? about Cholestrol...

[momrek06]

My DS' DGF has been struggling for the last few years with high cholestrol
She is 22yo. She is 5'4 and weighs 130lbs. She is very active. Just ran a 26.2 Marathon in NJ. She runs DAILY. Her diet mainly consists of salmon, tuna, chicken and turkey and tons of salad with ff dressing.

Today she once again got her results 289! She is very upset and once again her MD said he feels she is too young to be on medication.

Her mom, dad, sister and bro are all within good ranges for their cholestrol so I do not think genetics is playing a role in her #'s!

My DS is upset about all this. He is worried. One year ago (summer 2005) it was 389 and 6 months later got it down to 289 and then it was 270 after the May Marathon and now it is back up to 289. She goes for blood work allot because her family is concerned.

In between all this she graduated from college class of 2006 with a double major which in it self alone was grueling for her but she did it.

Does anyone have any suggestions? Do you think she should be on any medication despite her young age?

TIA!

 

[Buckalew11]

I am not as sold on statin drugs as my doctor seems to be. He thinks they are the answer to the world's problems (so to speak).
My DH is a marathoner and has started doing triathlons this year. His cholestrol is still higher than it should be also. He just went off Lipotor. He suffered very bad side effects from it as did my mom from some other similar drug. I keep talking to more and more people who are having bad side effects from these "miracle drugs".

I think I would have her doctor test her homosystenes (sp?). This has a lot to do with heart attacks according to some info I have read.
Good luck to her. It sounds like she has the "taking care of herself" part down pat.

 

[DawnCt1]

My DS' DGF has been struggling for the last few years with high cholestrol
She is 22yo. She is 5'4 and weighs 130lbs. She is very active. Just ran a 26.2 Marathon in NJ. She runs DAILY. Her diet mainly consists of salmon, tuna, chicken and turkey and tons of salad with ff dressing.

Today she once again got her results 289! She is very upset and once again her MD said he feels she is too young to be on medication.

Her mom, dad, sister and bro are all within good ranges for their cholestrol so I do not think genetics is playing a role in her #'s!

My DS is upset about all this. He is worried. One year ago (summer 2005) it was 389 and 6 months later got it down to 289 and then it was 270 after the May Marathon and now it is back up to 289. She goes for blood work allot because her family is concerned.

In between all this she graduated from college class of 2006 with a double major which in it self alone was grueling for her but she did it.

Does anyone have any suggestions? Do you think she should be on any medication despite her young age?

TIA!

Her cholesterol is very concerning, even considering her age. The question is, is she at an earlier risk for heart disease because of her cholesterol than someone who develops high levels in later years. I would consult a cardiologist at a major medical center. Some people could live on tofu and have elevated blood cholesterol so diet in her case doesn't seem to be the cause. There could be a genetic history that she isn't familiar with. I would want to ask an experienced cardiologist, preferably one with an interest in blood lipids in young adults, if she would benefit from drug therapy or does the risk outweigh the benefit.

 

[sugarpie]

I would tell her to see another doctor. My husband has high cholesterol & had some side effects from his first med, but no problems with his second, & it's brought his numbers down.

You didn't mention what her HDL (good) & LDL (bad) numbers were, either. Those numbers may be why her doctor isn't concerned.

 

[momrek06]

Many thanks so far Buckalew and Dawn!!!

I am scared. I said nothing tonight when the results came in but darn what about the fact that the high #'s leads to maybe heart attacks and stroke...!

We are concerned. She just moved from CT to Boston and DS wants her to go to Mass General and get this handled NOW.

Yes, it is scary to be on med's due to side effects but ever scarier to have those #'s so HIGH.

You can sort of see her in my siggy with DS and all the WDW characters, she is not overweight by any means. She does not and never has SMOKED.

And like you said, Dawn, spend her life eating tofu...she basically is doing that now. We sit down to eat dinner and she always has something like a piece of bake or grilled fish (never burgers ever).

This is such a struggle. She had a big job interveiw last week in Boston and was told NO on Tuesday and then this call just came in at 9PM from her MD about her #'s coming back. Not a good week for her at all.

Thank you for the replies.

 

[Jpgirl]

I'm a big believer in whole grain oats (not the instant kind the "old fashioned" kind). I've been reading about using flax seed to-have to make sure you grind it up or it'll just pass right through. I've seen my numbers creep up (230 2 years ago) and my doc was talking meds and then I did research on my HDL,LDL, and triglycerides and found out that while my total was high my ratios were excellant and I fell into the bottum category for risk of having a cardiac event in the next 10 years. So I said no thanks to the meds and got religious about eating oatmeal everyday for breakfast and generally cleaning up my diet. I took a test this last Jan and my total had dropped to 209 and the LDL was even lower than before. I won't swear to the whole grain thing but I thought it helped. As far as she goes, the gene thing may go back farther than just immediate family-it could be back a few generations. Exercise definitely helps raise the HDL but will not lower LDL. I know an exercise instructor who was in excellant shape and she was hypertensive and hyperlipedemia and had been since she was a teen. Tell her to hang in and get the ratios done (I think it's ldl divided by hdl-or maybe it's the other way around) and maybe she will be forced to take the meds. I know the statins work but I won't take them until I've exhausted every other route. My mom was on the clinicals for a statin and ended up with liver damage BIG time. Good luck

 

[dixipixi]

I don't know why but the only people I know with very high cholesterol are much like your friend. They eat right, exercise, and usually are at a normal weight (if not a little underweight).

Everyone I know with good cholesterol pretty much eats what they want and their weights range from normal to 50 lbs or more overweight. I don't really know very many true "couch potatoes". Even if they don't follow a precise exercise regimen, almost everyone I know is fairly active (walking, yard work, etc.).

I have a couple of close friends who have extremely high cholesterol and we "joke" about it all the time because they are much smaller than me and really watch what they eat. I eat what I want (and have the resulting weight following me around!), and my cholesterol has always been low.

I will say that my friends with this problem all have very close relatives who have died from heart disease, so we have always thought it was an inherited thing. I know that doesn't seem to fit with your friend, but have there been grandparents, uncles, aunts, etc. with similar problems?

I haven't been much help, but just wanted you to know that we have often wondered about the same thing.

I really hope your friend finds the answer to her problem.

 

[momrek06]

I would tell her to see another doctor. My husband has high cholesterol & had some side effects from his first med, but no problems with his second, & it's brought his numbers down.

You didn't mention what her HDL (good) & LDL (bad) numbers were, either. Those numbers may be why her doctor isn't concerned.

I just got them as well:

HDL = 67 (that is ok)

LDL = 178 (falls into the HIGH category)

TRI = 219 (falls into the HIGH category)

TOTAL = 289 (falls into the UNDESIRABLE category)

 

[momrek06]

I'm a big believer in whole grain oats (not the instant kind the "old fashioned" kind). I've been reading about using flax seed to-have to make sure you grind it up or it'll just pass right through. I've seen my numbers creep up (230 2 years ago) and my doc was talking meds and then I did research on my HDL,LDL, and triglycerides and found out that while my total was high my ratios were excellant and I fell into the bottum category for risk of having a cardiac event in the next 10 years. So I said no thanks to the meds and got religious about eating oatmeal everyday for breakfast and generally cleaning up my diet. I took a test this last Jan and my total had dropped to 209 and the LDL was even lower than before. I won't swear to the whole grain thing but I thought it helped.

She just told me tonight that her dad takes FISH OIL and FLAXSEED daily.

Maybe she should start that regime. As well as the oatmeal for breakfast.

Great idea. I am going to suggest that RIGHT AWAY. Oatmeal, ground flaxseed can be sprinkled on that as well and a fish oil vitamin!!!

EXCELLENT!!! Hey, its a start!!!

 

[DawnCt1]

Unfortunately, the group that can significantly alter their blood lipids with diet, exercise, whole grains, tofu, flaxseed and berries is rather small and many do require medical intervention. While medications controlling cholesterol aren't without their problems, there is no doubt that they have significantly impacted deaths from heart disease. The highest cholesterol I ever saw was during a cholesterol screening in the work place. One could literally see the fat once it was out of the centrifuge. That person came back with a cholesterol of 800! Definately in need of intervention!

 

[RNMOM]

I am a lone wolf out here about cholesterol. I think we all metabolize fats differently. Some of us are high and some low. If she is following that restricted a diet and it not able to get it down, she might just need medication but....now here is where I get weird....maybe she needs to go back on natural fats.

By that I mean, olive oil, butter and regular dressing in her salad. I do know people this has worked for. Sometimes people metabolize the low fat products differently and they don't lower the cholesterol as they should.

I use only natural fats. I don't often fry foods but I do put real butter on my bread and saute in mixture of butter and olive oil. I am very overweight and have a lot of weight to loose and my cholesterol was 114 last fall. The highest it has ever been was 137. See what I mean by everyone being different? Now if I could only get off the sugar addiction.

There are some safety concerns about the statin drugs, liver damage being a real concern. She should get a second opinion and do some more searches on the web about diet. Good luck with all this.

 

[momrek06]

Unfortunately, the group that can significantly alter their blood lipids with diet, exercise, whole grains, tofu, flaxseed and berries is rather small and many do require medical intervention. While medications controlling cholesterol aren't without their problems, there is no doubt that they have significantly impacted deaths from heart disease. The highest cholesterol I ever saw was during a cholesterol screening in the work place. One could literally see the fat once it was out of the centrifuge. That person came back with a cholesterol of 800! Definately in need of intervention!

Yes, I definitely think she needs to see a specialist as you suggested. It can be very boring day after day having to stick to such a grueling HEALTHY diet (esp at her age when they want to eat out all the time) but then again when one is faced with the likes of heart disease or stroke or even blood clots...sometimes then they need the help of medication to get the problems under control.
Thanks, Dawn! I am aware from your different posts here on the DIS that you and DH are in the medical field.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Hello....

I had to share my info with you because my DH was been there...done that and now he is almost 40. He was also in that range at 24. Now he is pushing 500+ for his numbers.

At 24, I would certainly change my diet. The things you mentioned are VERY HIGH in fat foodwise. She REALLY needs to look at the fish chart of healthy eating. Alot of bad "ickies" in fish and you need to watch it.
130 and 5'4' is also on the high side, not horrible of course. She should probably drop 10lbs and see what happens.

I guess I would actively seek ways to try and lower it thru diet and weight loss, just to see the numbers.
It will be important as she ages.

Should she take meds or shouldn't she ..that is the million $$$ question. My DH did get his numbers to drop finally but he won't stay on the meds. Drives me nuts....

 

[janette]

My DH has always had very high counts. He's been on medication for several years, I'm not sure what they are now but would be surprised if they are in the safe ranges even with the meds. It does keep them from being completely out there.

I think it is more about genetics than anything else. My FIL's family has a depressing history of heart disease. He was the youngest in the family of 11 and passed away 3 years ago at 67, only one of his siblings survived him. All of them died fairly young of heart disease and other related illnesses. No matter what you eat or do you can't always beat the hand you were dealt.

A specialist would probably be able to help, and also make recommendations. Since she is healthy otherwise the high counts might not be as bad for her as they might be for someone else.

 

[spazzyjazzy]

I have high cholesterol and I am 29 years old. The last time I went I was at 200. But, what made up most of the 200 was the bad cholesterol. My doc had put me on the meds but I did not like the way they made me feel and they were not lowering my cholesterol. I also read many bad things about them. Especially the fact that if you were to become pregnant it would cause some serious damage to the fetus. Even my doctor said that if I would get pregnant she would highly recommend me to terminate the pregnancy. I immediately stopped taking them. Not because I am trying to conceive but because there is always a chance of an OOPS happening when you are in a child bearing stage.
My mom was also going to start taking the meds. My niece's day RN told her to talk to her doctor again because the meds are bad bad bad. Those were her words. My mom and I are controlling ours with diet.
From what I have learned that if the cholesterol is hereditary than the meds have a possibilty of not working.
Diet and exercise are the best way to control it.

 

[momrek06]

Thanks everyone for your replies and stories relating to cholestrol. I told Diana just this morning that she should start each day with oatmeal and think about incorporating ground flaxseed into her diet as well....starting by sprinkling it on her cereal.

She will be following up with Boston MD's on this as well.

 

[Virgo10]

I'm a big believer in whole grain oats (not the instant kind the "old fashioned" kind).

Me too! It seemed too easy to just eat oatmeal and have the numbers come down but that's exactly what happened. From April thru July my total cholesterol went from 247 to 210 and my bad cholesterol went from 169 to 147. Not perfect but it's getting there. I eat regular, not instant, oatmeal 5 times a week for lunch. I also lost nearly 20 pounds in that time frame and started exercising.

Best of luck to your son's GF. Thank goodness she is aware of what is going on.

 

[momrek06]

Me too! It seemed too easy to just eat oatmeal and have the numbers come down but that's exactly what happened. From April thru July my total cholesterol went from 247 to 210 and my bad cholesterol went from 169 to 147. Not perfect but it's getting there. I eat regular, not instant, oatmeal 5 times a week for lunch. I also lost nearly 20 pounds in that time frame and started exercising.

Best of luck to your son's GF. Thank goodness she is aware of what is going on.

WOW...just what I want to HEAR!!! AWESOME!!! And easy and no medication.

 

[momrek06]

delete double post

 

[hydster]

If she's eating healthy and running daily I'd suggest she get her liver enzymes checked. The Liver is a filtration organ and if it's out of whack it can be the reason her cholesterol is high. The liver is designed to metabolize cholesterol. If she has a weak liver that fails to metabolize it efficiently it can cause a rise in cholesterol. The statin drugs like Lipitor are designed to inhibit cholesterol production by the liver. If her liver is weak it would be much harder for it to metabolize it right. The liver not only manufactures and secretes LDL cholesterol into the blood; it also removes LDL cholesterol from the blood. A high number of active LDL receptors on the liver surfaces is associated with the rapid removal of LDL cholesterol from the blood and low blood LDL cholesterol levels.

She might do some research into liver enzymes and high blood pressure and cholesterol. Sometimes it's as simple as taking a liver cleanse that includes Milk Thistle Seed and Dandelion Root. There was a study done *granted it needs more studies* but it showed that animals given silymarin (an active compound in milk thistle) worked as effectively as the cholesterol-lowering drug probucol, with the additional benefit of substantially increasing HDL ("good") cholesterol. There are more studies needed of course.

I also suggest she eat the oatmeal. Fiber in the oatmeal can help lower cholesterol by getting the cholesterol out of her body before it gets into her bloodstream. Also she should try to include several meatless meals weekly starting with breakfast and then spreading to lunch and dinner. Only animal foods contain cholesterol; plant foods do not contain cholesterol.

A medium egg contains about 213 milligrams of cholesterol, a three-ounce portion of lean red meat or skinless chicken contains about 90 milligrams of cholesterol, and a three-ounce portion of fish contains about 50 milligrams of cholesterol.

My mil *who also has high cholesterol but is thin and works out daily* her doctor suggested she try to start following the mediterranean diet which includes generous amounts of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes (dried beans and peas), red wine *small glass*, and fish, with only occasional and small servings of red meats. The Mediterranean diet has been shown to lower total cholesterol levels and raise levels of the helpful HDL cholesterol.

Hope she can get it down soon. That's really young to have that high of cholesterol.