I've had high bp(runs in family) for awhile now. On meds for it and it is now 110/ 80 this past week at Cardiologist office. All nuclear med stress tests are great. Did a whole slue of bloodwork this past Friday and have results. Everything wonderful except cholesterol. I'm really, really nervous about all this. HDL is good and tryglicerides are fine. the LDL is horrible. So, total # is 234...YIKES!!! However, cardiologist said if I continue on the path I started w/ diet and exercise changes, I should be okay. They will recheck in 6 months. If no diet and exercise changes, then he wants me to go on meds. Are others on here who have high cholesterol as well? Were you able to bring back down? If so, what are the best ways to do that? I want to get this under control w/ out mroe meds. So very vested in doing this. The diet changes are really simple for me. Exercise takes me awhile to get back in the swing of things. I know I can do it for sure. Just very nervous. Should I wait to take meds? I know you all aren't doctors. Just getting a general census of what others have done in this situation. Do you think I should really do the diet & exercise changes and then maybe recheck in a month? Would changes show up that fast? I want to keep on top of this for sure. Again, everything else is normal. Take care, Stephanie-mom to 7
I have high cholesterol that is controlled by taking Lipitor. I just had bloodwork done and I think my number was 183. They used to say that your number should be around 130 or so but now they have raised that to 200. So, that being the case, your number isn't really that high to begin with. I'm sure that with diet and exercise you will be able to lower it much more in 6 months. If it were me I would wait the 6 months. If you test in 1 month you may get discouraged because it will take a little while to get the number down. I have heard that fish oil supplements will help lower the number also. And eating oatmeal (according to the commercial) will lower it. I really don't think you should be so upset. Your number is not so high that you are going to drop over of a heart attack. 10 years ago my number was 303 and I didn't go anywhere. :lol: Good luck with the diet and exercise. I've started that journey myself. Gotta get my diabetes under better control.
Stephanie - the first think you need to know is does high cholesterol run in your family? my hubby is in good shape, works out regularly at the gym, eats better than anyone I know, and he has high cholesterol due to his family genes. He was only 29 I think when they first caught his, he tried to bring it down with even more exercise and healthier foods, but it never worked. I think he tried for a year before he went on meds (they kept checking in 6 month intervals as well). He really didn't want to go on meds at such a young age, but didn't want it getting worse either. I swear to you, he eats oatmeal and fruit every morning for breakfast, low-fat or fat free soups for lunch or salad, and every night we make the lowest fat meal we can, we buy everything lf or ff, and don't fry ANYTHING. Even on the meds, he's still a little bit over 200, but it's way better than it was. If I were you, I'd definitely eat as healthy as you can, and get as much exercise as you can, I know it's hard with all those kids!! I'd also wait the 6 months they recommend, even if it went down a little, it wouldn't be enough to tell in just a month or so. If you have any other questions, like on foods or anything, you can pm me, we've been dealing with this for years, and we've done our homework on it! Good luck!
Thanks so much! You make me feel not so worried. Don't get me wrong, I know it's bad, I just don't want to wait and then all of a sudden something happen. But, they did nuclear med stress test in August and he said all flow great and heart healthy as a horse. If cardiologist doesn't seem to think it's bad to wait the 6 months and one of you said that htey checked every 6 months as well, I guess i'm good for another 6 months--LOL. Now even more so, I'm motivated for exercise. Really motivated. Been doing a little here and there but I am stepping it up at notch today for sure! Cardiologist said I'm clear to do whatever exericise I want so watch out--LOL. Thanks. Isn't fiber supposed to do well for cholesterol as well? We eat all whole wheat bread and fruit whenever we can. The price is just outrageous now. URghh. Any other foods, to go for or stay away from, do let me know. I love vegetable fajitas, salads for lunch. Sometimes, tuna. Okay, time to stock up on Cheerios and Quaker Oats. My dad has high cholesterol and he was a Marine and worked out all the time. So, I do know sometimes you will have to take meds. I just am hoping I can change this on my own. If diet and exercise changes don't work, then I will do the medicine thing for sure. But I think I owe it to myself to work as hard as I can first to get it down. Thanks and any tidbits anyone does, let us know. stephanie-mom to 7
Hi Stephanie, I'm 28 yrs old and my cholesterol has been well over 200 going on 4 years now since I discovered it and no meds for me either. The compromise with my docs is having it checked every 6 months. I'd say I've gotten real serious about it in the last year with exercise and diet, but it is still around 255. When I first caught it, it was 297 so I have hope. I've lost about 25lbs since July and am working on another 25lbs to meet my goal. My doc tells me to do as much cardio workout as I can stand. I'm on the elliptical and treadmill at Fit For Life 4-6days a week and that has helped so much. I'm going to give mine a few more years before I look at going on medicine for the rest of my life at such a young age. My cholesterol is inherited from my father and grandmother, both of whom are in extremely good shape and eat healthy so I know I will only be able to control it so much. As far as diet, stay away from as much white starch as you can, i.e. bread, rolls, pasta, potatoes, rice etc. All the good stuff right?! Go to whole wheat. I could live off of carbs alone but I refrain as much as possible. ALso, start reading your labels. Anything with saturated anything is out - mono, poly, whatever. Another heavy cholesterol group, CHEESE! Super high in cholesterol. ANything fried and in general, high fatty foods. I eat a lot more fish now-especially salmon and tuna. Stay away from shrimp when you can. Even though it is the "good" cholesterol, it is a lot of cholesterol. And the obvious no-no is red meat. I gotta have a good steak once in a while though!! Oatmeal can work wonders. I've seen it lower my dad's by 20 points in 3 months. Eat lots of fruit and lots of veggies. Be careful with butter on the veggies as it is higher in cholesterol than margarine. I've switched to Smart Balance and generally use EVOO rather than butter to season things. In general, I shop on the outer aisles of the grocery store to stay away from as much processed food as possible. It all has high levels of cholesterol and saturated fats. And I hear ya on the prices lately, but I figure my heart and life is worth it and I'll make sacrifices in other areas of spending. Oh yeah, a glass of red wine occasionally never hurts either:cheers: Hope this helps some. There's a ton of info on the web that gives tips on diet choices for high cholesterol. Just give it a try and expect a serious effort for at least 6 months to show any change at all. Some months I go in thinking I've done awesome and get my bloodwork in a week showing it's gone back up 15 points!:boxing: It can be extremely frustrating especially with docs pushing the meds these days, but stick to your guns and if nothing else get yourself in shape and looking fabulous! If you still have to do the meds in the end, at least you know you gave it your best shot and some things are just in the genes. Good luck to you!
I would definitely add oatmeal as well as another high fiber oat bran type cereal. The more fiber you can get in (gradually) the better- at least 30 grams per day. You could add flax seed to your morning cereal concoction found in a box in the baking aisle at Walmart (usually by the cornstarch)- this adds omega 3's. Aim for at least 5 servings combined of fruits and vegetables but try to get up to 10 servings. Check the portion sizes on fruits and vegetables- for instance, a whole large banana is usually considered 2 servings. You could also add a handful of almonds or walnuts everyday to increase your mono unsaturates. Any grains you eat should be whoel grains, not white. Additionally, drinking one green tea per day will increase your anti oxidants which will be protective. Cut way back on beef. Your protein portion at a meal should be around 3-4 ounces even if it is chicken. And obviously, stay away from the full fat dairy like icecream, cheese, cream, etc, etc. Your total cholesterol isn't too bad but your LDL should ideally be below 100. And keep exercising. Good Luck!!
Stephanie, You have gotten some good suggestions. Current Reccommendations for cholesterol: Total <200 LDL< 100 without known heart disease, < 70 with known heart disease HDL > 40 men, > 50 women Triglycerides < 150 Genes play a big role in how your body processes and makes cholesterol. All things being equal, your family's history tells you what will likely happen with you. Having a Lipoprofile might ease your mind. It breaks down the cholesterol into large and small particles. Certain patterns are seen in most people with heart disease. Also, your cholesterol can easily fluctuate 15 points during a day, as your body processes and stores cholesterol. The mediteranian diet is still the healthy heart standard. Healthy oils in small amounts-olive, canola are best. Fresh fruits and vegtables, whole grains as the majority of the diet. Fish, poultry, and nuts in small amounts. Exercise, walking is great for you! Exercise brings up your HDL. Triglycerides can be lowered by cutting out desserts, "white foods"- rice, flour, sugar, potatoes. Other non drug helpers- Oatmeal, cinnamon, red rice yeast, plants sterols. We do not eat fried foods at our house. Only fat free daily products. sweet potatoes are fantastic in place of baked potatoes, had some tonight! Whole wheat bread, fish 3 nights a week, love salmon! Smart Balance when we want a spread. We are used to the way we eat, but it was a challenge at first. Old habits are hard to break. Cutting out the high fat daily products was first, and probably the best thing we did.
Good topic. I used to have trouble with my cholesterol too, and the doctor wanted me to start taking medicine. The doctor determined that the cholesterol was genetic. I decided not to take the medicine just because I don't like taking alot of medicine. I added walking to my exercise and changed my diet by eating oatmeal and cheerios. I also take fish oil pills and just watch everything that I eat. I know that medicine will lower your cholesterol quicker, but I wanted to use that as a last resort. I am going to follow some of the other suggestions on the board also.
