How to reduce cholesterol
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MommyMeggo wrote: »@CharlieBeansmomTracey
Dont you have to have genetic testing to confirm FH?
Or they just say "well my dad and his parents always had high cholesterol so I have FH? "
Are hereditary cholesterol issues and FH one and the same?
I cant seem to find an answer to this.
Father is on 2 meds for high chol., his father passed of HA @79 ... My fathers total cholesterol was over 300 prior to meds- but i cannot attest to his diet although Im sure its poor and he is an alcoholic. <A part of me hopes its their lifestyle vs FH>
So my cholesterol is "inherited" from my father's side. My LDL in Feb was 199. Total =290
My LDL has been over 165-197, now 199 ever since I started checking it (within the last 7 years or so)
BP even through 3 pregnancies, triglycerides, and HDL are all stellar.
Im 33 -5'4" and 156 lbs.
When I was 31 and 133lbs it was still high.
My diet can stand to see several improvements as a cholesterol conscious person that I really need to be. But surely overall, its not the culprit of a 199 LDL. I ask myself, are dietary changes and weight loss enough to drop it 99pts?!
Im just curious since Ive seen so many of your posts about this. As my cardiologist said today- if I put in all the work and dedication to alter my LDL (like "lose 30lbs, do an hour of HIIT for an hour daily and be religious about my diet") ...it may still yield a ridiculous LDL. And that statins - or problems by the time im 50yo- are my paths to choose from.
for the most part you do have to have genetic testing unless you have symptoms such as,xanthomas,xanthelasmas,fat/cholesterol pads/deposits around the joint(like knees,ankles.,etc. being alcoholic can cause liver issues of course so Im sure that can have an effect on cholesterol- here is some info that may help https://thefhfoundation.org/difference-high-cholesterol-familial-hypercholesterolemia
diet and weight loss may or may not be enough,if its genetic then you may or may not need meds.everyone is different. sometimes with FH even diet,weight loss and meds arent enough.your cholesterol sounds borderline high, I had cholesterol when I was first diagnosed of over 700 total and 500+ LDL triglycerides were so high they could not even count it.also if you have FH you will have to be tested every 3 months to see where your levels are.
with your father and grandfather it could have been their lifestyle.with FH triglycerides,LDL-C and LDL-p are usually high. my HDL is always good though.But Ive tried doing everything I could not to take meds and it didnt work so I had to resort to meds. best thing I could have done(for me). with FH even being at a healthy weight it can be high, I was at a healthy weight when I was diagnosed(before I got fat). I dont know which one of my parents had it to pass it down as my parents hardly ever went to the dr but I assume it was him as he had a major heart attack at 63. his mom lived to be in her 80s, but his dad died of an early heart attack so yeah(he too had a bad diet and was an alcoholic) so thats a toss up.1 -
My doctor told me I have borderline high cholesterol. Like I'm 'heading in the bad direction'. What foods can I incorporate in my diet that are good for lowering cholesterol?
Simply losing weight will help most people.
I had really high LDL cholesterol when i started. The biggest change I made was eating more veg and fruit and things like beans, lentils, oats, etc and in general just started eating more whole foods. I also eat a lot of fish...hardly ever used to, but I pretty much eat fish at least 5x per week, if not everyday...mostly salmon, cod, tuna, and shrimp. I also eat eggs every day and eat healthy fats from things like avocado, nuts, and I use good cooking oils. I think regular exercise is pretty important as well.
My LDL has been in the low 90s now for about 4 years...1 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »My doctor told me I have borderline high cholesterol. Like I'm 'heading in the bad direction'. What foods can I incorporate in my diet that are good for lowering cholesterol?
Simply losing weight will help most people.
I had really high LDL cholesterol when i started. The biggest change I made was eating more veg and fruit and things like beans, lentils, oats, etc and in general just started eating more whole foods. I also eat a lot of fish...hardly ever used to, but I pretty much eat fish at least 5x per week, if not everyday...mostly salmon, cod, tuna, and shrimp. I also eat eggs every day and eat healthy fats from things like avocado, nuts, and I use good cooking oils. I think regular exercise is pretty important as well.
My LDL has been in the low 90s now for about 4 years...
yes it works for most with regular cholesterol issues0 -
CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »MommyMeggo wrote: »@CharlieBeansmomTracey
Dont you have to have genetic testing to confirm FH?
Or they just say "well my dad and his parents always had high cholesterol so I have FH? "
Are hereditary cholesterol issues and FH one and the same?
I cant seem to find an answer to this.
Father is on 2 meds for high chol., his father passed of HA @79 ... My fathers total cholesterol was over 300 prior to meds- but i cannot attest to his diet although Im sure its poor and he is an alcoholic. <A part of me hopes its their lifestyle vs FH>
So my cholesterol is "inherited" from my father's side. My LDL in Feb was 199. Total =290
My LDL has been over 165-197, now 199 ever since I started checking it (within the last 7 years or so)
BP even through 3 pregnancies, triglycerides, and HDL are all stellar.
Im 33 -5'4" and 156 lbs.
When I was 31 and 133lbs it was still high.
My diet can stand to see several improvements as a cholesterol conscious person that I really need to be. But surely overall, its not the culprit of a 199 LDL. I ask myself, are dietary changes and weight loss enough to drop it 99pts?!
Im just curious since Ive seen so many of your posts about this. As my cardiologist said today- if I put in all the work and dedication to alter my LDL (like "lose 30lbs, do an hour of HIIT for an hour daily and be religious about my diet") ...it may still yield a ridiculous LDL. And that statins - or problems by the time im 50yo- are my paths to choose from.
for the most part you do have to have genetic testing unless you have symptoms such as,xanthomas,xanthelasmas,fat/cholesterol pads/deposits around the joint(like knees,ankles.,etc. being alcoholic can cause liver issues of course so Im sure that can have an effect on cholesterol- here is some info that may help https://thefhfoundation.org/difference-high-cholesterol-familial-hypercholesterolemia
diet and weight loss may or may not be enough,if its genetic then you may or may not need meds.everyone is different. sometimes with FH even diet,weight loss and meds arent enough.your cholesterol sounds borderline high, I had cholesterol when I was first diagnosed of over 700 total and 500+ LDL triglycerides were so high they could not even count it.also if you have FH you will have to be tested every 3 months to see where your levels are.
with your father and grandfather it could have been their lifestyle.with FH triglycerides,LDL-C and LDL-p are usually high. my HDL is always good though.But Ive tried doing everything I could not to take meds and it didnt work so I had to resort to meds. best thing I could have done(for me). with FH even being at a healthy weight it can be high, I was at a healthy weight when I was diagnosed(before I got fat). I dont know which one of my parents had it to pass it down as my parents hardly ever went to the dr but I assume it was him as he had a major heart attack at 63. his mom lived to be in her 80s, but his dad died of an early heart attack so yeah(he too had a bad diet and was an alcoholic) so thats a toss up.
Thanks for the reply. Yea from what Ive read FH numbers are/can be outrageous! Im not sure if its something I want to pay for at this time. Those who would have passed it to me have not died of early heart attacks (79 isnt really young)
I dont have deposits or anything like that. Only symptom is the damn LDL. Methinks I need to read up on the truth about cholesterol, cardiovascular disease and statins <shiver>. Before I decide to go that route.
Tri-56
HDL-74
LDL-199
My "ratio" is said to be normal- whatever that means.
I looked back over everything I eat (lifelong eating habits- we eat out alot-so what am I really eating) evaluated my weight and body comp, as well as my effort to lose weight... and see that there are plenty of changes I can make.- if any- until my 3mo check up and beyond.
For some, not all calories are created equal.
Time will tell.
Thanks again!
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MommyMeggo wrote: »CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »MommyMeggo wrote: »@CharlieBeansmomTracey
Dont you have to have genetic testing to confirm FH?
Or they just say "well my dad and his parents always had high cholesterol so I have FH? "
Are hereditary cholesterol issues and FH one and the same?
I cant seem to find an answer to this.
Father is on 2 meds for high chol., his father passed of HA @79 ... My fathers total cholesterol was over 300 prior to meds- but i cannot attest to his diet although Im sure its poor and he is an alcoholic. <A part of me hopes its their lifestyle vs FH>
So my cholesterol is "inherited" from my father's side. My LDL in Feb was 199. Total =290
My LDL has been over 165-197, now 199 ever since I started checking it (within the last 7 years or so)
BP even through 3 pregnancies, triglycerides, and HDL are all stellar.
Im 33 -5'4" and 156 lbs.
When I was 31 and 133lbs it was still high.
My diet can stand to see several improvements as a cholesterol conscious person that I really need to be. But surely overall, its not the culprit of a 199 LDL. I ask myself, are dietary changes and weight loss enough to drop it 99pts?!
Im just curious since Ive seen so many of your posts about this. As my cardiologist said today- if I put in all the work and dedication to alter my LDL (like "lose 30lbs, do an hour of HIIT for an hour daily and be religious about my diet") ...it may still yield a ridiculous LDL. And that statins - or problems by the time im 50yo- are my paths to choose from.
for the most part you do have to have genetic testing unless you have symptoms such as,xanthomas,xanthelasmas,fat/cholesterol pads/deposits around the joint(like knees,ankles.,etc. being alcoholic can cause liver issues of course so Im sure that can have an effect on cholesterol- here is some info that may help https://thefhfoundation.org/difference-high-cholesterol-familial-hypercholesterolemia
diet and weight loss may or may not be enough,if its genetic then you may or may not need meds.everyone is different. sometimes with FH even diet,weight loss and meds arent enough.your cholesterol sounds borderline high, I had cholesterol when I was first diagnosed of over 700 total and 500+ LDL triglycerides were so high they could not even count it.also if you have FH you will have to be tested every 3 months to see where your levels are.
with your father and grandfather it could have been their lifestyle.with FH triglycerides,LDL-C and LDL-p are usually high. my HDL is always good though.But Ive tried doing everything I could not to take meds and it didnt work so I had to resort to meds. best thing I could have done(for me). with FH even being at a healthy weight it can be high, I was at a healthy weight when I was diagnosed(before I got fat). I dont know which one of my parents had it to pass it down as my parents hardly ever went to the dr but I assume it was him as he had a major heart attack at 63. his mom lived to be in her 80s, but his dad died of an early heart attack so yeah(he too had a bad diet and was an alcoholic) so thats a toss up.
Thanks for the reply. Yea from what Ive read FH numbers are/can be outrageous! Im not sure if its something I want to pay for at this time. Those who would have passed it to me have not died of early heart attacks (79 isnt really young)
I dont have deposits or anything like that. Only symptom is the damn LDL. Methinks I need to read up on the truth about cholesterol, cardiovascular disease and statins <shiver>. Before I decide to go that route.
Tri-56
HDL-74
LDL-199
My "ratio" is said to be normal- whatever that means.
I looked back over everything I eat (lifelong eating habits- we eat out alot-so what am I really eating) evaluated my weight and body comp, as well as my effort to lose weight... and see that there are plenty of changes I can make.- if any- until my 3mo check up and beyond.
For some, not all calories are created equal.
Time will tell.
Thanks again!
you are welcome and with numbers like that I wouldnt really worry about meds or much else right now. just keep doing what your are doing most of those numbers are within a normal range. the LDL is high but the others are good.they have other meds besides statins but for me thats what works. some statins I took did not much of anything this time its working.2 -
I have high LDL, but everything else looks good. My doctor tried for years to put me on a statin but I refused. When I pointed out my ratios were good, my family history didn't point to heart disease and my LDLs were of the large, less damaging type, my doctor said she had to suggest statins in case I developed heart disease later (to protect herself from a lawsuit.) My only red flag was high LDL. Half the people who die from heart attacks have low LDL, so that is not a compelling reason to go on a statin. I eat healthy, keep my weight low, exercise a lot and question any medication my doctor suggests.1
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I have high LDL, but everything else looks good. My doctor tried for years to put me on a statin but I refused. When I pointed out my ratios were good, my family history didn't point to heart disease and my LDLs were of the large, less damaging type, my doctor said she had to suggest statins in case I developed heart disease later (to protect herself from a lawsuit.) My only red flag was high LDL. Half the people who die from heart attacks have low LDL, so that is not a compelling reason to go on a statin. I eat healthy, keep my weight low, exercise a lot and question any medication my doctor suggests.
lots of drs promote statins because again they only know so much when they go through med school. I think they should have to go through like a refresher course on meds and different med therapies in so on because so much is outdated than it was say 5 years ago.Ive had to tell my dr certain things about what she believed and she would look it up just to make sure I wasnt full of it lol.
for some drs they may get kickbacks from the pharmaceutical companies. I dont know if you can say that half the people who die from heart attacks have low LDL,when it could be a number of reasons they died from a heart attack that had nothing to do with cholesterol at all.0 -
I have high LDL, but everything else looks good. My doctor tried for years to put me on a statin but I refused. When I pointed out my ratios were good, my family history didn't point to heart disease and my LDLs were of the large, less damaging type, my doctor said she had to suggest statins in case I developed heart disease later (to protect herself from a lawsuit.) My only red flag was high LDL. Half the people who die from heart attacks have low LDL, so that is not a compelling reason to go on a statin. I eat healthy, keep my weight low, exercise a lot and question any medication my doctor suggests.
How do you find out if yours are large- assume you mean the fluffy vs dense - that Ive been reading about...
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MommyMeggo wrote: »I have high LDL, but everything else looks good. My doctor tried for years to put me on a statin but I refused. When I pointed out my ratios were good, my family history didn't point to heart disease and my LDLs were of the large, less damaging type, my doctor said she had to suggest statins in case I developed heart disease later (to protect herself from a lawsuit.) My only red flag was high LDL. Half the people who die from heart attacks have low LDL, so that is not a compelling reason to go on a statin. I eat healthy, keep my weight low, exercise a lot and question any medication my doctor suggests.
How do you find out if yours are large- assume you mean the fluffy vs dense - that Ive been reading about...
get a test done.make sure they test for those types of cholesterol0 -
oat bran, wheat bran, oats, shredded wheat, omega 3 fats will all help 0
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whole food plant base diet0
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MommyMeggo wrote: »I have high LDL, but everything else looks good. My doctor tried for years to put me on a statin but I refused. When I pointed out my ratios were good, my family history didn't point to heart disease and my LDLs were of the large, less damaging type, my doctor said she had to suggest statins in case I developed heart disease later (to protect herself from a lawsuit.) My only red flag was high LDL. Half the people who die from heart attacks have low LDL, so that is not a compelling reason to go on a statin. I eat healthy, keep my weight low, exercise a lot and question any medication my doctor suggests.
How do you find out if yours are large- assume you mean the fluffy vs dense - that Ive been reading about...
Like CharlieBeans said, there is a test the doctor can order. I knew my doctor didn't know what size particles I had so the last time she was pushing statins on me I asked her about my particle size. Her face got a bit red as she looked through my chart before admitting she didn't know. So, she ordered the test but she told me she didn't like to order it a lot because it was expensive and the insurance companies pushed back if she ordered it too much!!!!
The insurance companies don't push back on statin drugs but they will push back on blood tests to see if the drugs are needed (according to my doc)....????
I'm switching doctors, btw.
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If I had previously had a heart attack or if I had heart disease I would take a statin, I think the science supports the benefits. However, the science is too muddy otherwise and statins can have side effects.
This is one of many interesting articles that questions the effectiveness of statins in people whose only risk factors are high cholesterol. https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4513492/0 -
MommyMeggo wrote: »I have high LDL, but everything else looks good. My doctor tried for years to put me on a statin but I refused. When I pointed out my ratios were good, my family history didn't point to heart disease and my LDLs were of the large, less damaging type, my doctor said she had to suggest statins in case I developed heart disease later (to protect herself from a lawsuit.) My only red flag was high LDL. Half the people who die from heart attacks have low LDL, so that is not a compelling reason to go on a statin. I eat healthy, keep my weight low, exercise a lot and question any medication my doctor suggests.
How do you find out if yours are large- assume you mean the fluffy vs dense - that Ive been reading about...
Like CharlieBeans said, there is a test the doctor can order. I knew my doctor didn't know what size particles I had so the last time she was pushing statins on me I asked her about my particle size. Her face got a bit red as she looked through my chart before admitting she didn't know. So, she ordered the test but she told me she didn't like to order it a lot because it was expensive and the insurance companies pushed back if she ordered it too much!!!!
The insurance companies don't push back on statin drugs but they will push back on blood tests to see if the drugs are needed (according to my doc)....????
I'm switching doctors, btw.
thing is certain insurances will only cover certain things, some will make you prove its medically necessary before they will cover the procedure/med,etc. statins though seem to be one that they can push easily0 -
If I had previously had a heart attack or if I had heart disease I would take a statin, I think the science supports the benefits. However, the science is too muddy otherwise and statins can have side effects.
This is one of many interesting articles that questions the effectiveness of statins in people whose only risk factors are high cholesterol. https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4513492/
for me though Im at a high risk for a heart attack,stroke/etc if I dont watch my diet and take my statins. for those with regular high cholesterol they may not need statins or be at a high risk even with high cholesterol0
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