High Cholesterol: Need Advice

[Wilkinson4]

So, I went to my doc who I only see once in a blue moon, usually when I have some crud. But, I decided I should go for my 45yo physical which also included blood work. The results came back and I have high cholesterol and triglycerides so they ordered an IMT and that came back normal. But, it was enough to make me think about my diet. Kinda shook me up a bit.

I love food. Good food, bad food. Mostly I am a sweet junkie. I'm 46, weigh about 146-150lbs, 5'-7", don't smoke, have an occasional beer (12 pack per year), but I love coke, candy, cakes, etc... Coffee 2x a week. I have had a 12oz coke a day habit for awhile but I have also been riding since I was 17. At least 3 times a week for almost 30 years.

Anyway, although they did not recommend statins there is no way I want to go on them so I have done some reading on cholesterol, lipids, etc... What I have come away with is that there seems to be a lot of mis-information out there and that cholesterol in itself in not a good indicator of heart disease.

It is a good indicator of inflammation it seems, and is your bodies natural way to repair artery walls but sometimes that goes haywire. It also seems that sugar and carbs are not your cardiovascular systems best friend and contribute to inflammation which causes your body to react.

Does anybody have some good info on this? What I should worry about or change? I have changed my diet some. Gone is the coke. Been off the stuff for about 10 days. No sweets other than a little dark chocolate. I have been eating more healthy, more berries, more salads, avocados, etc...

I take about 450mg of Omega-3 (Saw some report on prostate cancer link) but I may stop that. I also have started a low dose aspirin once a day with my multi-day and I want to introduce more fiber so I ordered some Profibe...

My plan is to do this for about 6 weeks and then have a re-check. I saw a book called the great cholesterol myth or something like that at the airport. Anybody have a copy they want to sell me?

Just curious what some other forums members have done and what results they have had.

Thanks

mIKE

[54ny77]

Dayum, thats-a lotta ya yo!

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a8/ScarfacePacino.jpg/220px-ScarfacePacino.jpg

;)

I have had a 12oz coke a day habit for awhile...

[Wilkinson4]

:banana: That made me laugh:) Thanks. Uhmmm, no drugs!!! Unless that tasty beverage is a a drug! Nothing like a cold coke after a long ride.

mIKE

[shovelhd]

Coke isn't causing your cholesterol problem, butterfat in bakery has a bigger influence. It was a cholesterol scare that got me back on my bike and back racing. My family is genetically disposed to high cholesterol and heart disease so I went on the statins for 18 months while increasing exercise and reducing fat. I used to eat Italian sausage, bacon, cold cuts like mortadella and genoa salami, cheesecake, racks of ribs, and all the fat on a steak. No more. There's nothi g wrong with statins as a temporary helper as you change your lifestyle.

[VTCaraco]

I've been on a statin for 8 years now.
No side-effects that I can discern and the high cholesterol is a thing of the past for me. Some side notes that motivated my decision...
My sister, who is a strict vegan, 5' tall and typically weighs in the 90-95 lb range was also diagnosed with high cholesterol. For her, her ratio is within the acceptable range, but a splurge for her consisted of something like 6 extra sunflower seeds on her carefully measured 3 oz of yogurt, so it surely wasn't diet for her.
I have a history of heart disease in my family and my numbers were bad. I did try a more homeopathic/holistic approach for a few months, but the niacin continued to cause a significant flush and I simply couldn't chip my numbers down to something reasonable.

In the end, I felt like the statin was the right call for me. I was appreciative of the fact that I did NOT have a pharmacy-triggered MD guiding me, but no worse for wear that I can see.

I'm curious why your so strongly against the prescription idea?
I was a devout medicine-free guy, but I adjusted and I'm glad I did.

[Louis]

I saw a book called the great cholesterol myth or something like that at the airport. Anybody have a copy they want to sell me?

This isn't how I would gather information on important stuff like heart-disease.

There have to be more crackpot theories on health and what's good for you and what's bad for you than any other topic out there, and nearly anyone can go on a TV talk show then get a book pushing their pet theories published, if someone thinks it will sell.

[slidey]

Sorry to hear about the cholestrol bit. I can't offer any advice based on personal experience, but I can tell you this much :
-- simply because you've been riding for the past 30 years every other day, doesn't mean the carbonated drinks and the indiscriminate love of food won't affect you. Religiously strike out all sugars from your diet. Want sugar? Eat fruits.

Also, don't ride to eat...ride to stay fit. Good luck!

[Wilkinson4]

Ya, I was that ride to eat guy... I am trying to cut the sugar and see if that works for me... I am also that anti-med guy only because I have seen a lot of people in my family on a bunch of different meds and I don't want to be like that if I can make changes. That said, I will listen to my doc but I think the best thing I can do is take a more active role in my health.

mIKE

[mistermo]

I'm now a disciple:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_China_Study

see. 1.4 and 1.5

[chengher87]

Ah! Finally something that I might actually know. My dissertation is all about lipids! Total cholesterol content might actually not be useful because it can be useless if you do not know what percent is HDL (good cholesterol) and what is LDL (bad cholesterol). The worst case scenario is if you have low HDL but high cholesterol. That's why it's important to know the ratio of HDL:LDL in your blood.

I've read that triglyceride and LDL content can also be skewed depending on your previous meals even in the presence of fasting before a blood test. I mean 200mg/dL is the upper limit for cholesterol "concern" but if its 50:50 HDL to LDL, that's actually not bad.

I also love good food and I don't think you need to give it up completely. Just drink coke (if it's the nose candy...I suggest you give that up completely) in more sensible amounts and do at least 1 hour of light exercise ate least 3 or 4 times a week. It'll promote HDL levels and get rid of any excess triglycerides and LDL that have localized on arterial walls.

[Gatorfreak]

I've always had slightly high cholesterol. I've always exercised, been in good shape, eat healthy, etc. No sodas here. I won't be taking and medications for it. I've done a fair bit of research on this and my opinion is that cholesterol numbers are just used by drug companies to make billions of dollars selling drugs. Those drug companies are dancing like this: :banana:

Look around on the web and you can find accounts of people who have dramatically changed their cholesterol numbers with only 1 day between tests. They'd try odd things like eating oatmeal cookies all day the day before. What this tells us is that those numbers only tell you what your cholesterol is that day.

[mistermo]

I've always had slightly high cholesterol. I've always exercised, been in good shape, eat healthy, etc. No sodas here. I won't be taking and medications for it. I've done a fair bit of research on this and my opinion is that cholesterol numbers are just used by drug companies to make billions of dollars selling drugs. Those drug companies are dancing like this: :banana:

Look around on the web and you can find accounts of people who have dramatically changed their cholesterol numbers with only 1 day between tests. They'd try odd things like eating oatmeal cookies all day the day before. What this tells us is that those numbers only tell you what your cholesterol is that day.

In other words, the science is wrong?

[Gatorfreak]

In other words, the science is wrong?

Whose science? You can find studies showing that cholesterol is correlated to heart disease and that statins lower the risk of heart disease. You can find studies that completely refute such claims (and have no money to be made off it).

[sworcester]

I too have a genetic predisposition to high cholesterol. Been on Lipitor for probably 10+ years. Only time will tell if it is a negative.

My numbers are better with the drugs than not, done that by taking a few week vacation with no other changes in diet or exercise.

There is a history of heart disease in the family, but that works out if you wants a stress test once in awhile. You just tell them of all the bad things in your genetics and they order the test.

Having talked to a number of doctors on the subject, if your family had it, you generally will.

[chengher87]

In other words, the science is wrong?

You'd be surprised at how many holes there are in so many scientific studies. Not performing duplicates, triplicates, etc. Or basing their conclusions on correlational significance, not statistical significance (meaning they failed to hold important variables constant so that they are confident that A is solely responsible for B.). Not only that, a lot of the data analysis can be manipulated by choosing particular data points, while ignoring others.

Drinking milk is good for bone growth, drink.
Drinking milk can cause cancer, don't drink it.
Drinking milk can actually be bad for bone growth and healing, don't drink it.
Drink milk, but only whole milk, not 2% or skim.

There are plenty of scientific articles in reputable journals arguing all four points on milk. So in the end, who is to be believed? There are also many instances in which the data for studies have been completely fabricated. The Cancer Biologist from Duke who disappeared when he was found out is one that comes to mind.

[biker72]

I've been on statins for almost 20 years only because nothing else worked for me. I tried everything. Old fashioned oatmeal and niacin did seem to help. I really have no side effects from simvastatin.

Exercise and a high fiber low fat diet works for some folks.

Statins aren't the end of the world.....:)

[mistermo]

You'd be surprised at how many holes there are in so many scientific studies. Not performing duplicates, triplicates, etc. Or basing their conclusions on correlational significance, not statistical significance (meaning they failed to hold important variables constant so that they are confident that A is solely responsible for B.). Not only that, a lot of the data analysis can be manipulated by choosing particular data points, while ignoring others.

Drinking milk is good for bone growth, drink.
Drinking milk can cause cancer, don't drink it.
Drinking milk can actually be bad for bone growth and healing, don't drink it.
Drink milk, but only whole milk, not 2% or skim.

There are plenty of scientific articles in reputable journals arguing all four points on milk. So in the end, who is to be believed? There are also many instances in which the data for studies have been completely fabricated. The Cancer Biologist from Duke who disappeared when he was found out is one that comes to mind.

Fully agree with you on most of this. But, find a study that says high LDL Cholesterol is good for you. It's pretty well acknowledged these days that cholesterol (LDL) isnt' good for you. It's an inconvenient truth. It's not pharma companies making up the science, though I'll be the first to agree that they profit tremendously from it.

And just because one has high cholesterol, doesn't mean they're going to get sick, just like it doesn't mean someone is going to get lung cancer because they smoke. But the science is pretty well established, unlike the milk example.

If you've got the inclination, read The China Study. For me, the science seemed logical and plausible. I'd welcome anyone else who's read it to point out where it falls short scientifically. Frankly, I'd love to go back to eating more meat, so I'm open minded to someone telling me scientifically why it's rubbish. But my blood pressure and cholesterol have come way down since adopting the practices therein. Just thought I'd share since you asked.

Diet is a lot like religion. People are going to believe what they want, even in the face of logical, scientific evidence to the contrary. In the end, people vote for who they like, worship the God they like, and eat the food they like, no matter the evidence for or against.

[parallelfish]

I had severe side-effects from statins. Tried many different flavors and was unable to tolerate any of them.

This book was very helpful in explaining the difficulties I was having, and describing a non-statin approach.

The Great Cholesterol Myth by Bowden & Sinatra

[Johnny P]

With a vegan diet, you will not be eating any cholesterol. That would be the best way to lower your levels, by avoiding meat and diary.

[biker72]

Fully agree with you on most of this. But, find a study that says high LDL Cholesterol is good for you. It's pretty well acknowledged these days that cholesterol (LDL) isnt' good for you. It's an inconvenient truth. It's not pharma companies making up the science, though I'll be the first to agree that they profit tremendously from it.


It wasn't good for me.

[Ralph]

You don't have to take a statin every day to get some benefit. If you are statin intolerant, try every other day, 3 times a week, twice a week, etc. Crestor is the most powerful statin on the market.....twice as powerful as Lipitor (8 times generic pravastatin), and studies show taking it once a week (anywhere between 5-20 MG), give about 1/3 the benefit of taking same dose every day.

I have low HDL....no matter how I diet. Other numbers OK. A statin every day also interferes with my daily bike riding. A statin every day gives me leg pain....no matter the statin brand. So....I cut back the dosage and frequency until I don't notice the medicine. And now my HDL is where it needs to be.

[shovelhd]

Self diagnosis via the Internet is dumb. See a cardiologist. Ask questions. Do what they say. The first thing my cardiologist did was refer me to a nutritionist. Is the web going to do that for you?

[chengher87]

Fully agree with you on most of this. But, find a study that says high LDL Cholesterol is good for you. It's pretty well acknowledged these days that cholesterol (LDL) isnt' good for you. It's an inconvenient truth. It's not pharma companies making up the science, though I'll be the first to agree that they profit tremendously from it.

And just because one has high cholesterol, doesn't mean they're going to get sick, just like it doesn't mean someone is going to get lung cancer because they smoke. But the science is pretty well established, unlike the milk example.

If you've got the inclination, read The China Study. For me, the science seemed logical and plausible. I'd welcome anyone else who's read it to point out where it falls short scientifically. Frankly, I'd love to go back to eating more meat, so I'm open minded to someone telling me scientifically why it's rubbish. But my blood pressure and cholesterol have come way down since adopting the practices therein. Just thought I'd share since you asked.

Diet is a lot like religion. People are going to believe what they want, even in the face of logical, scientific evidence to the contrary. In the end, people vote for who they like, worship the God they like, and eat the food they like, no matter the evidence for or against.

Good points. And my original point was actually a commentary on science in general, I've never read the China Study at all. I only mentioned milk because I read a series of articles on yahoo (big mistake) that was like Ross and Rachel on friends, couldn't make up their minds whether or not milk was good. Didn't realize that it was one of the main points in the China study against animal protein. I'll also say that China has some of the worst quality control when it comes to food, so tainted meat is a possibility :) (I tell myself that when I eat a nice juicy stick of bacon, so that I can sleep at night).

I'm all for moderation. I eat my fair share of meats, vegetables, fruit and others. I think that the China Study makes some great points and some of the dietary advice is good. But every person is wired differently and their body will respond differently to different diets.

I hope they do a case-study like this in America. Genetic diversity is the number one combatant of overcoming diseases and disorders (i.e. evolution). It would be interesting to see what effect processed meats would have on those who's number 1 consumables is probably processed meats. That study may be relevant to people in China and Asia, but can't be representative to the population as a whole.

Although I was born in southeast Asia...but a good steak and bacon is just too good to pass up. It might be obvious, but I subscribe to the Ron Swanson code of culinary conduct.

Also, cholesterol is made of HDL and LDL. HDL is good cholesterol because it has a higher protein to lipid ratio. LDL is bad because it has a higher ratio of lipid to protein. A high concentration of HDL is good because they collect cholesterol to be degraded. LDLs don't do that and can increase in size obstructing blood vessels.

[OtayBW]

Mostly I am a sweet junkie. ..... I love coke, candy, cakes, etc...
I'd start right there. Sugar is da debil. Cutting it out (or back) is just a smart thing to do, IMO, and after a few days, you don't miss it so much.

[Wilkinson4]

I'd start right there. Sugar is da debil. Cutting it out (or back) is just a smart thing to do, IMO, and after a few days, you don't miss it so much.

I am missing it!!! Well, I only drank a coke or water. No other sugary stuff so I am on pretty much H2O only right now.

So, dinner was grilled chicken kabob. Small side of orzo w/veggies. Side salad with blueberries and a splash of dressing.

There is a large cherry pie in the fridge that is taunting me however!

mIKE

[shovelhd]

That pie crust has at least a half a stick of butter in it.

[parallelfish]

You don't have to take a statin every day to get some benefit. If you are statin intolerant, try every other day, 3 times a week, twice a week, etc. Crestor is the most powerful statin on the market.....twice as powerful as Lipitor (8 times generic pravastatin), and studies show taking it once a week (anywhere between 5-20 MG), give about 1/3 the benefit of taking same dose every day.

I have low HDL....no matter how I diet. Other numbers OK. A statin every day also interferes with my daily bike riding. A statin every day gives me leg pain....no matter the statin brand. So....I cut back the dosage and frequency until I don't notice the medicine. And now my HDL is where it needs to be.

Yep, tried that, over and over again with many flavors of statins. The muscle pains, loss of memory and cognition, strange heart rates, and lack of any kind of energy did not make for much of a life. After stopping it would take 2-3 months for all of the symptoms to resolve themselves.

[Wilkinson4]

That pie crust has at least a half a stick of butter in it.


For the whole crust. A slice can't hurt:) Reminds me of a Yogi Berra quote.

Waitress, "Do you want me to cut your pizza into four or six slices"?
Berra, “You better cut the pizza in four pieces because I’m not hungry enough to eat six.”

mIKE

[LouDeeter]

Lots of information out there. Educate yourself. Listen to your doctor. Get a second opinion if necessary. Remember, statins don't help you fend off the cholesterol you eat--so you can't just take extra statins before or after eating a big juicy steak with lobster in butter sauce. Statins prevent your body from producing cholesterol, primarily while fasting, such as at night. So, you have to watch your diet, exercise, lose weight, and take the drugs that the doc wants you to take. While the latter is optional, I think it makes a lot of sense assuming you have no side effects. Listen to your body and take the blood test regularly to check whether you are having an increase in liver enzymes. Doc will review with you, so you have the benefit of a professional there. Oh, and a baby aspirin at night after dinner isn't a bad idea either.

[slidey]

If you can donate it away, that'd be one heck of a start!

There is a large cherry pie in the fridge that is taunting me however!

[dekindy]

Anyway, although they did not recommend statins there is no way I want to go on them GOOD CALL

I take about 450mg of Omega-3 (Saw some report on prostate cancer link) but I may stop that. I also have started a low dose aspirin once a day DISCONTINUE BOTH THESE


If the doctor did not recommend meds then you do not have a problem because the threshold level for recommending statins is ridiculously low and note the side effects mentioned above as they are numerous and real - lots of threads on muscle pains.

Other than that you should probably reduce sugar and eat healthier. No cause for alarm. Not sure why you even mentioned it.

[pbarry]

Oatmeal and olive oil are your friends in this. My father lowered his cholesterol levels by 20 points in one month just by eating oatmeal with skim milk, (instead of eggs and bacon), and substituting olive oil for butter.

Good you brought this up, cause we all need to think about cardio issues. :)

[Cat3roadracer]

Chia seeds, a tablespoon a day. Trust me.

[FastVegan]

Go vegan. Only 2 sources of cholesterol, what we have in our body and what we consume. It is as simple as that.

[mistermo]

With a vegan diet, you will not be eating any cholesterol. That would be the best way to lower your levels, by avoiding meat and diary.

Word. Meat and dairy have cholesterol, veggies/fruit/grains have none.

You can read all the books you'd like, talk to all the cardiologists too, but this is the simple, unavoidable truth.

If you eat a juicy steak, that's cool, but it doesn't negate the above fact.

PS. The China Study looks into the Western Diet: eg. Why are cancer, heart disease, diabetes sooo much more prevalent in the West? The book sets out to explain this in ways that are hard (for me) to debunk. The purpose of the book is to examine the western diet, not the eastern one (except by comparison). Example:

[LouDeeter]

Isn't the "China Study" one of the primary references for the documentary, Forks over Knives?

[ultraman6970]

I would give my insight but will be way too long ;P

[1centaur]

The Cholesterol Myths by Uffe Rafenov (spelling wrong but Google it) points out how the science is flawed; statins work because they are anti-inflammatories not because they reduce cholesterol. 50/50 on heart attacks with high cholesterol. Much, much more.

yes sugars increase triglycerides and fish oil cuts triglycerides (and is anti-inflammatory). Doctors will just repeat the statin doctrine and not engage on the statistical problems behind the science, in my experience. A diet that cuts fat from 30% of calories to 15% will not cut cholesterol numbers for most people. I found that out after I had made the cut.

More vigorous exercise helps boost HDL.

[Louis]

There is a large cherry pie in the fridge that is taunting me however!

Stuff like this shouldn't even be in the house. I find it very easy to resist this sort of temptation at the store, much less so if it's at home. So, the simple solution is to just not buy it. You can't eat or drink what isn't there.

[Peterjvh]

Oatmeal and olive oil are your friends in this. My father lowered his cholesterol levels by 20 points in one month just by eating oatmeal with skim milk, (instead of eggs and bacon), and substituting olive oil for butter.

Good you brought this up, cause we all need to think about cardio issues. :)

+ 1 for the oatmeal. Had cholesterol issues, started eating oatmeal every morning, cholesterol levels dropped quickly. Quit eating oatmeal, levels went back up. As far as I can tell, didn't change any other part of my diet, or exercise regime at that time. Another benefit of the oatmeal was toilet "regularity". ;-)

[Llewellyn]

Another benefit of the oatmeal was toilet "regularity". ;-)

Ohhhhh yes!! With either oatmeal or Psyllium as a regular part of your diet, your digestive system will love you :)

[Louis]

Is it something special in the oatmeal that helps bring the cholesterol down, or is it the fiber, in which case, any source of fiber (e.g. bran cereal) would do the trick?

[Llewellyn]

Is it something special in the oatmeal that helps bring the cholesterol down, or is it the fiber, in which case, any source of fiber (e.g. bran cereal) would do the trick?

I think there's something in the oatmeal/Psylllium that collects the cholesterol and then it gets, ummm, "passed" out of the body in the natural course of events. That's the very simple explanation from my wife who's a nurse.

I mix a bit of Psyllium in with my muesli and providing I mix it in well, I can barely tell that it's there. But it needs to be well mixed otherwise it can "clump" together and it's not the nicest stuff to eat.

[soulspinner]

When my brother died (read riding partner and best friend) I went off the deep end , got fat (35 pounds added ) and my triglycerides were over 500 and cholesterol was 365 total. Doc put me on 60 grams of fat a day and daily aerobic activity. (90 days later both figures were about normal) but it was like boot camp. Lost all the weight but I too love sweets and beer , in fact better together.
They just put my dad on statins cause his cholesterol was just under 200, saying that its to protect against plaque break off like Tim Russert suffered. Dads 80. It seems there is quite a difference in the way different docs treat this.
That being said Im shocked at the death of a friend recently who had a treadmill test, was within ideal range for all bloodwork and dropped dead two weeks after his checkup. Carpe Diem, ya just never know.

[VTCaraco]

Look at your family.
Everyone in mine had high cholesterol. My sister was a STRICT vegan and she even had it. Based on logic, there was absolutely NO reason for her to have it other than our bodies weren't processing they way that they should.
I started, reluctantly, and my numbers are great now.
I certainly ramped up my cardio work with the diagnosis of high cholesterol. That was my first response (along with the change in diet, addition of fish oil and niacin). But several fasting blood test later and my number had only changed a little (still in the 280-320 range).
8 years of statins later, dosed conservatively, and my numbers are in the 140-180 range overall with an LDL of around 100 and a HDL in the 35-40 range.
My opinion, based on honest conversations with my family and doctor, is that I'm making myself healthier.

And I DEFINITELY ride to eat. I love good food. Riding (or rowing or skiing in the winter months) allow me to eat a little more freely without the sense of guilt. I ride for fitness and weight-management, but make no bones about it, I ride to enjoy treats, too.

[buddybikes]

1. Know your family history of heart disease
2. See a dietitian if you aren't food fluent
3. Zero trans-fats
4. Limit other fats
5. Increase soluble fibers, yes oatmeal is soluble
6. Watch if your chlorestrol trends are increasing or decreasing
7. for 95% of us statins have no side effect and will get your levels safe and reduce inflammatory. just have liver and CPK value check after starting

The push that it's the pharmaceuticals is bunk now, 90% of people are on generics that do no marketing

[Peter P.]

Get a copy of "The Harvard Medical School Guide to Lowering Your Cholesterol".

I read it and did not perceive it as a how-to guide as much as a reference.

There are detailed explanations of the science behind cholesterol, and chapters on the various POSSIBLE treatments, legitimate and quackery. The book does not offer any gimmicks or magic bullets, just available options.

Lots of useful statistics such as I believe it said only 20% of high cholesterol individuals will see an effective drop in LDL with changes in diet.

You don't have to give up soda, cherry pie, and butter. Just limit your consumption.

My numbers are "high", usually in the 210-230 range, but surprisingly it was 199 last month and I didn't do anything different.

I get tested every 6 months. I try to watch my fat intake but I'm not too militant about it. I also keep a spreadsheet, tracking my numbers through time and the various changes I've made to try and lower my LDL. It's a useful tool to have all the data in one place.

[Wilkinson4]

Thanks everyone for the continued input. Good conversation here on that and just general well-being, eating, etc... My ratio of Total/HDL is 4.5:1 right now. My HDL is 51. Glucose is a tad high in the range. Triglycerides are borderline high to high. I can eat healthier for sure, and cutting the sugar is one step I want to try. I also am trying to increase my fiber and decrease animal fat intake, overall calorie intake as well.

History is all over the place. My grandfather on my Dad's side had his first heart attack in his early 50's, lived to mid 80's. I think he had two more. My grandfather on my Mother's side lived to 100.

I have an Aunt to has T/C over 300 no matter what she eats. Her weight is normal for her age. Her sister was obese and had very low levels. She was diagnosed with ALS (Horrible disease) however.

Hey, my hemocrit level is 50!!! Anyway, keep it coming.

mIKE

[ptourkin]

With a vegan diet, you will not be eating any cholesterol. That would be the best way to lower your levels, by avoiding meat and diary.

Yep. I was hospitalized in 2005 with congestive heart failure and a bp of 220/200. I have since corrected that with exercise and a vegan diet. Many mainstream cardiologists are now adopting this advice for reversing heart disease. See the Engine 2 Diet and the writings of Dr. Dean Ornish. Go vegan!

[biker72]

Thanks everyone for the continued input. Good conversation here on that and just general well-being, eating, etc... My ratio of Total/HDL is 4.5:1 right now. My HDL is 51. Glucose is a tad high in the range. Triglycerides are borderline high to high. I can eat healthier for sure, and cutting the sugar is one step I want to try. I also am trying to increase my fiber and decrease animal fat intake, overall calorie intake as well.

History is all over the place. My grandfather on my Dad's side had his first heart attack in his early 50's, lived to mid 80's. I think he had two more. My grandfather on my Mother's side lived to 100.

I have an Aunt to has T/C over 300 no matter what she eats. Her weight is normal for her age. Her sister was obese and had very low levels. She was diagnosed with ALS (Horrible disease) however.

Hey, my hemocrit level is 50!!! Anyway, keep it coming.

mIKE

Honestly a diet modification might just work for you. You're not that far out of range. Great HDL at 51. Keep riding that bike....:)

My diet change/exercise got my HDL up to 26. You can see why I'm on statins.

[Wilkinson4]

When my brother died (read riding partner and best friend) I went off the deep end , got fat (35 pounds added ) and my triglycerides were over 500 and cholesterol was 365 total. Doc put me on 60 grams of fat a day and daily aerobic activity. (90 days later both figures were about normal) but it was like boot camp. Lost all the weight but I too love sweets and beer , in fact better together.
They just put my dad on statins cause his cholesterol was just under 200, saying that its to protect against plaque break off like Tim Russert suffered. Dads 80. It seems there is quite a difference in the way different docs treat this.
That being said Im shocked at the death of a friend recently who had a treadmill test, was within ideal range for all bloodwork and dropped dead two weeks after his checkup. Carpe Diem, ya just never know.

Wow... That is remarkable. Terrible about your loss but I am glad you were able to get control of it.

Thanks for sharing that.

mIKE

[ultraman6970]

My experience with cholesterol medication is that I get almost all the side effects, the doctor changed the medication like 3 times and I just gave up. And as usual they put you in a cocktail of crap that somehow if it makes you feel worse is kind'a questionable if you really want to continue taking the medications, it sucks to have muscle pain, or the ····z or headaches or any other side effect, a friend never got a single problem with any of the medication, in my case is just terrible terrible stuff going on. So just stopped, some diet helped me to get the numbers lower but pretty much I'm ok and since many doctors work with statistics and what the last study that came out from ridest digest they just put you in cocktails of drugs that in some particular cases (me for example) are just useless and is hard to get them to understand that they found the exception to the rules, in my case did not come back to the specialist because everytime was a new cocktail to try, I cant take any of the statin drugs for example... and so far in the cycling community looks like many have the same problem from what I read here and there.

[nm87710]

Good Luck!

[soulspinner]

Thanks everyone for the continued input. Good conversation here on that and just general well-being, eating, etc... My ratio of Total/HDL is 4.5:1 right now. My HDL is 51. Glucose is a tad high in the range. Triglycerides are borderline high to high. I can eat healthier for sure, and cutting the sugar is one step I want to try. I also am trying to increase my fiber and decrease animal fat intake, overall calorie intake as well.

History is all over the place. My grandfather on my Dad's side had his first heart attack in his early 50's, lived to mid 80's. I think he had two more. My grandfather on my Mother's side lived to 100.

I have an Aunt to has T/C over 300 no matter what she eats. Her weight is normal for her age. Her sister was obese and had very low levels. She was diagnosed with ALS (Horrible disease) however.

Hey, my hemocrit level is 50!!! Anyway, keep it coming.

mIKE
50? Geez man stay off the E..................:rolleyes: