So I Found Out I Have High Cholesterol...
mbxsd
Posts: 3
I am 19 years old and I recently drew blood at a clinic. My doctor told me that everything is normal except for my cholesterol, which is "not ideal". My bad cholesterol is a little higher than normal, and my good cholesterol is lower than normal. My triglycerides are also a little high.
I was brought up to eat a fairly healthy diet because high cholesterol runs in my family. My mother and her entire family has it despite living fairly healthy lifestyles. None of us are obese. We all engage in sports and know how to maintain a balanced diet. I try to avoid fast food and fatty meats and prefer to eat vegetables and fish. I was never really physically active until recently, when I took up martial arts (which I really enjoy).
I am not sure what I should do to lower my cholesterol. Since it's genetic, will I ever be able to reach normal cholesterol levels? Several sources have told me to cut down on meat and dairy, but I am afraid that that will limit my nutritional intake since I am allergic to fruit and raw vegetables. Are there any other suggestions?
I was brought up to eat a fairly healthy diet because high cholesterol runs in my family. My mother and her entire family has it despite living fairly healthy lifestyles. None of us are obese. We all engage in sports and know how to maintain a balanced diet. I try to avoid fast food and fatty meats and prefer to eat vegetables and fish. I was never really physically active until recently, when I took up martial arts (which I really enjoy).
I am not sure what I should do to lower my cholesterol. Since it's genetic, will I ever be able to reach normal cholesterol levels? Several sources have told me to cut down on meat and dairy, but I am afraid that that will limit my nutritional intake since I am allergic to fruit and raw vegetables. Are there any other suggestions?
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Replies
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when you get to your 30s take the meds they offer. Maybe by the time your there they will have a way to raise the good stuff too. I wouldn't worry to much about it. It all ends the same.
you said you eat healthy does that mean you exclude foods that are high in cholesterol?0 -
I don't exclude high cholesterol foods unfortunately. I like to eat things like oysters and liver, but I do not eat them often.
Oh, I also forgot to mention that I am lactose intolerant, but I am not sure if that's much of an issue...0 -
First, what's "a little" high? Can you post some numbers? Total at 200 is a lot different than total at 300 - same with HDL, LDL, and Tri.
Depending on how high it is, at 19, I'd actually see if your doc can prescribe (so insurance will kick in) a dietician for a time to look at things with you. If you have a family history of it, the first thing you need to cover with them is what your goal/target is based on who you are.
Example: My wife's family --- all healthy and they live to their 90's/100's. They all have cholesterol totals in the 250 range. My wife's never dieted a day in her life (though she eats pretty healthy), is 5' 8" and 120, and has cholesterol around 240. Given her family history, the doc isn't concerned
because of her family history and otherwise good health. I, on the other hand, have a family history of heart disease. When my cholesterol was ~220 my doc was concerned and wanted it down. We set a target of 150, with Tri under 100, and we did a particle test so we could get more refined HDL and LDL numbers -- different than a standard cholesterol test. He also recommended a CRP test to start a baseline. My cholesterol is now under 140, Tri ~80, and HDL/LDL are better than my goals.
Different strokes for different folks. One person's healthy cholesterol is different than another's, so it's important to figure out where you *should* be and then work with someone to analyze your food choices to see how you can maintain that healthy range for life. You really don't want to be on the meds that they have for cholesterol if you can help it, so good that you're looking at your diet this young. I'm impressed.0 -
I don't exclude high cholesterol foods unfortunately. I like to eat things like oysters and liver, but I do not eat them often.
Oh, I also forgot to mention that I am lactose intolerant, but I am not sure if that's much of an issue...
after i lost weight my blood pressure and cholesterol went down. But my good cholesterol went up. I didnt tell the doc that I eat about 4 dozen eggs a month. Maybe it was the weight loss. But I havent come across any studies that say weight loss increases good cholesterol i've only seen some that say it can lower bad cholesterol. My bet it was the eggs that increased my good cholesterol. Your young you wont die of hardened arteries right now so give it a try, eat more eggs for about 6 months and get a new blood test at worst we can rule that out. at best maybe it will work.0 -
You didn't say what your LDL and HDL are and that matters. More than the cholesterol, which is really not a big deal and not a marker for anything, the triglycerides are important. Fish oil typically brings them within the normal range as do chia and flax. Most people who have fatal heart attacks have low cholesterol.
Very, very few people should take statins or pills for cholesterol. Only old men who have had a heart attack benefit. Women need more cholesterol. Our brains are almost totally cholesterol and fat. When we get our cholesterol too low, we get stupid.0 -
80% of your cholesterol levels come from your genetics. At your age, unless you're extremely overweight or the levels are dangerously high, you shouldn't have to worry about it yet. Just work on getting your weight down and it'll get better. You may need to take medicine when you're older regardless of what you do, but losing weight will put the odds in your favor.
That's what my doctor told me, a 26 year old woman who doesn't eat fried foods but still has high cholesterol.0 -
Statin drugs are NOT good for you. Sure, they lower your cholesterol but it does this by blocking the enzymes in the body that are required to make cholesterol. It also blocks the body's ability to produce certain sex hormones.
Have you had your hormones tested as well? Low hormone levels can result in high cholesterol.0 -
I thought that dietary cholesterol (what you get from eggs, shrimp, etc.) has very little impact on your cholesterol levels. Eating a diet with eggs, shrimp, or other high cholesterol foods isn't going to directly impact your cholesterol. Anyone more knowledgeable then me want to verify or correct me?
Also, you say that you were given advice to reduce dairy and meat but said you were lactose intolerant which means you should already limit your dairy (or have a wonderful relationship with your toilet).
And I am not sure if I have ever heard of anyone being allergic to all fruits and vegetables. Please elaborate and enlighten me.0 -
Numbers are important. Its hard to give advice without them. When docs say something "is not ideal" that covers a whole lot of ground. When I was your age, my cholesterol was always 1 or 2 points higher than 200. Not technically ideal. But my HDL was high and my triglycerides were low. While some docs still worried about it, most told me not to worry about it. Docs differ in how 'not ideal' is a problem.
But I also understand that you are 19 rather than 40, and that you have a family history that concerns you. Folks may argue about the role of cholesterol, but no one can argue that genes aren't real.
I wouldn't let medications be your first line of defense, even with a family history. And especially not at 19. The most concerning thing about high cholesterol is its correlation with inflammation. There are natural, uncontroversial ways to lower your level of inflammation: exercise (keep going with the martial arts!), a diet high in fruits and vegetables, and natural, food-based anti-inflammatories like tumeric, ginger, and most kinds of berries. Also natural, but more controversial are lowering the amount of grains you eat. But if you don't want to get into controversial territory, lowering the amount of processed grains (flour) is also helpful for inflammation.0 -
Different strokes for different folks.
Pun intended? Lol!0 -
I have a friend in her mid-30's (thin, has always been a healthy eater) I just found out she's had high cholesterol since her 20's too. I never would have thought it. She says, for her, red rice yeast brings her numbers back into the 'healthy' range after about 6 weeks. My MIL just went on the red rice yeast.. her doctor recommended it after she's been on a few different cholesterol medications that she really believes is responsible for her loosing her ability to walk. Sometimes she can't walk at all now, sometimes she can shuffle.. and she's only in her 50's. She just quit the medicine a couple weeks ago.. she's scared the medicine did permanent damage to her. I don't understand what it would be doing.. but people seem to know their bodies pretty well.. and cause & effects. Personally I would try the more natural thing first and see if that didn't help before going on a pharmaceutical pill.0
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Web MD - Part of the confusion comes from the fact that cholesterol in food isn't the same thing as the cholesterol that clogs arteries. To be sure, foods high in cholesterol can cause blood levels of cholesterol to rise. But only about one in three people seem to be especially susceptible to the effects of cholesterol in food.
Lipitor Website - Only about 25% of cholesterol comes from the foods you eat. The other 75% is made by the body. Factors such as age and family history affect how much cholesterol your body makes. For 2 out of 3 people with high cholesterol, diet and exercise alone aren’t enough, and a cholesterol-lowering medicine may be necessary.
Thankfully, Lipitor is generic now and is much cheaper. I was also told by my doctor that atorvastatin can also raise your good cholesterol levels while lowering your lousy ones. I wish you well and do not stress yourself out over it. No sense in dreading your heredity. Roll with the punches treat it, make adjustments and move on.0 -
What are your actual numbers?
It is possible to lower your LDL and raise your HDL with diet and exercise, but heredity is always going to play a roll. I've been working on getting better numbers for the better part of 18 months now and have everything in the normal range...but ultimately, I don't think I'll ever be able to get those number is the "optimal" range and I'll probably have to take meds when I'm an old man. For the time being though I have things pretty well under control.
- I eat oatmeal for breakfast pretty much 5 days per week on most weeks. Oatmeal is high in soluble fiber which helps usher out LDL choleseterol
- I eat high pectin fruits like apples (and nectarines in the summer). Pectin is a soluble fiber.
- I eat 4-6 servings of veggies per day. Peas and Burssel's Sprouts have particularly good cholesterol lowering benefits. I also eat a ton of broccoli for it's vitamin C and anti-inflammatory properties. I also eat a lot of tomatoes and tomato products (sauce, low sodium V8, etc). Tomatoes are high in lycopene which is very good for your heart in general...and tomato products also tend to be good sources of potassium, particularly the low sodium V8.
- I eat legumes, including beans and lentils and split peas about 3 times per week. Legumes are a good source of phytosterols. I also take a plant sterol/stanol supplement called Cholestoff Plus.
- I have a serving of almonds on most days. I also have 1/2 an avocado on most days and at least 3 times per week. They are dietary staples for me...bot are very good at increasing your HDL
- I eat salmon at least twice per week and I take a fish oil supplement as well. I also eat a lot of chicken and lean cuts of pork like pork tenderloin. I eat red meat as well but I try to keep it to about once per week.
- I rarely eat dairy...some cheese here and there in small quantities, but that's about it. I used to be a dairy king and on average would consume about 1/4 Lb of cheese and 1/2 gallon of whole milk per day.
- I get at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise 5 days per week on most weeks. I mostly ride my bike and usually get closer to an hour at least 3-4 days per week and have a couple days where I just go for a nice long walk. I also lift weights 3x weekly.0 -
Thank you for all your advice, I'm learning a lot!
My cholesterol levels are:
Total cholesterol: 194.
HDL: 47.
LDL: 114
Triglycerides: 164
My mom started taking medicine for her cholesterol in her 40's. I know that medicine isn't the right choice for me right now. I just want to focus on changing my diet and finding ways to naturally lower my cholesterol.0 -
Lipitor Website - Only about 25% of cholesterol comes from the foods you eat. The other 75% is made by the body. Factors such as age and family history affect how much cholesterol your body makes. For 2 out of 3 people with high cholesterol, diet and exercise alone aren’t enough, and a cholesterol-lowering medicine may be necessary.
Of course Lipitor would say that! :laugh:
What they're not telling you though is that statin drugs block the body's ability to make the enzymes needed to make cholesterol which is why it's lowered. Your body NEEDS to make cholesterol. It's the building blocks for cells. Why do you think a pregnant woman's cholesterol is through the roof? It's because the baby needs the cholesterol for development. Doctors are quick to jump on the drug bandwagon and people go along with it without doing adequate research on whether or not these drugs are safe and why things are wrong with your body because "My Doctor said I need this" when in reality you more than likely don't.0 -
I have a friend in her mid-30's (thin, has always been a healthy eater) I just found out she's had high cholesterol since her 20's too. I never would have thought it. She says, for her, red rice yeast brings her numbers back into the 'healthy' range after about 6 weeks. My MIL just went on the red rice yeast.. her doctor recommended it after she's been on a few different cholesterol medications that she really believes is responsible for her loosing her ability to walk. Sometimes she can't walk at all now, sometimes she can shuffle.. and she's only in her 50's. She just quit the medicine a couple weeks ago.. she's scared the medicine did permanent damage to her. I don't understand what it would be doing.. but people seem to know their bodies pretty well.. and cause & effects. Personally I would try the more natural thing first and see if that didn't help before going on a pharmaceutical pill.
My MIL had a similar reaction to her cholesterol drug. I don't know all the details but it was caused by her cholesterol drug interacting with another medication. She kept getting weaker and weaker. She was unsure what was causing it and then one day she collapsed and FIL took her to the emergency room. She had gotten so weak that she needed to go to a rehab center for 4-6 weeks to get PT and her strength back.0 -
Thank you for all your advice, I'm learning a lot!
My cholesterol levels are:
Total cholesterol: 194.
HDL: 47.
LDL: 114
Triglycerides: 164
My mom started taking medicine for her cholesterol in her 40's. I know that medicine isn't the right choice for me right now. I just want to focus on changing my diet and finding ways to naturally lower my cholesterol.
get some good aerobic work in...that should get those triglycerides down. Also get your Omega 3 fatty acids. Your cholesterol numbers are "normal" but probably a little high for your age which is why your doc probably mentioned it. Optimally you'd like to have your LDL below 100...personally your HDL looks fine to me and your total is below 200.
Probably just something to be mindful of and keep an eye on at this point. Making positive dietary and exercise habits now will hopefully allow you to kick the can down the road a bit...0 -
I have a friend in her mid-30's (thin, has always been a healthy eater) I just found out she's had high cholesterol since her 20's too. I never would have thought it. She says, for her, red rice yeast brings her numbers back into the 'healthy' range after about 6 weeks. My MIL just went on the red rice yeast.. her doctor recommended it after she's been on a few different cholesterol medications that she really believes is responsible for her loosing her ability to walk. Sometimes she can't walk at all now, sometimes she can shuffle.. and she's only in her 50's. She just quit the medicine a couple weeks ago.. she's scared the medicine did permanent damage to her. I don't understand what it would be doing.. but people seem to know their bodies pretty well.. and cause & effects. Personally I would try the more natural thing first and see if that didn't help before going on a pharmaceutical pill.
One of the more frequent side-effects of statin therapy is muscle myopathy. This is often mild but can be intense and sometimes result in full blown rhabdomyolysis (this is very rare). Zocor (simvistatin) seems to have the most incidents of myopathy and it also would appear that the more active an individual is, the more susceptible to muscle myopathy...which is ironic considering individuals who could most benefit from statins would also be greatly benefited by moving more and exercising.
If one is taking a statin and experiences this myopathy you should contact your doctor immediately and not ignore it. Your doctor can try another statin or alternative therapy. I am personally of the opinion that people taking a statin and even red rice yeast (natural statin) should also be supplementing with CoQ10 as the statin also blocks your body from making this essential nutrient..this nutrient is important to your nervous system and muscle health. My cardiologist believes that if people supplemented with CoQ10 there would be far fewer incidents of myopathy. Of course, talk to your doctor before mixing any drugs or supplements with your prescription.0 -
Ummm, you are within normal limits for all except triglycerides which is not a problem...normal is 150mg/dL but pharmacologic treatment is not needed until 500mg/dL triglycerides. Also important to know, were you fasted 8hrs when having your lipid panel taken? Triglycerides are transient and are more prone to change where as your LDL and HDL are much less affected by food ingestion.Thank you for all your advice, I'm learning a lot!
My cholesterol levels are:
Total cholesterol: 194.
HDL: 47.
LDL: 114
Triglycerides: 164
My mom started taking medicine for her cholesterol in her 40's. I know that medicine isn't the right choice for me right now. I just want to focus on changing my diet and finding ways to naturally lower my cholesterol.0 -
I'd seriously talk to your doc about prescribing that dietician just to get things moving in a consistent way. Once you get your plan in place, use the internet to understand it, but I wouldn't necessarily come to forums for advice at this point (like I'm giving you now).
Nothing against forums! Great info on certain things.
The problem is that we only get bits and pieces of your info so no matter how much a person knows about cholesterol...we can't know you and your entire situation that well. Example: what prompted you to get a blood workup and see the doc at 19 - were there health issues that prompted the visit? What's your overall body composition, what other family history is there (like diabetes or cancer) that can impact your diet choices too, what other conditions do you have, what kind of home environment do you have (goes to food/lifestyle influences - you told us some, but that's always subjective -- they'll look at specifics), are there any surgeries, existing medications that you're taking that could be impacting cholesterol, etc. Now's a good time to get that plan in place, and you're obviously being proactive about it. That's Great!
My advice:
1) Talk to a knowledgeable person that understands your WHOLE health picture and lay out a plan (prefer dietician as most doctors are morons when it comes to nutrition).
2) Execute that plan.
3) Come back and track here and share your success story.
Have a great New Year!0 -
Talk to your doctor, ask for information.
There's a lot of semi-information that's correct or partly correct.
Statins work, statistically they've improved health outcomes for millions.
Of course they have side-effects, so yes if someones health can be managed without it fine.
My husband has genetically predisposed high cholesterol.
His untreated cholesterol was 9.9 - (Australia. Average person under 6). He can not hope to achieve a low number without drugs (all the other numbers still say the same thing).
He has always taken Zocor (Simvastin) as he has various allergies to other statins.
There are risks, he has some long term(over 20 years) muscle aches and some wasting (you wouldn't see it) but frankly he'd be dead without his meds.
A healthy weight range is the best pre-emptive move most people can make.0
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