How did I get high cholesterol? (1 Viewer)

[ChrisHeflen]

I just got my results back from the doc last nite and my chol. is 303 and the other # is like 260 something?

Should I worry about those numbers?

Does this mean I don't have much time left?

 

[Mike Lenthol]

Dibs on the DVD player and toaster

 

[Malcolm R]

Not an expert here, but those numbers sound high to me.

I wouldn't panic (i.e. worrying about "time left"). Just consult with your doctor.

 

[Jay H]

303 sounds high to me... I think anything over 200 is cause for concern... But I'm not a doctor and my numbers are probably too generic for the masses. The last time I had my cholesterol checked, I think I was about 156.

Jay

 

[LDfan]

Yeah there is concern for those numbers but you don't need to start looking for funeral lots.
Talk to your doc. Better diet and more exercise will help. For some people though it's more genetic no matter what they do to try and keep the numbers under control. In that case there are lots of medications out there that can lower the numbers for you.


Jeff

 

[Chuck Mullen]

Chris,
I am a former 300+ man myself! I was prescribed Lipitor. That with exercise, diet, and garlic tablets got me under 200 in just a few months.

As Jeff pointed out, genetics plays a huge role in this. Find out from your parents (if that's an option) about your families history.

Don't panic! There is a lot of info in books and on the internet on cholesterol. A little general knowledge about it will make you feel better.

Good Luck!

 

[ChrisHeflen]

Darn, you guys are giving me hope.
I all but had my wife convinced to let me upgrade just one last time.
I'm not really that worried cause if it happens it happens.

I guess I just don't get why.

I am 34, 5'9", 150lbs, play two-man volleyball competitively three times a week, walk my dog the other days, don't eat bread, breakfast, never smoke or drink.
They are gonna check my liver and sugar levels to see if I have diabetes. My mom has it and I think my brother is supposed to have it too. They said if I have it, that could be why. They gave me a perscription for something (can't remember) so I'll start taking that. I just don't wanna waste time messing with my diet. I love meat and pasta and milk.

If I have diabetes does that mean I'm gonna start losing my toes?

 

[Michael Reuben]

Or as David Letterman said to Ted Koppel: "I could eat pocket lint, and my cholesterol would go up."

M.

 

[Evan S]

I'm 32, 5'10", 179lbs, I have 8% body fat. Play hockey three times a week and lift weights three times a week as well. I eat a low cholesterol diet as well. My cholesterol figure the last time I got tested was over 250. I have another guy on my hockey team who is in the best shape you have ever seen and he too has a number close to 300. He's on Lipitor and I might be on my way. My doctor thinks my test score was an abnormality and wants to retest me in 4 months before he prescribes anything.

So it could most easily be genetic, although neither of my parents have this particular problem either so go figure.

 

[ChrisHeflen]

Oh my gosh Evan don't you have an Anthem too?

 

[Evan S]

Do you think buying an AVM-20 is cholesterol inducing? If so I am going to be screwed for at least another 5 years or so!

 

[ChrisHeflen]

Yeah, that's what I was thinking.

I wonder if there is an up-grade coming out for that?

I'll email Sonic.....

 

[LDfan]

Hi Chris,

If you have diabetes you won't have to lose your toes. My wife is a type 1 diabetic (insulin dependent). Diabetes is a very serious disease but with careful planning, food monitoring and keeping in touch with your doctors a diabetic and live a pretty normal life. It's when blood sugar gets out of control for prolonged periods of time that you hear about people getting toes and legs amputated due to infections and poor blood flow.

Jeff

 

[Yee-Ming]

I have no idea what my cholesterol count is :b I'm plain in denial and don't really want to think about it... having said that, today my blood pressure was checked for the first time in a number of years and it was on the high side...

But seriously, it is genetic. Several years ago, I remember a friend telling me her cholesterol was in the 300+ range, she was maybe 25 at the time, certainly slim, not sure how sporty she was; she told me it was genetic, her family all had a problem with it.

 

[Garrett Lundy]

To get your cholesterol under control just make some simple substitutions in your regular diet.

*For example, every meal add one more raw, or slightly steamed vegetable side dish

*drink 2 more 8-oz glasses of water every day

*Walk for 15 more minutes

*Replace beef with longpork every friday

*Replace carb-heavy white rice with jungle rice

*chant "Ia ia ia Cthulhu F'tahgn" while throwing gold coins into the Atlantic.

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

Is this a diet item or an act of exercise?

 

[Malcolm R]

Jungle rice?

 

[Craig Robertson]

isn't longpork human flesh?

 

[andrew markworthy]

Genetics are a major factor but not everything.My cholesterol count is just about as low as it's safe to get and has remained so throughout my adult life no matter how much or little I exercise. Ditto blood pressure. On the other hand, my dad's natural cholesterol level is so high you could use his blood as cooking oil and my mum's cholesterol level is on the high side too.

But if you have a high cholesterol count, don't despair, because you can control cholesterol to some extent. My dad's been on a variety of drug treatments over the years, but his cholesterol is now down to normal levels (I wouldn't say that he's very careful about what he eats, either).

A propos of nothing much in particular, we have a different numerical code over this side of the Herring Pond for cholesterol levels. Generally the scores are in single figures (even the very high ones). A score of 300+ on the Brit scale would get you in the medical textbooks.

 

[Angelo.M]

Cholesterol levels in Britain are measured in mmol/L (that is, millimoles per liter). We measure and report our levels as mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter).

Most of what has already been written in this thread is correct. There are a number of primary and secondary causes of hyperlipidemia, including medications (such as oral contraceptives, beta-blockers), other illnesses (such as nephrotic syndrome) and genetic causes (famililal hyperlipidemia). Controlling hyperlipidemia means controlling the cause. Unfortunately, for those with familial hyperlipidemia--a defect in the receptor molecule for low-density lipoprotein--nothing short of gene therapy (in the works) will fix the root cause. For these folks, diet (lowering total cholestrol intake) and exercise (raising HDL levels) will only do so much. Medicines such as the binding resins and the statins are the mainstays of therapy.

My advice: have your cholesterol profile checked every year or every other year. If you have a significant family history of early coronary artery disease (such as family members who have had a heart attack under the age of 55), run, don't walk, and have it checked frequently. It's that important. Early therapy is crucial in treating atherosclerosis.

--AM, M.D.