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Any health experts? Cholesterol?

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73monte

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Might be a strange place to ask for medical advice, but then again, I'm sure there's some here with experience. I'm 64 and follow a pretty healthy lifestyle. Recent bloodwork came back with elevate total cholesterol of 5.32. It was extremely low at 50 years of age, so it's climbed quite a bit. Some I'm sure is natural due to the aging process, but my Dads side were all wiped out by athersclorosis. He lived the longest at 53.

Follow a pretty low fat diet which makes me more concerned. I do eat steak once a week, and some indiscriminate use of butter, sauces etc. Going to start by cutting all of that out

Anyone with experience and advice? Don't want to panic, but worried about trending higher and trying to look ahead.
 
Same here. Levels didn't come down without a Statin. You have plenty of evidence that medical intervention is necessary in your case.

But, I've studied tanning and exposure to sun is more nuanced. I think there are some folks that can get tans without increasing their cancer risk by having regular screenings for early detection. Especially if they never burn and limit their exposure. The need for zero exposure is simplistic thinking.
 
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I’m not sure the link between eating cholesterol and having cholesterol is super great. Probably best to just start taking a statin.
 
I'm surprised that the doctor who ordered the blood work hasn't already prescribed a statin.

As a side note, I think they have this cholesterol thing all wrong! If your cholesterol is high, that means a lot of it is circulating in your blood. Shouldn't that be a good thing? After all, if it was clogged up somewhere, which would be a bad thing, it wouldn't be circulating in your blood! (Of course, I jest!)
 
I'm not a doctor but my doctor and hematologist are very happy.....Not to say what I did to reduce my cholesterol from 290 to 174 without a statin at age 56 is good for everyone. I was 307 lbs at 5'11" and pre-diabetic. I'm down to 245 and my A1C is down to 5.3 with a glucose of 86. I've been on BP meds since 2012 and still hovered around 130/85. It's now 117/75 and a resting heart rate of 58-67 depending upon how much coffee I've drank.

Here's what I did:
I did a Keto/Paleo/Atkins style diet along with reducing the volume of food.
1. I eliminated sugar, bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and most other carbohydrates from my daily diet to around 20-30 grams of carbs/day. Also severely limited seed oils.
1a. While I was trying to lose weight I also didn't eat much beans. Ate protein, vegetables and salads (Avocado's, Avocado oil, Olive oil, Cocoanut oil, olives, nuts, etc.,). 1b. As my weight stabilized I re-introduced beans and non-glycemic, higher carb vegetables limited times (Half a yam once or twice a week)
1c. Allowed myself 1-2 cheat days a month for family events, weddings, holidays, etc. I would eat everything (Pasta, cake, bread, rice) whatever was served. Went back to program immediately next day
2. STAYED AWAY FROM PROCESSED FOODS AS MUCH AS I CAN!
3. took sugar free Metamucil daily and roasted peanuts in the shell (I shelled them as I ate them) a few times a week as a snack. Both of those combined have been shown to reduce cholesterol up to 30%

There are TONS of recipes and things you can eat that you don't really miss the carbs much once you get passed the withdrawal stage. It's like quitting smoking (did that 28 years ago)
There is a common misconception that higher fat foods and "Steak" causes cholesterol and hypertension problems. THIS IS NOT TRUE. Metabolically the body breaks down the sugars, glucose, high fructose corn syrup, etc. and stores it as cholesterol. Fats from meats, cheeses, etc. are digested, used and what is not used is eliminated through our body's natural waste disposal systems (LOL). Remember, your brain needs cholesterol (good kind) in order to properly function and heal.
If you want more details on what I did, you can DM me.
 
Choose statin wisely. 80mg of Lipitor was debilitating for me. 20mg of Crestor is just right. Talk to your doctor about proper statin and dosage for you. May I also suggest a painless carotid artery ultrasound? My boss @ 60 (extremely fit) had one and they found >80% blockage. Saved his life. Silent killer.
 
Do you exercise at all? Exercising helps lower cholesterol a bit.
Changing your diet can help too.

Total cholesterol is just one facet of the diamond.
What's your LDL?
What's your HDL?
What are your triglycerides?
Where do they sit within the range of acceptability?

LDL - Low density lipoproteins. It's the indicator of the "lethal" cholesterol that's in your blood. Lower is better here. Too much of that and it can be bad or lead to heart disease or clogged arteries and such.

HDL - High density lipoproteins. It's the "healthy" cholesterol. Higher is better here. It absorbs the bad cholesterol and takes it back to the liver for processing and flushing from the body.

Triglycerides - an indicator of other health issues if they're high.

Maybe you're not on a statin because your numbers in general are good? I know some docs are trying not to prescribe statins and let their patients go with dietary changes and exercise... some, not all docs.
 
Mine was slightly elevated and I remember my doctor telling me that he may put me on a low statin as a preemptive measure
 
Wantacigar said:
I'm not a doctor but my doctor and hematologist are very happy.....Not to say what I did to reduce my cholesterol from 290 to 174 without a statin at age 56 is good for everyone. I was 307 lbs at 5'11" and pre-diabetic. I'm down to 245 and my A1C is down to 5.3 with a glucose of 86. I've been on BP meds since 2012 and still hovered around 130/85. It's now 117/75 and a resting heart rate of 58-67 depending upon how much coffee I've drank.

Here's what I did:
I did a Keto/Paleo/Atkins style diet along with reducing the volume of food.
1. I eliminated sugar, bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and most other carbohydrates from my daily diet to around 20-30 grams of carbs/day. Also severely limited seed oils.
1a. While I was trying to lose weight I also didn't eat much beans. Ate protein, vegetables and salads (Avocado's, Avocado oil, Olive oil, Cocoanut oil, olives, nuts, etc.,). 1b. As my weight stabilized I re-introduced beans and non-glycemic, higher carb vegetables limited times (Half a yam once or twice a week)
1c. Allowed myself 1-2 cheat days a month for family events, weddings, holidays, etc. I would eat everything (Pasta, cake, bread, rice) whatever was served. Went back to program immediately next day
2. STAYED AWAY FROM PROCESSED FOODS AS MUCH AS I CAN!
3. took sugar free Metamucil daily and roasted peanuts in the shell (I shelled them as I ate them) a few times a week as a snack. Both of those combined have been shown to reduce cholesterol up to 30%

There are TONS of recipes and things you can eat that you don't really miss the carbs much once you get passed the withdrawal stage. It's like quitting smoking (did that 28 years ago)
There is a common misconception that higher fat foods and "Steak" causes cholesterol and hypertension problems. THIS IS NOT TRUE. Metabolically the body breaks down the sugars, glucose, high fructose corn syrup, etc. and stores it as cholesterol. Fats from meats, cheeses, etc. are digested, used and what is not used is eliminated through our body's natural waste disposal systems (LOL). Remember, your brain needs cholesterol (good kind) in order to properly function and heal.
If you want more details on what I did, you can DM me.
Click to expand...

Yeah, the outer sections of most grocery stores (fruit and vegetables, fish, meat) are the healthier areas to shop and eat from. The inner aisles are the ones that will make you fat and try to kill you. Processed food and stuff. (Learned this from the nutritionist that held a class for heart patients that suffered heart attacks or had stents installed due to bad cardiac health.)

TLuke said:
Choose statin wisely. 80mg of Lipitor was debilitating for me. 20mg of Crestor is just right. Talk to your doctor about proper statin and dosage for you. May I also suggest a painless carotid artery ultrasound? My boss @ 60 (extremely fit) had one and they found >80% blockage. Saved his life. Silent killer.
Click to expand...

Too much lipitor hurt my knees. It made my joints ache. Lowering the dosage caused the joint pain to go away. Lipitor and Zetia for me have kept my cholesterol low and made my cardiologist happy. I also eat less red meat, more fruits and vegetables, avoid most carbs, and exercise. I'm almost 53 and doing better than I have for years.
 
Scorp said:
Do you exercise at all? Exercising helps lower cholesterol a bit.
Changing your diet can help too.

Total cholesterol is just one facet of the diamond.
What's your LDL?
What's your HDL?
What are your triglycerides?
Where do they sit within the range of acceptability?

LDL - Low density lipoproteins. It's the indicator of the "lethal" cholesterol that's in your blood. Lower is better here. Too much of that and it can be bad or lead to heart disease or clogged arteries and such.

HDL - High density lipoproteins. It's the "healthy" cholesterol. Higher is better here. It absorbs the bad cholesterol and takes it back to the liver for processing and flushing from the body.

Triglycerides - an indicator of other health issues if they're high.

Maybe you're not on a statin because your numbers in general are good? I know some docs are trying not to prescribe statins and let their patients go with dietary changes and exercise... some, not all docs.
Click to expand...
While I appreciate all the responses so far, yours really makes sense, and has me thinking. To answer your questions, I have exercised regularly for my entire adult life. Still working as well, and while I don't do cardio, I walk a ton at work, esp. starting in the New Year.

By the numbers:

LDL: 3.07
HDL: 1.90
TRIG: 0.85
Non-HDL: 3.42

This is where I get the most confused, as from what I understand, these numbers aren't so bad, yet my total cholesterol is high?
 
I was taking metoprolol (statin) and my legs were always sore. Doctor switched me to another statin at a
Lower dose and it’s much better now.
 
Just got done with my PCP and he recommends starting a low dose statin as a preventative .. Creator 5mg ... So naturally the first place I come to research and discuss is a golf forum 😂

Anyways my dad had diabetes in 40s, heart attack at 56, quad bypass, and ongoing medical issues until he recently passed at 67, so doc considers this worthy prevention .. my numbers arent bad, just not as good as they used to be.

Gluc 96
Chol 226
Trig's 194
HDL 43
LDL 148


At least this time he didn't discuss BBQ meats at the end of our session contradicting all our healthy eating talk.. but my issue is more convenience food (hospital cafeteria food, quick bites, etc

Going to ready through the thread a bit more, but damn I was really hoping I wouldn't be needing a daily med so early.

I'm also going to a carsiat ct to assess any calcium buildup, which is apparently a new test to identify significant risks
 
As i indicated above, I was switched to Crestor a while ago and it really helped reduce my leg pain and weakness. It’s also important when taking a statin to take a CoQ10 supplement, since statins deplete that.
 
My cholesterol was marginally high last time it was checked, 2½ years ago. Has been for 20-30 years, I guess. Doctors have occasionally recommended statins. I don't care for some of the reported side-effects.

I really should get in for a wellness check. I'm way past due. It would be interesting to see if my cholesterol numbers are any better. In the past year I've knocked-off 14 lbs. of net weight and 18 pounds of fat.
 
73monte said:
Might be a strange place to ask for medical advice, but then again, I'm sure there's some here with experience. I'm 64 and follow a pretty healthy lifestyle. Recent bloodwork came back with elevate total cholesterol of 5.32. It was extremely low at 50 years of age, so it's climbed quite a bit. Some I'm sure is natural due to the aging process, but my Dads side were all wiped out by athersclorosis. He lived the longest at 53.

Follow a pretty low fat diet which makes me more concerned. I do eat steak once a week, and some indiscriminate use of butter, sauces etc. Going to start by cutting all of that out

Anyone with experience and advice? Don't want to panic, but worried about trending higher and trying to look ahead.
Click to expand...
If it’s climbed that much I recommend seeing a cardiologist and ask him about further tests such as a calcium heart scan. It will tell you the amount of calcification/blockage in each of the 4 major heart arteries. I didn’t have it done until this year at age 57 as part of an executive physical at the Mayo Clinic. It was and extensive two-day physical and not all covered by our insurance but it was money well spent for both my wife and I. We’ll likely go back for the same physical every few years now that we have a baseline. I didn’t need any meds but they put my wife on a statin and 6 months later her levels were down about 40%.
 
tahoebum said:
If it’s climbed that much I recommend seeing a cardiologist and ask him about further tests such as a calcium heart scan. It will tell you the amount of calcification/blockage in each of the 4 major heart arteries. I didn’t have it done until this year at age 57 as part of an executive physical at the Mayo Clinic. It was and extensive two-day physical and not all covered by our insurance but it was money well spent for both my wife and I. We’ll likely go back for the same physical every few years now that we have a baseline. I didn’t need any meds but they put my wife on a statin and 6 months later her levels were down about 40%.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the reply. Never heard of the calcium heart scan, but did just have an eco ultrasound. Everything looked really good there. I'm in Canada, and while our health care is funded and often raved about, it's actually extremely overburdened, and you don't get the care and attention you really need. If you're paying for a private test/procedure, then it's totally different. As you start getting older in Canada, they want you off the books.
 
I was going to start a thread about this, but then I found this one! Some of you have already discussed your experiences with statins, and I will certainly discuss those observations with my doc when we meet up again, as I am pretty certain he will want to put me on one. Here is my story . . .

I just had a physical yesterday, and overall it was very good.

The only concerning part was that my cholesterol went up. For the past may years, it has always been in the 220's and stable. Consequently, my doc has not put me on a statin (because my weight is good, I exercise a lot, I don't smoke, etc.).

However, 1-1/2 years ago it was at 231, and then yesterday, it measured at 240. Here are all of the numbers:

Total cholesterol: 240 (should be under 200) HIGH
HDL: 56 (should be over 40) GOOD
VDL cholesterol cal: 19.8 (should be between 2-38) GOOD
Triglycerides: 99 (should be below 200) GOOD
LDL calculated: 164 (should be below 100) HIGH

Because of this, my doc ordered a calcium CT heart scan, which I will get a week from next Monday. The scan will show if I have any calcium deposits in my heart arteries. I'm guessing that if anything shows up, my doc will want to put me on a statin. I know you can control cholesterol with exercise and diet, but I am already very good about those things, so a statin might be the next step. However, I am concerned about the many negatives I have heard associated with taking a statin.

So . . .

Are any of you taking a statin? What has been your experience?
Has it lowered your overall cholesterol and LDL?
Have you experienced any side affects?

I would appreciate any info you could pass my way.

Thanks in advance.

P.S. I know that some doctors also use ratios to calculate a person's risk of stroke and heart attack. I did the math from the article below, and all of my ratios were very good, so I've got that going for me. I can bring that up when I meet with my doc to discuss the results of the calcium CT heart scan in a couple of weeks.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articl ... calculator
Top
 
After a year or 18 mos of trying to cut cholesterol through diet and exercise, i finally went on a statin. No matter what i did, prior to that, the numbers didn't budge without one.
I haven't had any side effects as yet (I've only been on them for about 2-3 months... (the most common side effects, i believe, are muscle aches). If you DO take a statin, and experience side effects, don't hesitate to let your doc know asap and he/she will likely try another.. at least that's what i was told by my primary Doc.

For what it's worth, my primary Doc said that several cardiologists he knows, who don't necessarily have elevated numbers, take a statin to drive their cholesterol numbers as low as possible. I assume they look at it as relatively inexpensive and effective insurance. YMMV. Good health to you.
 
DGA3 said:
I was going to start a thread about this, but then I found this one! Some of you have already discussed your experiences with statins, and I will certainly discuss those observations with my doc when we meet up again, as I am pretty certain he will want to put me on one. Here is my story . . .

I just had a physical yesterday, and overall it was very good.

The only concerning part was that my cholesterol went up. For the past may years, it has always been in the 220's and stable. Consequently, my doc has not put me on a statin (because my weight is good, I exercise a lot, I don't smoke, etc.).

However, 1-1/2 years ago it was at 231, and then yesterday, it measured at 240. Here are all of the numbers:

Total cholesterol: 240 (should be under 200) HIGH
HDL: 56 (should be over 40) GOOD
VDL cholesterol cal: 19.8 (should be between 2-38) GOOD
Triglycerides: 99 (should be below 200) GOOD
LDL calculated: 164 (should be below 100) HIGH

Because of this, my doc ordered a calcium CT heart scan, which I will get a week from next Monday. The scan will show if I have any calcium deposits in my heart arteries. I'm guessing that if anything shows up, my doc will want to put me on a statin. I know you can control cholesterol with exercise and diet, but I am already very good about those things, so a statin might be the next step. However, I am concerned about the many negatives I have heard associated with taking a statin.

So . . .

Are any of you taking a statin? What has been your experience?
Has it lowered your overall cholesterol and LDL?
Have you experienced any side affects?

I would appreciate any info you could pass my way.

Thanks in advance.

P.S. I know that some doctors also use ratios to calculate a person's risk of stroke and heart attack. I did the math from the article below, and all of my ratios were very good, so I've got that going for me. I can bring that up when I meet with my doc to discuss the results of the calcium CT heart scan in a couple of weeks.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articl ... calculator
Top
Click to expand...
I had a cholesterol issue a few years back. It was high enough, my Dr. put me on a statin. Pravastatin to be precise. It helped lower my total cholesterol number, but came with a bad side affect. Leg cramps. I'd get them all the time in my lower leg, calf area. So I read up about it and took Qunol coq 10 along with the statin. That greatly helped with the cramps, but if I forgot the coq 10, the cramps were immediately back. In the end, I just watch my diet closely and exercised more and the cholesterol levels went down, and I quit the statin's. Haven't been on them since. But if I needed to go back to statin's, I'd sure make sure I took the coq 10 with them.
 
No side effects with Prevastatin. Insurance covers the cost of the prescription. Diet and exercise weren't enough. Weight is now on the low side of normal.
 
I'm on a statin and have been for a few years despite being mindful of what I eat and exercising daily, my cholesterol was just not good.

It's now steady at

Total cholesterol: 154
HDL: 47
VDL cholesterol cal: 28
Triglycerides: 138
LDL calculated: 79

It is what it is as this stage but my Doctor is happy.

I haven't had any side affects at all.
 
DGA3 said:
I was going to start a thread about this, but then I found this one! Some of you have already discussed your experiences with statins, and I will certainly discuss those observations with my doc when we meet up again, as I am pretty certain he will want to put me on one. Here is my story . . .

I just had a physical yesterday, and overall it was very good.

The only concerning part was that my cholesterol went up. For the past may years, it has always been in the 220's and stable. Consequently, my doc has not put me on a statin (because my weight is good, I exercise a lot, I don't smoke, etc.).

However, 1-1/2 years ago it was at 231, and then yesterday, it measured at 240. Here are all of the numbers:

Total cholesterol: 240 (should be under 200) HIGH
HDL: 56 (should be over 40) GOOD
VDL cholesterol cal: 19.8 (should be between 2-38) GOOD
Triglycerides: 99 (should be below 200) GOOD
LDL calculated: 164 (should be below 100) HIGH

Because of this, my doc ordered a calcium CT heart scan, which I will get a week from next Monday. The scan will show if I have any calcium deposits in my heart arteries. I'm guessing that if anything shows up, my doc will want to put me on a statin. I know you can control cholesterol with exercise and diet, but I am already very good about those things, so a statin might be the next step. However, I am concerned about the many negatives I have heard associated with taking a statin.

So . . .

Are any of you taking a statin? What has been your experience?
Has it lowered your overall cholesterol and LDL?
Have you experienced any side affects?

I would appreciate any info you could pass my way.

Thanks in advance.

P.S. I know that some doctors also use ratios to calculate a person's risk of stroke and heart attack. I did the math from the article below, and all of my ratios were very good, so I've got that going for me. I can bring that up when I meet with my doc to discuss the results of the calcium CT heart scan in a couple of weeks.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articl ... calculator
Top
Click to expand...
My wife and I did the two-day Mayo Clinic executive physical 13 months ago and it included the CT heart scan and stress test on the treadmill. My wife eats very healthy and is not overweight but her total cholesterol was 246(HDL 79) so the cardiologist put her on a statin. At her 90 day checkup her cholesterol was down to 150 and all the other numbers on the Lipid Panel were good. She has zero side effects from the meds so often the statins really are a miracle drug.

Good luck!
 
Eat fewer carbs, especially simple carbs and your cholesterol will drop.
Get exercise daily. Your cholesterol and blood sugar will drop.
A huge part of your long term health prospects are hereditary. That doesn't mean you can't change historic outcomes. It's easier to fight genetic traits if you are willing to recognize them.
Mental fitness plays a large part in physical fitness. Keep both mind and body in shape.
 
@DGA3, all I can say is do your homework on the current science surrounding cholesterol and cardiovascular disease. Science is discovering "high" cholesterol may well not be the problem it's been thought to be and that statins are not good.

A couple recent posts on X on the topic:



 
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