Need to lower my Cholesterol....any help??

lessonlearned

terra_ferma wrote: »

this is the bit I was objecting to:

A course of action with a very high likelihood of failure is not the best place to start.

No big deal anyway, you acknowledge my point, and I don't dispute that losing weight may lower cholesterol, as I've not looked into it myself.

The last thing I'd want is to turn this into one of those threads where two people start having an argument about a minor point and the OP ends up regretting starting it at all

Given that "you've not looked into it" then you shouldn't really be making such negative comments as weight loss being doomed to failure and therefore not the place to start.

It is a proven medical fact that, in the majority of cases, achieving and maintaining a healthy weight is crucial to managing cholesterol levels.

Unless cholesterol levels are unacceptably high and the patient is in imminent danger any half decent GP will advise a patient who is overweight to lose some weight.

A good GP will not automatically prescribe statins, they will like Sitcom's GP, monitor the situation. Part of this monitoring will be to advise the patient on diet, exercise and weight loss, if weight loss is appropriate.

There will be exceptions of course. My father is one of those unfortunates who despite being underweight is prone to high cholesterol levels. For him statins are the only answer.

Given my father's problems with cholesterol I am tested regularly. The first time I was tested my levels were a tad high, I lost 10% of my body weight and they came back down to acceptable levels. No statins were required

If someone is overweight then losing some of it, even as little as 10%, is the fastest and easiest way to get cholesterol levels down. Far, far better than resorting to statins.

Sitcom - I really couldn't comment about your hypothyroidism. Whilst your medication may affect your weight that is something for your GP to monitor and advise you on.

Work with your GP and if possible try and get a referral to a nutritionist who will help you tailor your diet and weight loss programme.

terra_ferma

lessonlearned wrote: »

Given that "you've not looked into it" then you shouldn't really be making such negative comments as weight loss being doomed to failure and therefore not the place to start.

It is a proven medical fact that, in the majority of cases, achieving and maintaining a healthy weight is crucial to managing cholesterol levels.

Unless cholesterol levels are unacceptably high and the patient is in imminent danger any half decent GP will advise a patient who is overweight to lose some weight.

A good GP will not automatically prescribe statins, they will like Sitcom's GP, monitor the situation. Part of this monitoring will be to advise the patient on diet, exercise and weight loss, if weight loss is appropriate.

There will be exceptions of course. My father is one of those unfortunates who despite being underweight is prone to high cholesterol levels. For him statins are the only answer.

Given my father's problems with cholesterol I am tested regularly. The first time I was tested my levels were a tad high, I lost 10% of my body weight and they came back down to acceptable levels. No statins were required

If someone is overweight then losing some of it, even as little as 10%, is the fastest and easiest way to get cholesterol levels down. Far, far better than resorting to statins.

Sitcom - I really couldn't comment about your hypothyroidism. Whilst your medication may affect your weight that is something for your GP to monitor and advise you on.

Work with your GP and if possible try and get a referral to a nutritionist who will help you tailor your diet and weight loss programme.

Don't try and win an argument by twisting what I said and diverting the issue. I didn't agree with your advice because you are suggesting a course of action that is not going to succeed for the vast majority of people. There is plenty of evidence about this, it's a well known fact, not me having a particularly negative view of weight loss.
No point is telling people to lose weight to lower their cholesterol when the % of people keeping their weight loss in the long term is very small, they may end up focusing on the wrong things instead of getting good long-term, sustainable results.

But I'm not going to reply any more posts just repeating the same thing, it's getting boring.

lessonlearned

Sitcom asked for advice. I asked about his or her weight. Sitcom has admitted that he or she needs to lose weight.

I agree that "diets" as such do not work and that a great many people cannot sustain their weight loss over the long term.

That doesn't mean that the advice to lose weight is wrong.

The failure of patients to keep the weight off does not alter the fact that a good GP will try and encourage a patient to lose any excess weight first, rather than simply dishing out a prescription for statins. A six month monitoring period is the norm.

If, after losing weight, the patient's cholesterol levels are still too high, the GP will then look at medication.

Ultimately, the GP can only advise, it's then up to the patient to act upon that advice.

boots_babe

When I needed to improve my cholesterol readings, I did a lot of my own research, and determined that the best approach was a low carb lifestyle.

Having been doing this for over a year now, not only do I actually FEEL so much healthier, but my cholesterol readings have improved considerably, and my blood pressure has dropped dramatically to lower than it has ever been.

Don't just take my word for it, please do your own research, so that whatever you decide is a fully informed choice. Best of luck.

cardiogirl

Hi there, in your first post, you mentioned that your LDL cholesterol was 7 but the responses here seem to be assuming a total cholesterol of 7 - they are very different results. Have a look here http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Cholesterol/Pages/Diagnosis.aspx,
I applaud your reasoning for wanting to try to bring it down with diet & exercise, but it is very difficult to reduce an LDL level such as this so don't feel too downbeat if your GP recommends statins when you are re-tested. There are many people who's genetic make-up means that their liver makes more cholesterol than others & consequently it is very difficult to bring it down without medication.

Skyllo

peachyprice wrote: »

Also, it wasn't that long ago that 7 was an acceptable level, now it isn't but there's been a vast increase in the amount of statins prescribed, but the number of deaths from heart disease hasn't decreased. Call me cynical but statins are making a difference somewhere, not necessarily to the nations health.

I suggest you check your facts - deaths from heart attacks have halved in the last 10 years (source: British Heart Foundation).

There's 2 sources of cholesterol - the stuff you take in via your diet and the rest which your body makes by itself. You can change the first bit yourself with diet but what your body makes is set - that's where statins come in.

A.Penny.Saved

Skyllo wrote: »

I suggest you check your facts - deaths from heart attacks have halved in the last 10 years (source: British Heart Foundation).

There's 2 sources of cholesterol - the stuff you take in via your diet and the rest which your body makes by itself. You can change the first bit yourself with diet but what your body makes is set - that's where statins come in.

You sound just like a drug company rep and how much truth they speak!

Skyllo

Haha, I definitely don't work for a drug company! I was explaining why for some people, diet won't lower their cholesterol much and that's why drugs are suggested.

Jennifer_Jane

I reduced my cholesterol level quickly and easily (as I enjoy these things), by swimming for an hour 3 times (at least) a week, then having lunch (no breakfast). Lunch might be the Aldi marinated salmon and I would have half a packet, with an Aldi size pack of spinach, and a few other things like tomatoes or whatever. Then, if hungry later, I would have a handful of mixed nuts (as you say, walnuts are specifically good for cholesterol reducing) and/or porridge oats*.


I also religiously used the Aldi cholesterol-lowering pro-biotic, mainly because they are cheaper with less sugar than the other cholesterol-lowering pro-biotics.


That's how I did it. No idea what the level is currently. So probably should do a test again as I've fallen off my regime!


Good luck, my doctor said oily fish 3 times a week, if I could stand it, and the exercise. But I believed the Aldi pro-biotic helped too.


*Don't know if you all know this already, but I use the ordinary cheapo porridge oats from the bottom of the supermarket shelf. Pour just-boiled water over a few oats and leave to cool for a minute or so, can put a little cinnamon in for flavour; a banana, or Greek yoghurt and honey on top. Quick and easy and little washing up - I don't bother with saucepans.