my husband & I have/had high cholesterol and he has the added bonus of high blood pressure. I was diagnosed years before him and we both took statins. My doctor mistakenly assumed I had a family history and told me that I would always have to take meds. Over the past year and a half I proved him wrong by losing weight and improving my diet, not anything special, just eating less of problematic foods. I also get lots of exercise. My husband is another story. It's like he's happy with the road to self-destruction. He smoked up until 6 years ago when he had to have a stent put in his almost totally blocked brachial artery. 1 1/2 years ago he had to have part of his colon taken out due to a perforation that nearly killed him, again due to poor choices. At that point he promised he would take steps to improve his health. I can't get him to exercise, his diet has improved because I do almost all the cooking, but he still eats way too much and binges on crap almost daily. I have made a commitment to myself to keep off the 60+ pounds I lost and to keep up my workouts. I hope someday he'll wake up and realize he's missing out on good health. All this said, I can't make him do it. He has to make that decision and he has to do it himself. I've tried nagging, it doesn't work. All I can do is set a good example. It's frustrating, but it's the reality of my situation. The reality of your situation is, in your words, "he's not me."