Bad cholesterol just genetic?

FL_Hiker

Hi y’all,
Asking on behalf of my hubby here, he got his lab work back and his HDL was low, triglycerides were high, LDL high, chol/hdlc ratio high, and non HDL cholesterol very high. He’s only 30 years old, normal BMI he’s never been over weight and his diet isn’t terrible... we hardly ever eat red meat only once a week and he isn’t big into sweets. He doesn’t like vegetables but eats them anyways. Unfortunately our doctor is not big on follow up care... and I’ve never had cholesterol problems so I don’t know what can help. I would assume more exercise to start? He wants a treadmill so we’re going to start there. But what can he change or add to his diet? Since he’s a normal weight is this mostly due to genetics?
Thanks for your help!

collectingblues

It definitely can be largely genetic. High cholesterol is *rampant* on my father's side of the family -- despite most people being a normal weight, having a fairly decent diet, etc. I used to also have problems with high cholesterol. (I don't appreciate the irony that calorie restriction/restrictive ED habits is what keeps it in check.)

It's possible that nothing *he* could do will fix it. You can have the best diet in the world, but if it's familial, that still doesn't stop what your liver churns out. But, depending on what "high" is, it's also possible that it's also not worth treating.

pierinifitness

I’m not vegan but continue to be impressed at how the practitioners of that nutrition lifestyle sport some impressive cholesterol lab work. Ditto for Dr. John McDougall’s starch-based nutrition approach.

I have a decent total cholesterol reading but have always had a low HDL reading except once after niacin supplementation. So does my mother, leading me to believe there’s a genetic predisposition.

Ultimately, we have to decide how bad we want something (lower weight, better health markers, fitness, etc.) so if we want our current way of eating then we take what it brings.

mmapags

I have mild genetically elevated cholesterol. Exercise can help with HDL and triglycerides. I also intake a good amount of soluble fiber and supplement with red yeast rice. This helps keep my numbers in a good range.

nvmomketo

As others said, it may be genetic, and exercise, fibrous carbs, and reduced stress can help. Avoiding or limiting carbs generally will help too; cutting carbs will usually increase HDL and lower triglycerides. LCHF or ketogenic diets may help.

Books like cholesterol con, great cholesterol myth or cholesterol clarity get into it. Peter Attia md has a good blog series on cholesterol too.

FL_Hiker

mmapags wrote: »

I have mild genetically elevated cholesterol. Exercise can help with HDL and triglycerides. I also intake a good amount of soluble fiber and supplement with red yeast rice. This helps keep my numbers in a good range.

How do you get your soluble fiber? I’ve never heard of red yeast rice, is that for the fiber ? Any idea if it’s better to get it through diet or supplementation? And what kinds of foods are high in soluble fiber?
Thanks 😊

GottaBurnEmAll

There's lots of soluble fiber in beans, oats, peas, potatoes, brussels sprouts, avocado, citrus fruits, apples, and strawberries...

janejellyroll

FL_Hiker wrote: »

mmapags wrote: »

I have mild genetically elevated cholesterol. Exercise can help with HDL and triglycerides. I also intake a good amount of soluble fiber and supplement with red yeast rice. This helps keep my numbers in a good range.

How do you get your soluble fiber? I’ve never heard of red yeast rice, is that for the fiber ? Any idea if it’s better to get it through diet or supplementation? And what kinds of foods are high in soluble fiber?
Thanks 😊

Red Yeast Rice has compounds that can help lower cholesterol. It's the same stuff that is in lovastatin (a drug prescribed for high cholesterol).

Some things to keep in mind: because it is a supplement, it may be difficult to determine how much you're getting (as opposed to taking a prescription with those compounds that is more exact). Not a big deal, probably, if your numbers are in a good range. But for those who require a consistent dose to manage their cholesterol, this could be significant.

acb117

As a phlebotomist, I would suggest to try to remember what your husband ate within 24-72 hours of getting that lab done. Tests can sometimes be tainted.
When I saw my nutritionist last, the one thing that I love to eat that will bump up your cholesterol in a lab is shrimp which shocked me. Yes, genetics can make you hold on to cholesterol, but it's not always what we think it is. I would ask for multiple labs, and suggestions on how to improve.
If the labs are too expensive from a doctor's orders, or they are not communicating well or fast enough, there are companies you can do in home testing to get faster results. (i.e. everylywell.com; or healthlabs.com; etc.).
Exercise is always wonderful to include in your health, but look into everything you consume. What goes in does not always come out as fast or at all.

mmapags

GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »

There's lots of soluble fiber in beans, oats, peas, potatoes, brussels sprouts, avocado, citrus fruits, apples, and strawberries...

This. I also eat chia seeds in my protein smoothie or with nonfat greek yogurt and supplement with Psyllium Husk powder in the protein smoothies.

mmapags

FL_Hiker wrote: »

mmapags wrote: »

I have mild genetically elevated cholesterol. Exercise can help with HDL and triglycerides. I also intake a good amount of soluble fiber and supplement with red yeast rice. This helps keep my numbers in a good range.

How do you get your soluble fiber? I’ve never heard of red yeast rice, is that for the fiber ? Any idea if it’s better to get it through diet or supplementation? And what kinds of foods are high in soluble fiber?
Thanks 😊

Red yeast rice is not a food. It is a supplement, as jane said. You can get it on Amazon or where ever you buy supplements. I've always taken the recommended dose and it works like a charm for me.

FL_Hiker

acb117 wrote: »

As a phlebotomist, I would suggest to try to remember what your husband ate within 24-72 hours of getting that lab done. Tests can sometimes be tainted.
When I saw my nutritionist last, the one thing that I love to eat that will bump up your cholesterol in a lab is shrimp which shocked me. Yes, genetics can make you hold on to cholesterol, but it's not always what we think it is. I would ask for multiple labs, and suggestions on how to improve.
If the labs are too expensive from a doctor's orders, or they are not communicating well or fast enough, there are companies you can do in home testing to get faster results. (i.e. everylywell.com; or healthlabs.com; etc.).
Exercise is always wonderful to include in your health, but look into everything you consume. What goes in does not always come out as fast or at all.

His cholesterol has been bad for the past few years and steadily getting worse 🙁 could be what he ate but I doubt it since I eat the same thing as him and my labs were completely normal we actually got our bloodwork done together lol... thanks for all the info everyone.

manderson27

My husband is Jamaican and Afro Caribean people are genetically more pre-disposed to having high cholesterol. So although he has always looked after himself, never smoked. eats a healthy variety of foods and exercises regularly. He has high cholesterol and slightly high blood pressure. We tweaked his diet to cut back on red meats (not that he ate to excess anyway) and included more foods that contain plant sterols which help with lowering cholesterol he now has to take statins.

He did not want to do this but he has no side effects and his cholesterol is now normal. Your doctor should have given you all the diet information and medication options after diagnosis.

psuLemon

The biggest thing that improved most of my blood results was weight loss, exercise and overall improving my body composition. Things like increasing fiber (like others said), omega 3 fatty acids, and limiting sugars and fried fats can help.

It is also possible your husband has hypercholesterolemia, which he can get genetic testing for. It he does, dietary cholesterol won't be his friend.