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Cholesterol Problems
- Thread starter Moley
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I think before you go on a low-fat diet you should check out LDL and HDL cholesterol because there are quite a few good fats that reduce the harmful but raise the good cholesterol.. egg yokes, omega 3, 6, 9's etc...
Body needs good fats!
Body needs good fats!
You can buy
Statins over the counter in a chemist.
I was reading 5.8 - diabetic but now after a year it has dropped to 4.4.
They work, and your level is high so you need tablets to help.
Your diet can help but some times it will not you just make too much of the stuff.
Statins over the counter in a chemist.
I was reading 5.8 - diabetic but now after a year it has dropped to 4.4.
They work, and your level is high so you need tablets to help.
Your diet can help but some times it will not you just make too much of the stuff.
Soldato
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it is entirely likely that this is dietary, but because of your family history I would ask him about the possibility of familial hypercholesterolaemia. I hadnt heard of it until a few years ago and found out that I and ALL my paternal siblings have it 
So the wife and I are now reviewing our shopping to just move our choices towards the more healthy range of foods (she wants to lose a little weight too) so we are both going on a low-fat diet. Also when we move in a few weeks time we will join the gym that is just up the road - and actually make use of it!
Lets not turn this into a medical thread though folks - lets try and keep it lifestyle.
Low fat dieting is not the answer, you will simply be masking the problem with other problems.
Balancing your fats is a far more healthy approach: raise your good cholesterol. Do this with a daily serving of essential fatty acids from avocados, nuts, olive oil, nut oils, and nut butters.
Also plenty of omega 3 will be beneficial because it will reduce inflammation (atherosclerosis), lower triglycerides and increase “good” HDL. (LDL rises directly from inflammation caused by carbs and trans fats.)
Furthermore, nearly every study suggests that LDL is only a true threat when it’s oxidized (Free radicals). Counteracts this with anti-oxidants such as veggies, fruits, nuts, olive oil, etc.
Lifestyle wise: Stress can cause inflammation, so control stress levels. And exercise is great at reducing cholesterol directly and in-directly, focus on hypertrophy workouts and a little cardio (sprints) - this will have the best impact.
Hope this helps, I haven't gone into genetic factors and imo avoid Statins.
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it is entirely likely that this is dietary, but because of your family history I would ask him about the possibility of familial hypercholesterolaemia. I hadnt heard of it until a few years ago and found out that I and ALL my paternal siblings have it
Fairly prevalent but often missed unfortunately.
My mum was taken to hospital with angina at the weekend and turns out her cholesterol is quite high, as is her mum and my mum's sister - though I don't think it is FH . No harm in checking my levels, what is the usual turn around for a GP? A fair few seem to be against statins, why is this? Statin induced myopathy etc is quite rare. The work I am involved in is quite biased (within reason) towards them.
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Do your own research of course but...
A couple of movies worth watching:
Fat Head
Forks over Knives
Both of them say the same thing just one is made my vegetarians. Don't let the slight hippy/tinfoil vibe put you off, it's actually good info. Basically you should choose a high fat low carb diet or a high carb low fat diet. The blood vessel damage is being caused by chronic inflammation in the vessels from too much sugar/insulin. Your body then tries to patch up the little wounds in the vessels with cholesterol which clogs/stiffens them up. So the high fat one removes the insulin, and the low fat one removes the fat/cholesterol. Two sides of the same coin. There is a lot of research coming out to say cholesterol isn't the culprit it's the inflammation that is the problem.
Exercise of course.
Whichever diet you choose it should be LOW GLYCEMIC! That's the most important thing.
A couple of movies worth watching:
Fat Head
Forks over Knives
Both of them say the same thing just one is made my vegetarians. Don't let the slight hippy/tinfoil vibe put you off, it's actually good info. Basically you should choose a high fat low carb diet or a high carb low fat diet. The blood vessel damage is being caused by chronic inflammation in the vessels from too much sugar/insulin. Your body then tries to patch up the little wounds in the vessels with cholesterol which clogs/stiffens them up. So the high fat one removes the insulin, and the low fat one removes the fat/cholesterol. Two sides of the same coin. There is a lot of research coming out to say cholesterol isn't the culprit it's the inflammation that is the problem.
Exercise of course.
Whichever diet you choose it should be LOW GLYCEMIC! That's the most important thing.
Bump for a old thread.
Last year my dad had a major heart attack over 8 hours before he called for a ambulance. Left valve is working at 20% should be 60 so heart transplant for him at Harfields coming up. He's 46
In July I was having very weird feelings in my chest, i could not breath well at time and my heart was pacing, it would come and go.
Work was very stressful at the time (ran a business for a holding company) and much more.
after a few weeks it got much worse. pains in arms, dizzy, breathless, numb hands and panic? I drove lol to hospital heart doing 150bpm sat still. BP high. No heart attack though. After tests they sent me on my way
They advised to see my doctor who sent me for a blood test. Cholesterol 8.7. Age 27 years old, height 5'6 weight 10.5 stone. Eat healthy, fruit and veg often and maybe on a friday a burger.
The suggestion was to put me onto statins, but i read a lot about them and at my age i'm very young to take them so I did 3 months of pure health and exercise. I ate nothing apart from salad, beans, bit of fish, cut out all red meat and cheese.
3 months later cholesterol was 5.2 AMAZING.. apart from there is no way I could live like I was, it was madness I had lost 8 kg. So gone back to eating normal again, and my cholesterol is back up in the 8's.
Anybody on statins? what side effects if any? also anybody young on them? they say once your on them your never coming off, that could be 50 years plus for me? assuming I don't die of a heart attack.
Cheers
Ross
Last year my dad had a major heart attack over 8 hours before he called for a ambulance. Left valve is working at 20% should be 60 so heart transplant for him at Harfields coming up. He's 46
In July I was having very weird feelings in my chest, i could not breath well at time and my heart was pacing, it would come and go.
Work was very stressful at the time (ran a business for a holding company) and much more.
after a few weeks it got much worse. pains in arms, dizzy, breathless, numb hands and panic? I drove lol to hospital heart doing 150bpm sat still. BP high. No heart attack though. After tests they sent me on my way
They advised to see my doctor who sent me for a blood test. Cholesterol 8.7. Age 27 years old, height 5'6 weight 10.5 stone. Eat healthy, fruit and veg often and maybe on a friday a burger.
The suggestion was to put me onto statins, but i read a lot about them and at my age i'm very young to take them so I did 3 months of pure health and exercise. I ate nothing apart from salad, beans, bit of fish, cut out all red meat and cheese.
3 months later cholesterol was 5.2 AMAZING.. apart from there is no way I could live like I was, it was madness I had lost 8 kg. So gone back to eating normal again, and my cholesterol is back up in the 8's.
Anybody on statins? what side effects if any? also anybody young on them? they say once your on them your never coming off, that could be 50 years plus for me? assuming I don't die of a heart attack.
Cheers
Ross
I've been on Statins of one type or another for nigh on 15 years with no side effects (that I'm aware of) whatsoever. I had a heart problems pretty young at 35.
Do the obvious first, eat well, stay fit, avoid stress (if you can) If you can achieve the same without the need for the Statins then why take them??
I take them because of circumstance, heart problems and heart attack quite young, so go for belt and braces. I just can't tolerate exercise at a level where it get me super-duper fit anyway. To be honest I've reached the point where I take that many pills and potions to keep the ole ticker on an even keel, it's just one on the list now.
Do the obvious first, eat well, stay fit, avoid stress (if you can) If you can achieve the same without the need for the Statins then why take them??
I take them because of circumstance, heart problems and heart attack quite young, so go for belt and braces. I just can't tolerate exercise at a level where it get me super-duper fit anyway. To be honest I've reached the point where I take that many pills and potions to keep the ole ticker on an even keel, it's just one on the list now.
A's are more prone to higher cholesterol. It's the ratio of HDL to LDL that's more important. Homocysteine is a better guide for long term health. If you have to take them then so be it, but only if absolutely necessary. As mentioned above, a good diet - think mediteranean is very important. Don't worry about it too much, it's not as important as you might think. Pharma companies just want to sell.
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Was adding oily fish a couple times a week and changing the oil types I used that had the best effect on mine. HDL went up and LDL and trigs went down. Because I'm a type I diabetic the NICE guidelines are 4 for me but I'm in the 5s. So I often have to get the doctor to look at the ratio and agree I don't need statins.
Edit: You should have the test done fasted and not having had a drink in a couple of days.
Edit: You should have the test done fasted and not having had a drink in a couple of days.
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I was put on Simvastatin and it took me 2 years before I realised they were the cause of me not being able to walk properly. I was on that many pills that I just thought it was a natural progression of my problems. healthy eating & exercise has now got my cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugars down.