Need info on high cholesterol, please

[maslex]

I just found out yesterday that I have high cholesterol. It wasn't by a doctor, but we had applied for life insurance a month or so ago and had to have blood work taken before being accepted (I was actually denied because of the cholesterol, I guess) The blood work results came back yesterday in the mail and said my cholesterol was 227. How high is this? I don't have a regular family doctor (guess it's about time to get one) Do I think I need to be on meds? Or is this something that is treatable with diet/exercise type stuff? Thanks for any input.

 

[Christine]

227 is high but not horribly so. But it still needs to be treated. I can't believe they denied you insurance because of this. Goodness, I got life insurance after my thyroid cancer diagnosis.

Yes, you should see a doctor and see how to address it. Some will try to start with diet and exercise. If there is not significant improvment in a certain period of time, they will put you on one of the statin drugs (Zocor, Lipitor, etc). According to my GP, these are some of the safest drugs out there. However, they are not without side effects. My dad took them but got too much joint pain, so he got off them and tries to work on his diet and exercise (which does help).

Mostly though, it is a very hereditary/genetic type of condition. You can't help how much cholesterol your body makes. For instance, I've got a pretty crappy diet but my cholesterol is 157 and my ratios are excellent. I don't exercise either. I am 43 and my cholesterol has been like this all my life. Just lucky in that area, I suppose.

 

[TMB1203]

I would suggest finding a good primary care doctor, who can explain everything in detail and monitor you.

I just went for a physical last week and just got the test results today. I have high blood pressure (202, they said s/b under 200) and diagnosed with diabetes. My sugar was 6.2 and s/b under 6.0%. They are both borderline. I know that losing weight would improve things dramatically and this is just the kick in the pants I needed.

 

[jann1033]

i have diabetes as well and had borderline hbp. and borderline high cholesterol..i'm on a statin drug( lovistatin) for the cholesterol and it brought it down great with no problem.if you are diabetic they view you as the same risk for a heart attack as someone who already had one so it's important to get all those issues handled which is why i am on meds even though they weren't that high...it seems odd they would deny you for that cholesterol however.
did they break it down?
if i remember right you are supposed to fast before the test
overall 200-239= borderline, 240=high
Hdl:good to have it over 60
ldl: below 100=good
triglycerides :135-190= borderline high

 

[donac]

Go see a doctor. I have been working with my doctor to try and bring down my cholesterol for the last year. I weighed the lowest I have ever weighed with this doctor (down 14 pounds from the year before), I was eating right, and exercising and my cholesterol was the heighest it has ever been. In Dec I started on Lipitor and dropped my cholesterol 90 points. Some things you need some help on. My doctor is a firm believer in heredity playing a big part of your health. My mother has high cholesterol and Lipitor helped her bring her levels down as well.