High Cholesterol?! Me??
 

umm... I am 26 years old. Very skinny. I had a cholesterol test that didn't go well, but I hadn't fasted or anything. I scheduled another test, stopped eating muffins every morning, drank my coffee black, and cut out nightly ice cream.

I got back my next test, and my numbers were worse. Now I will have to get super serious, and give up things I love. Have to go to skim milk, no more bacon, no more lunch meats, have to try that egg beaters crap, damn. No more burgers.

If you are curious, my breakdown on the latest test:
Cholesterol: 272
HDL: 47
Triglyceride: 112
LDL: 203

So, will making these changes help? I've always liked fruits and veggies, and whole wheat, so thats not a problem, but I also like beef, chinese food, etc. Maybe once I am rich I can constantly eat sushi.

I have a feeling somebody will be wanting me to take pills, but I am averse to that. I just moved, so I'll need to go to a new doctor. I also just joined a gym and started working out, so luckily that is supposed to help.

Am I going to die for sure?

Some people naturally have high colesterol, and having high colesterol doesn't always mean you will die. You don't need to eliminate all the bad things, but just cut back. Probably as important as reducing the bad fat is to increase good fats from foods like avacado, olive oil, and nuts, especially almonds and walnuts. Consider taking fish oil pills because that is another very good fat source. Regular exercise is very important for heart health, though it may not lower your cholesterol. My grandmother is 82, has had high colesterol (350+) ever since they first tested her for it over 20 years ago. She is very skinny too. She tried to control it with diet and exercise, but it barely budged. She stayed away from the drugs, and she is still kicking, and she walks daily for exercise.

I take Zocor for high C - but our measurement scale is different in the UK so the numbers dont compare. Zocor brings the numbers down to an acceptable level for the doctors. Downside is it can screw up your liver. Its importandt to make sure your not being overdosed with it just to keep the drug co's revenues up. On balance I think its worth it. There are lots of web sites for dietary guidance.
Its got to be worth keeping it low so you dont become one of those heart attack victims "who always looked so slim and fit".

Mine was like that x5 - still is pretty high. You won't drop dead as long as you stay away from saturated fats and lots of cigarettes and sugar. No joke, at one time I was like over 1,000. At the time I had been drinking quite a bit but have tapered down.

I'm not morbidly obese, and have a lot of muscle on my frame, I have a bit of bodyfat but generally considered healthy otherwise. I have a tendency to eat crappy when I'm stressed.

I lift weights, and generally try to watch my diet - but wound up taking 160 MG Tricor tablets - if I take daily then my liver function goes to hell, so my uncle (noted Diabetic specialist) stuck me on an every other day program.

The biggest problem is the pills also kill the good cholesterol - it'll take awhile for you to get under 200 All he said was, keep building muscle, watch your carb intake, quit screwing with alcohol so much and you'll be fine. He isn't too concerned - it's not like you're gonna drop dead instantly - all that test means is that you've got a higher chance for heart disease in the future, you have a chance to control it now.

rjp

I cut out eating beef in protest to the (IMO) bullshiit USDA treatment of the mad cow issue (please, don't flame about that, OK?). Anyway, my cholestorol dropped from 214 to 182 in about 4 months, so, I plan on staying with my beef-free diet.

Drink red wine, 1 glass a day for dinner. That`ll raise your good cholesterol. I am not kidding: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/09/030909070840.htm

Aurel

You are going to die - for sure!

First politics, now healthcare. Leave the conversation to those in the know please.

rjp

Thanks guys.

I read the article on wine. I will have to go get some today. Probably will buy the stuff that comes in gallons (or boxes) as I cannot afford that much good wine, plus I wouldn't know the difference.

I collect and drink very nice red wines. Guess what? The box wines are just fine! The makers are very careful to balance acidity and produce some very nice drinkable wines. Salut!

I brought mine down about 50 points over a couple years through diet. I went to one of my hospital's seminars, where they advised less than 30g of fat per day. The rule of thumb they also gave me is that when you're shopping, try to get stuff that has 3g of fat or less per 100 calories. This knocks out most junk food, but there's a surprising amount of low-fat food out there that's ok to eat - baked chips, soy chips, cereals, etc.

That's what is working for me so far.

***** MAN 272.....The HIGHEST MINE EVER WAS is 265 and I went in to take the test the mornining after I ate a Rack of Ribs....

We are all going to die, we all got it comin.....

I know a Winery Owner in CA, whose hobby is producing Ports and Sherrys that Win Gold and Silver Medals for excellence...His main trade is selling grapes to other winerys....his favorite is a Jug Wine..


ANd UMMmm all this talk about HIgh C ...made me hungry for some ribs...so I just reheaed a plate full

Ed has some very good advice. Mine was 282 when I first had it tested in my mid thirties. Tried diet, exercise and Mevacor. I'm pretty much a picture of health (luck). It didn't have even the slightest effect on my level. As a matter of fact it went up. So after awhile I quit the medication because it affected the liver. A few years ago it was at 320. I tried Mevacor again at a higher dose upon recommendation of my current doctor. The last test (and first after starting the medication again) was 209, so I'm pretty happy, although I don't know if the level will stay down. I can't imagine having over a 1,000. I think I'll have a glass of wine.

Heck, a guy I used to work for claimed to have a tested Cholesterol level over - get this:


4,000


Yes, 4000. He claims he kept getting greasy little pimples all over his body, and when they tested 'em it was cholesterol coming out of his pores. The doctors claimed him as a medical specimen - they haven't seen that ever before.

He's alive and kicking, no heart attacks and he's back in shape.

rjp

The highest mine has been is 215 - that was a couple of years ago. Over the past few years I've been able to get it down to 175 by adjusting my diet and increasing exercise. Increased exercise is supposed to increase the good cholesterol level which, in turn, removes the bad stuff. Just stay away from fast foods and too much junk food and eat more fruits and veggies.

I have a couple of friends, one 37 and one 26, that have high cholesterol but you wouldn't know it by looking at either one of them. They look very fit. It's all genetics. The 37 year old is on cholesterol lowering medication. The doctor is giving the 26 year old 6 months to lower his or he will be put on meds as well.

Not to sound like the grim reaper but we had a good friend in his mid 50's pass away last christmas due to a stroke caused by high cholesterol. This guy was very thin but his body just produced too much of it. So make sure you get checked often and stay on top of it. I get mine checked every year.

Lipitor.

My chelostrol was similar to yours, >250.

Doctor ordered a low chorl diet for 3 months and get tested again.
Result: 3 points off, still >250.

Went on Lipitor for 3 weeks and went back for follow up test.

<150 total chorlestrol and the good one went up lots.
Doctor said: You can now eat whatever you want and live forever.
Me: Could i get an advance prescription for Viagara?

Lipitor rocks.

alf

...hit da wrong button.

This is anecdotal, so don't take it for too much.

The older sister of a coworker had high cholesteral problems. She had always been a light eater and was not overweight. She kept cutting back on all sorts of fats to the point she was effectively a vegetarian. Her cholesteral still kept going up despite this.

She started eating high-cholesteral foods like eggs and steak every day. Her cholesteral went down. He doctor yelled at her.

The way it has been explained to me is that cholesteral comes from two places: the food you eat and what your body produces. For some people, if they don't get enough from their food, they start to produce way too much of it.

My cholesterol was 130 until I turned 40, then it went to 270 (no kidding), and I eat healthy and use my Nordic Trak regularly. My mother and father both have high cholesterol and live a healthy lifestyle, so it's not surporising mine's high, too. Zocor messed up my liver function test results, so I stopped that. I don't take anything now and just live a healthy life and don't smoke, drink to excess and eat good food.

I have borderline high cholesterol (200). This use to be normal until they where revised by the drug companies;) I took Lipitor for a few months and I hated it after about one month of use. I understand that it may have differing effects on individuals. One real concern is Rhabdomyolysis which I believe I encountered. The same advantages Lipitor has in reducing cholesterol synthesis is also interfering with muscle cell synthesis, resulting in profound weakness and lethargy. I was fairly active at the time, running 3-4 miles and working out, but after going on this, the mere thought of exercising was tiring. Also had some mood changes which I found out were not limited to just me. Hopefully my experience is isolated but I would rather diet, drink red wine, and have a slightly elevated cholesterol.