Cholesterol high - how do you cope?

[mlteenie]

Just found out I've got a genetic tendency to high cholesterol. What a bummer. I love cheese, cakes, black choccie, alco, salt, etc. I am a veggie and I ride my bike a lot but I don't think that's enough.....

Anyone else had to deal with lowering your cholesterol and what have you done?

[bigbadwolf]

Nope. I've got a very high metabolic rate due to an active and healthy lifestyle. My dad has a high cholesterol level and do you know why. He had cheese on toast evening snacks for 20 years.

[brum]

I need to watch my level, so I've reduced my intake of all dairy products (though not stopped completely) and also buy Benecol yogurt drinks and use Flora Pro-Activ instead of butter or other margarine. I've started experimenting with other alternatives and one particular success is switching to soya milk with my cereals - I love it. Cutting back and selecting low-fat/sugar/salt alternatives where you can find them means you can still enjoy your food without missing out too much. If you need medical intervention after that, then you could be put onto statins pills which can reduce cholestorol by your GP.

[bigbadwolf]

I bet your piss smells of Sugarpuffs Brum.

[annaj]

mlteenie, high cholesterol is a lot to do with genetics and actually not as much to do with diet. I have inherited high cholesterol from my 8 stone, vegetarian mother.

Whether or not you need to do anything about it depends on lots of other factors. High cholesterol is a risk factor for heart disease and stroke, but there are other risk factors and what's important is your cumulative risk. So, you age, gender, smoking history, blood pressure, medical history and family history are all important. If you have other risks for heart disease, such as a family history of heart disease under the age of 60, or high blood pressure, or diabetes, you should try to lower your cholesterol.

if you decide you do need to lower your cholesterol there are two ways to do it. You can lower your cholestreol through diet, both by reducing high cholesterol foods and by introducing foods that help such as soya and mono- and polyunsaturated fats. If that doesn't work you can start medications called statins that lower you cholesterol.

It's also important to known you ratio of LDL (bad cholesterol) to HDL (good cholesterol) as if your total is high, but ratio ok, you don't need to worry too much.

Do a bit of research the NHS website is quite good, and then make an appointment with your GP to talk it through, but don't stress about it. We all have risk factors for one health problem or another and it's good to be able to assess and modify your risk, but you shouldn't let it worry you.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Ignore it. One doctor put me on statins and aspirins, I changed surgery and was promptly taken off them.

Go for good fats (olive oil), only occasional bad fats (biscuits/cream cakes); increase veg/fruit/excercise. Products such as Brum mentioned do work but cost a fortune.

Basically a mediterranean diet (that's my excuse for red wine and fags!)

[mlteenie]

Thanks to all.

I perhaps ought to have explained more.

I don't smoke, now minimal drinking, have been veggie for decades (I don't eat TOO much of the nice saturated fat things I described earlier), am 43, skinny, active and have a high metabolism!

The only reason I went for my blood test was because my brothers both have high cholesterol. Mine was: LDL 3.9 HDL 1.6, making 5.7 (I know it doesn't tally - apparently it never does). I also know that about 90% of these fats are made by the body, rather than diet. This seems to make it far worse for someone with this problem, since you need to go further than just cutting down to be in a good area.

The Doc (whom I like and trust) said to come back in a year and we'll see where we are.

[hislordship]

I too have a genetic tendency for high cholesterol - I'm very fit and eat healthy to the extreme, but it still sometimes goes as high as 8.

I will be on statins in a few years for the rest of my life - there's nothing that can be done. Shit genes.

[mlteenie]

Bummer, HL - I sympathise. So what do you do, diet-wise?

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

BTW, porridge and garlic capsules are supposed to help.

Do try and avoid statins if you can, it's surprising how much one craves grapefruit when told one can't have it!