Didn't read all the posts so this has probably been said, but don't read too much into body mass and fitness in the end. Once all of the diet and fitness things have been addressed, the numbers can still be high and something else has to be done. I am a 51 year old male. I am 5'9" and 150 lbs. I do regular cardio exercise. While my cholesterol numbers are very low, I have had hypertension since my 20's and have been on daily medication since my 30's. There is nothing more I can do with respect to lifestyle. After you have addressed the diet and exercises, it's seems 1) no great shame to be on medication, 2) too big a risk not to be on medication.
Oh, and the easiest and cheapest way to keep track of your Cholesterol and other numbers is to give blood regularly. They test it and you can get the results every 8 weeks or so.
