Doctor says Cholesterol is too high-310, Yikes !
SandyP2016
Posts: 1 Member
I just received news that my Cho number went from 276 to 310 in 3 months. I need to bring this number dowm. MFP is a great app to watch daily intake of cholesterol and calories. I'd love to lose 10 lbs, I'm optimistic, open to all suggestions.
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Do you know your HDL, LDL, types of LDL or triglycerides? Total cholesterol isn't that useful of a test (IMO), you could have great high HDL, the larger fluffy LDL at normal levels, and low triglycerides that is not reflected by that test.0
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But food cholesterol has very little impact on blood cholesterol.Do you know your HDL, LDL, types of LDL or triglycerides? Total cholesterol isn't that useful of a test (IMO), you could have great high HDL, the larger fluffy LDL at normal levels, and low triglycerides that is not reflected by that test.
Yeah that's me, doctor freaked out because my LDL was too high, but so is my HDL, so my ratio is good and my trigs are great.
OP what you can do is eat more oats and nuts (good fats), and exercise regularly. I know that my doctor told me to eat fat free everything (except nuts) but my numbers improved when I actually stopped doing that, so let's say I don't quite trust her on nutrition advice anymore.0 -
I was also told to stop eating cheese because it has too much fat, and that was causing issues. Bull honkey
Here is what worked for me:
lost weight
added muscle
periods of fasting
...though it's hard to tell which one actually did the job, most likely it was weight loss.0 -
Dietary fat will typically raise cholesterol so if you're interested in lowering it, reduce your fat intake - cheese, eggs, fatty meats, oils, butter etc. My total was as high as 287 and after reducing fat intake to 10%, it's now down to 168. LDL went from 203 to 108.0
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I think the science isn't very convincing around cholesterol measurement, risks, or treatment, and many doctors seem to be clinging to outmoded ideas, especially the notion that lowering dietary cholesterol will significantly lower blood cholesterol. Individual risk factors should be a big part of whether to treat.0
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Traveler120 wrote: »Dietary fat will typically raise cholesterol so if you're interested in lowering it, reduce your fat intake - cheese, eggs, fatty meats, oils, butter etc. My total was as high as 287 and after reducing fat intake to 10%, it's now down to 168. LDL went from 203 to 108.
Please provide your source for this information. I know many people who follow a High Fat diet and don't have issues with cholesterol, myself included.
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michelle172415 wrote: »Traveler120 wrote: »Dietary fat will typically raise cholesterol so if you're interested in lowering it, reduce your fat intake - cheese, eggs, fatty meats, oils, butter etc. My total was as high as 287 and after reducing fat intake to 10%, it's now down to 168. LDL went from 203 to 108.
Please provide your source for this information. I know many people who follow a High Fat diet and don't have issues with cholesterol, myself included.
I totally agree with you. There are a ton of sources out there that shows increasing (healthy) fats, including saturated fats, will raise the good HDL, and lower triglycerides. There are some excellent resources out there that also discredits looking at cholesterol as a single total number. My *total* cholesterol is a bit high by old standards (a method developed when all they could do was measure the total instead of the multitude of particles), but all of my markers have improved on a high fat diet, including my TRI/HDL ratio - one of the most important predictors of heart disease - is now a fantastic 1.1%! I don't have my results in front of me but I remember my bad VLDL was 16 (very low!), my good HDL is 91 (very high!), and Triglycerides only 100 (an excellent range!) My total was 300, but even my doc knew that LDL is factored by using a fuzzy math developed decades ago, so my doctor really doubted the number had much accuracy (since my diet is low carb/high fat which will change the predictability of LDLs) or that I had any concerns. I will be taking the particle test in 4 months to fully breakdown the LDL panel, but otherwise the convincing markers tell me I am doing great and moving in the right direction. Conversely, there is a ton of data that shows people who eat a diet high in refined carbs will increase the triglycerides and VLDL particles. I have been reading (and watching a lot of Youtube videos) by doctor Tara Dall. She has some excellent information available. http://www.taradall.com/
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I'm going to guess your intake of carbs is low?michelle172415 wrote: »Traveler120 wrote: »Dietary fat will typically raise cholesterol so if you're interested in lowering it, reduce your fat intake - cheese, eggs, fatty meats, oils, butter etc. My total was as high as 287 and after reducing fat intake to 10%, it's now down to 168. LDL went from 203 to 108.
Please provide your source for this information. I know many people who follow a High Fat diet and don't have issues with cholesterol, myself included.
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ForecasterJason wrote: »
I'm going to guess your intake of carbs is low?michelle172415 wrote: »Traveler120 wrote: »Dietary fat will typically raise cholesterol so if you're interested in lowering it, reduce your fat intake - cheese, eggs, fatty meats, oils, butter etc. My total was as high as 287 and after reducing fat intake to 10%, it's now down to 168. LDL went from 203 to 108.
Please provide your source for this information. I know many people who follow a High Fat diet and don't have issues with cholesterol, myself included.
Not necessarily. My numbers improved when I increased my fat too but I still eat 200g of carbs regularly.0 -
Diet plays a very important roll when it comes to lowering your cholesterol levels an so does exercise regularly at least 30-45 min per day and drinking at least 1.5 lt of water daily.
To lower your cholesterol you need to make some changes in you diet, you need to add high-fiber foods: whole grains, oatmeal, pears, apples, prunes, beans. Try 2 tbsp in a glass of water before breakfast; Add omega-3 to your diet, you can find it in canola oil, salmon, mackerel, tuna, flaxseed. Olive oil, Avocado, Almonds, peanuts and walnuts can be very helpful too.
[Edited by MFP Mods]0 -
Of course defer to your medical provider's advice, this is my story:
Was overweight, sedentary, total blood cholesterol of 277 (I don't recall the ratios, but they were concerning/at risk), BP 155/90. Doctor gave me 6 months to lose 20 lbs, prescribed the TLC diet (low sat fats, high on whole grains and fiber, fish and poultry, limit fatty mammal protein), advised 45 mins of daily moderate cardio. Basically, conventional heart health dietary and exercise recommendations.
I followed his orders, and lo and behold, I returned to him 6 months later, 20lbs lighter, did my exercise, followed the dietary guidelines. Total cholesterol: 177. LDL under 110, HDL above 50. Tri' were beautifully low. Verdict: no need for medication, continue the eating and activity for life.
That was 2 years ago. Just this last week, I received my lab results from my yearly checkup. Total cholesterol today: 132. BP 118/75. I will continue on this lifestyle forever.0 -
The biggest thing you can do is to greatly decrease your sugar intake. I am not talking about reducing your fruits and veggies but rather anything with added processed sugar - white sugar for coffee, candy, sodas, etc. Good, high quality fats like those from olive oil real butter, nuts, avocados and the like are good for you and not likely the culprits in upping your cholesterol. OF course, every body is different and there are always exceptions to the rule.0
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nutritionK wrote: »Diet plays a very important roll when it comes to lowering your cholesterol levels an so does exercise regularly at least 30-45 min per day and drinking at least 1.5 lt of water daily.
To lower your cholesterol you need to make some changes in you diet, you need to add high-fiber foods: whole grains, oatmeal, pears, apples, prunes, beans. Try 2 tbsp in a glass of water before breakfast; Add omega-3 to your diet, you can find it in canola oil, salmon, mackerel, tuna, flaxseed. Olive oil, Avocado, Almonds, peanuts and walnuts can be very helpful too.
[Edited by MFP Mods]
This advice is so antiquated. Where are you getting your information???
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ForecasterJason wrote: »
I'm going to guess your intake of carbs is low?michelle172415 wrote: »Traveler120 wrote: »Dietary fat will typically raise cholesterol so if you're interested in lowering it, reduce your fat intake - cheese, eggs, fatty meats, oils, butter etc. My total was as high as 287 and after reducing fat intake to 10%, it's now down to 168. LDL went from 203 to 108.
Please provide your source for this information. I know many people who follow a High Fat diet and don't have issues with cholesterol, myself included.
It is, yes. For medical reasons I cannot consume wheat/wheat products, so my intake is lower just from that. I am currently attempting VLC at the advice of my GI doctor to help reverse the effects of my NAFLD. Last year in May I was experimenting with my diet because of some health issues (hadn't yet rec'vd my Dx) and eating moderate to low carbs and moderate to high fat, my cholesterol levels were perfect.
But, I'm not sitting here spouting medical advice like @nutritionK I simply know what works for me and have read many new, modern studies that back this information up.
Traditionally tests were performed on mice (generally vegetarian) and rabbits (purely vegetarian) so of course their cholesterol levels would be affected by adding fats, it's not natural! Many more studies have been conducted in recent years using real people as subjects and the studies speak for themselves, lowering carb intake can have a dramatic effect on cholesterol.0 -
michelle172415 wrote: »nutritionK wrote: »Diet plays a very important roll when it comes to lowering your cholesterol levels an so does exercise regularly at least 30-45 min per day and drinking at least 1.5 lt of water daily.
To lower your cholesterol you need to make some changes in you diet, you need to add high-fiber foods: whole grains, oatmeal, pears, apples, prunes, beans. Try 2 tbsp in a glass of water before breakfast; Add omega-3 to your diet, you can find it in canola oil, salmon, mackerel, tuna, flaxseed. Olive oil, Avocado, Almonds, peanuts and walnuts can be very helpful too.
Qalorie.com can be a very helpful tool for you it can help you track your foods, nutrients, water, calories and exercise that way you can be sure you are doing the right thing. They also have certified nutritionists who can help you achieve you goals.
This advice is so antiquated. Where are you getting your information???
I've studied for 5 years, this antiquated advice can work too, don't toss them off the table just yet.0 -
michelle172415 wrote: »nutritionK wrote: »Diet plays a very important roll when it comes to lowering your cholesterol levels an so does exercise regularly at least 30-45 min per day and drinking at least 1.5 lt of water daily.
To lower your cholesterol you need to make some changes in you diet, you need to add high-fiber foods: whole grains, oatmeal, pears, apples, prunes, beans. Try 2 tbsp in a glass of water before breakfast; Add omega-3 to your diet, you can find it in canola oil, salmon, mackerel, tuna, flaxseed. Olive oil, Avocado, Almonds, peanuts and walnuts can be very helpful too.
Qalorie.com can be a very helpful tool for you it can help you track your foods, nutrients, water, calories and exercise that way you can be sure you are doing the right thing. They also have certified nutritionists who can help you achieve you goals.
This advice is so antiquated. Where are you getting your information???
May I ask why you believe there is something weird about this advice? It is the current recommendation of the American Heart Association: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/Cholesterol/PreventionTreatmentofHighCholesterol/Lifestyle-Changes-and-Cholesterol_UCM_305627_Article.jsp#.VvBONeKLQdU
and my guess is they are far more qualified to give guidelines on the topic than anyone else?
Also the same advice can be found in several other official sites with health guidelines:
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/hbc/treatment
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Cholesterol/Pages/Treatment.aspx0 -
I think that there is some variance as to what works for different people. Years ago when I first had my cholesterol levels tested, my total cholesterol was a little low, but my HDL, LDL, and VLDL levels were all good. My diet was moderate to high in carbs but barely moderate in fat (somewhere around 50% carbs and 30-35% fat). I was eating a significant amount of whole grains, including some oats.0
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michelle172415 wrote: »nutritionK wrote: »Diet plays a very important roll when it comes to lowering your cholesterol levels an so does exercise regularly at least 30-45 min per day and drinking at least 1.5 lt of water daily.
To lower your cholesterol you need to make some changes in you diet, you need to add high-fiber foods: whole grains, oatmeal, pears, apples, prunes, beans. Try 2 tbsp in a glass of water before breakfast; Add omega-3 to your diet, you can find it in canola oil, salmon, mackerel, tuna, flaxseed. Olive oil, Avocado, Almonds, peanuts and walnuts can be very helpful too.
Qalorie.com can be a very helpful tool for you it can help you track your foods, nutrients, water, calories and exercise that way you can be sure you are doing the right thing. They also have certified nutritionists who can help you achieve you goals.
This advice is so antiquated. Where are you getting your information???
May I ask why you believe there is something weird about this advice? It is the current recommendation of the American Heart Association: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/Cholesterol/PreventionTreatmentofHighCholesterol/Lifestyle-Changes-and-Cholesterol_UCM_305627_Article.jsp#.VvBONeKLQdU
and my guess is they are far more qualified to give guidelines on the topic than anyone else?
Also the same advice can be found in several other official sites with health guidelines:
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/hbc/treatment
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Cholesterol/Pages/Treatment.aspx
That advice is based on out of date and inaccurate medical studies. Prior tests have been done on animals like mice and rabbits who have a naturally vegetarian diet, more recent clinical studies have been done on actual people. I'm not saying it can't work, but making blanket statements like this is the only way it can work isn't beneficial to anyone.
http://www.webmd.com/cholesterol-management/news/20100802/low-carb-diets-improve-cholesterol-long-term
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michelle172415 wrote: »Traveler120 wrote: »Dietary fat will typically raise cholesterol so if you're interested in lowering it, reduce your fat intake - cheese, eggs, fatty meats, oils, butter etc. My total was as high as 287 and after reducing fat intake to 10%, it's now down to 168. LDL went from 203 to 108.
Please provide your source for this information. I know many people who follow a High Fat diet and don't have issues with cholesterol, myself included.
I avoided these things when on a low cholesterol diet and my cholesterol went up was on the diet 6 months.so for me thats not true
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michelle172415 wrote: »michelle172415 wrote: »nutritionK wrote: »Diet plays a very important roll when it comes to lowering your cholesterol levels an so does exercise regularly at least 30-45 min per day and drinking at least 1.5 lt of water daily.
To lower your cholesterol you need to make some changes in you diet, you need to add high-fiber foods: whole grains, oatmeal, pears, apples, prunes, beans. Try 2 tbsp in a glass of water before breakfast; Add omega-3 to your diet, you can find it in canola oil, salmon, mackerel, tuna, flaxseed. Olive oil, Avocado, Almonds, peanuts and walnuts can be very helpful too.
Qalorie.com can be a very helpful tool for you it can help you track your foods, nutrients, water, calories and exercise that way you can be sure you are doing the right thing. They also have certified nutritionists who can help you achieve you goals.
This advice is so antiquated. Where are you getting your information???
May I ask why you believe there is something weird about this advice? It is the current recommendation of the American Heart Association: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/Cholesterol/PreventionTreatmentofHighCholesterol/Lifestyle-Changes-and-Cholesterol_UCM_305627_Article.jsp#.VvBONeKLQdU
and my guess is they are far more qualified to give guidelines on the topic than anyone else?
Also the same advice can be found in several other official sites with health guidelines:
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/hbc/treatment
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Cholesterol/Pages/Treatment.aspx
That advice is based on out of date and inaccurate medical studies. Prior tests have been done on animals like mice and rabbits who have a naturally vegetarian diet, more recent clinical studies have been done on actual people. I'm not saying it can't work, but making blanket statements like this is the only way it can work isn't beneficial to anyone.
http://www.webmd.com/cholesterol-management/news/20100802/low-carb-diets-improve-cholesterol-long-term
This is a study stating that when losing weight with a low carb diet, you improve your health, so low carb diets are safe and should not be feared. You are linking a 6 year old study. I am guessing the average cardiologist can google as successfully as the average MFP member. If the advice in the medical site was outdated, I think some dr would have noticed
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michelle172415 wrote: »ForecasterJason wrote: »
I'm going to guess your intake of carbs is low?michelle172415 wrote: »Traveler120 wrote: »Dietary fat will typically raise cholesterol so if you're interested in lowering it, reduce your fat intake - cheese, eggs, fatty meats, oils, butter etc. My total was as high as 287 and after reducing fat intake to 10%, it's now down to 168. LDL went from 203 to 108.
Please provide your source for this information. I know many people who follow a High Fat diet and don't have issues with cholesterol, myself included.
It is, yes. For medical reasons I cannot consume wheat/wheat products, so my intake is lower just from that. I am currently attempting VLC at the advice of my GI doctor to help reverse the effects of my NAFLD. Last year in May I was experimenting with my diet because of some health issues (hadn't yet rec'vd my Dx) and eating moderate to low carbs and moderate to high fat, my cholesterol levels were perfect.
But, I'm not sitting here spouting medical advice like @nutritionK I simply know what works for me and have read many new, modern studies that back this information up.
Traditionally tests were performed on mice (generally vegetarian) and rabbits (purely vegetarian) so of course their cholesterol levels would be affected by adding fats, it's not natural! Many more studies have been conducted in recent years using real people as subjects and the studies speak for themselves, lowering carb intake can have a dramatic effect on cholesterol.
yes for me lowering carbs(not low carb) helped my cholesterol tremendously. I developed cholesterol when I was thin so for me the losing weight was not an option.I was already at a healthy weight at the time. when I started gaining it went down some but it would go up and down like a roller coaster. its up again which means I need to lower carbs again but its so hard. so for those who will say losing weight can help,thats not always the big picture. some health issues can cause high cholesterol,some meds, and so on.0 -
michelle172415 wrote: »michelle172415 wrote: »nutritionK wrote: »Diet plays a very important roll when it comes to lowering your cholesterol levels an so does exercise regularly at least 30-45 min per day and drinking at least 1.5 lt of water daily.
To lower your cholesterol you need to make some changes in you diet, you need to add high-fiber foods: whole grains, oatmeal, pears, apples, prunes, beans. Try 2 tbsp in a glass of water before breakfast; Add omega-3 to your diet, you can find it in canola oil, salmon, mackerel, tuna, flaxseed. Olive oil, Avocado, Almonds, peanuts and walnuts can be very helpful too.
Qalorie.com can be a very helpful tool for you it can help you track your foods, nutrients, water, calories and exercise that way you can be sure you are doing the right thing. They also have certified nutritionists who can help you achieve you goals.
This advice is so antiquated. Where are you getting your information???
May I ask why you believe there is something weird about this advice? It is the current recommendation of the American Heart Association: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/Cholesterol/PreventionTreatmentofHighCholesterol/Lifestyle-Changes-and-Cholesterol_UCM_305627_Article.jsp#.VvBONeKLQdU
and my guess is they are far more qualified to give guidelines on the topic than anyone else?
Also the same advice can be found in several other official sites with health guidelines:
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/hbc/treatment
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Cholesterol/Pages/Treatment.aspx
That advice is based on out of date and inaccurate medical studies. Prior tests have been done on animals like mice and rabbits who have a naturally vegetarian diet, more recent clinical studies have been done on actual people. I'm not saying it can't work, but making blanket statements like this is the only way it can work isn't beneficial to anyone.
http://www.webmd.com/cholesterol-management/news/20100802/low-carb-diets-improve-cholesterol-long-term
This is a study stating that when losing weight with a low carb diet, you improve your health, so low carb diets are safe and should not be feared. You are linking a 6 year old study. I am guessing the average cardiologist can google as successfully as the average MFP member. If the advice in the medical site was outdated, I think some dr would have noticed
You would think but things in the medical community do not happen that quickly. Yes, I googled that link because I thought that WebMD would be a recognizable source for most, there is plenty of other information out there if you want to do some light reading, which clearly my own personal MD has read because he 100% supports low carb high fat diets in the face of high cholesterol.
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michelle172415 wrote: »nutritionK wrote: »Diet plays a very important roll when it comes to lowering your cholesterol levels an so does exercise regularly at least 30-45 min per day and drinking at least 1.5 lt of water daily.
To lower your cholesterol you need to make some changes in you diet, you need to add high-fiber foods: whole grains, oatmeal, pears, apples, prunes, beans. Try 2 tbsp in a glass of water before breakfast; Add omega-3 to your diet, you can find it in canola oil, salmon, mackerel, tuna, flaxseed. Olive oil, Avocado, Almonds, peanuts and walnuts can be very helpful too.
[Edited by MFP Mods]
This advice is so antiquated. Where are you getting your information???
I don't think it is. While there are items on that list I personally wouldn't consume to avoid inflamation (grains & canola oil), many of these foods have been shown to improve good cholesterol numbers. Other than grains (assuming they're consumed as refined and in high amounts), nothing on that list is going to make it worse.
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Here's a good resource with a vastly different view on cholesterol (tons of references included).
http://drmalcolmkendrick.org/
Believe what you like - it is your health - but not everyone agrees that cholesterol is a problem.0 -
Here's a good resource with a vastly different view on cholesterol (tons of references included).
http://drmalcolmkendrick.org/
Believe what you like - it is your health - but not everyone agrees that cholesterol is a problem.
Now wouldn't that be the biggest irony. While the world continues to debate what makes cholesterol go up and down, the real answer is that none of it even matters.
I have read similar reports, including how low cholesterol in our elder population can be quite dangerous. (I wish I could find it, but I can't right now). But through all of these studies two things seem to always to float to the top these days.
1) Science really has no clue the role cholesterol - and its thousands of subsets - contribute to CVD.
2) Ancel Keyes was an idiot - albeit a lucky idiot who got rich and famous. (But then again, the world did take an Oceanographer's word that cholesterol was bad, even though he had no proof, so who was the real idiot? Keyes didn't have any medical training. He proposed a hypothesis - not any facts - from taking 7 out of 22 countries he studied and tried to draw some meaning out it. Of course, he had to drop 15 countries from the study to make his point, but the world did drink it all up.)
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I had high cholesteral and it caused me to have a stroke, so I would cooperate with your dr. Loose weight, Go on a low cholesteral diet. get your blood pressure down. Its not worth it to find out if your smarter than your dr. My site was wrecked, my right side has a terrible pins and needle sensation, often it doesn't work very well. my face is often numb. And I can't talk very well. It's not worth the risk to find out if chances that you might not be effected The plaque built up in you veins will hurt you or not.0
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