Author Topic: Cholesterol and all that gubbins...  (Read 47832 times)

Regulator

  • That's Councillor Regulator to you...
Cholesterol and all that gubbins...
« on: 20 January, 2010, 01:44:37 pm »
I got a bit of a kicking at the doctor’s this morning. :(

They’re generally pleased with the attempt to give up smoking (they’ve altered the NRT prescription to deal with the morning ‘coffee and a fag’ problem. My heart and blood pressure are fine.  My liver function levels are still out of whack and the one indicator is still too high (50% above what is should be) – but coming down.  :thumbsup:

However, I got my cholesterol test level back… 8.1:o This puts me in the Very (Dangerously) High group.  :-\

I have to see the doctor on Monday.  I know he’ll nag me about my weight but I’m back at WeightWatchers so that should please him (from both the weight and diet aspects).  My alcohol intake is also low.

It’s almost sure I’ll be put on some sort of medication.  The most likely is statins but they can be contraindicated in those with liver disease, so it may be a combination of statins and ezetimibe or ezetimibe on it own (or with fibrates).

What is really worrying though is that I may have to cut down my caffeine intake.  There is apparently a link between high caffeine intake and raised cholesterol levels.  That would be shit…  :sick:

There is one possible glimmer of hope.  I had my cholesterol checked a year ago and it was OKish (about 6).  It may be that the current liver problems have affected the level.  However, the downside is that the current liver problems could also have been caused by a high cholesterol level.

Bah!

At least they'll encourage me to cycle more.  Exercise is good for lowering your cholesterol levels apparently.
Quote from: clarion
I completely agree with Reg.

Green Party Councillor

Re: Cholesterol and all that gubbins...
« Reply #1 on: 20 January, 2010, 01:51:41 pm »
Bad news that.

So, to take asprin on not?

Hope you can get it down; no eggs, red meat or dairy for you.
<i>Marmite slave</i>

Regulator

  • That's Councillor Regulator to you...
Re: Cholesterol and all that gubbins...
« Reply #2 on: 20 January, 2010, 01:53:54 pm »
Bad news that.

So, to take asprin on not?

Hope you can get it down; no eggs, red meat or dairy for you.

Apparently the eggs thing no longer applies.  Eggs is good for you again!  :thumbsup:

Other than cheese, my dairy intake is limited to semi-skimmed milk in tea and on cereals really.

I'll miss the red meat though...  :(
Quote from: clarion
I completely agree with Reg.

Green Party Councillor

Re: Cholesterol and all that gubbins...
« Reply #3 on: 20 January, 2010, 01:54:32 pm »
A good few years ago, I also had high cholesterol levels pointed out in a routine medical.
It was a surprise to me because I ate a reasonablely healthy diet, didn't drink a lot of caffeine and I exercised a lot.
Over the next few months, I lost a couple of kg, mainly through dieting and I started eating porridge in the morning (changed from muesli but that was because it was autumn, not as a deliberate cholesterol reducing measure).
Off to the GP for a follow-up test and my overall cholesterol levels had gone up but the ratio of LDL to HDL had changed and my GP was pleased with the results.
I'm assuming that your doc took all this into account Reg ?


hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Cholesterol and all that gubbins...
« Reply #4 on: 20 January, 2010, 02:27:53 pm »
Oh dear! I suspect that diet won't bring your cholesterol down much cos your body's making most of it. (8 is high.)
Hope it's under control soon.

border-rider

Re: Cholesterol and all that gubbins...
« Reply #5 on: 20 January, 2010, 02:34:48 pm »
I know that caffeine liberates a load of fatty acids into the blood, which is why it's good to have some before exercise cos you can use them as fuel, and they're not hanging around otherwise being fat

Maybe you need to only have coffee  before a bit of exercise, Reg.

Re: Cholesterol and all that gubbins...
« Reply #6 on: 20 January, 2010, 02:38:36 pm »
Oh dear! I suspect that diet won't bring your cholesterol down much cos your bady's making most of it. (8 is high.)
Hope it's under control soon.

Indeed, I was told many (um, 20+) years ago that diet was a poor way of regulating / reducing cholesterol - unless I lived like an ancient Briton on nuts and seeds.
We are making a New World (Paul Nash, 1918)

Wowbagger

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Re: Cholesterol and all that gubbins...
« Reply #7 on: 20 January, 2010, 02:40:25 pm »
I know some people replace milk on cereal with fruit juice. My daughter makes porridge with apple juice.

I once tried orange juice on corn flakes, but that was entirely accidental. I picked up the wrong jug in a post-alcoholic haze. It wasn't as good as milk. I also made the mistake of pouring chocolate sauce on mange-tout peas, but that was not alcohol-induced - just poor eyesight & colour recognition.
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Mrs Pingu

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Re: Cholesterol and all that gubbins...
« Reply #8 on: 20 January, 2010, 02:45:37 pm »
Maybe you need to only have coffee  before a bit of exercise, Reg.
Coffee then a fag shag?  :D

Is porridge not proported to be helpful in lowering cholesterol?
Me, I have my muesli soaked in apple juice, yum!
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

Re: Cholesterol and all that gubbins...
« Reply #9 on: 20 January, 2010, 02:51:00 pm »
Talking about porridge with fruit juice - lovely blonde lady was handing out free samples of Moma breakfasts at Waterloo. It is porridge combined with low fat yogurt, apple juice and fruit pieces. I bought one for my second breakfast this morning - nothing to do with wanting to speak to the lovely lady again, oh no.

Seriously, they do taste rather good: mOma : Welcome

Re: Cholesterol and all that gubbins...
« Reply #10 on: 20 January, 2010, 03:01:54 pm »
Cut down on the caffeine the way you would anything - a bit at a time. Try 1:5 ratio of caffeinated and de- then 1:4 in a couple of weeks then 1:3 and so on. It will make you sleep better and be more alert as well as being better for your health - do you really want to rely on a drug that restricts the blood flow in your brain? Really? (my mother only drinks coffee or wine and has been a lot less stressy since I convinced my dad that giving caffeine to someone with a history of sub arachnoid haemorrhage was bloody stupid.) Sleeping better and not having the dips you get with caffeine addiction are just 2 of the benefits :).

Hope you get it sorted.
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Re: Cholesterol and all that gubbins...
« Reply #11 on: 20 January, 2010, 03:04:09 pm »
Talking about porridge with fruit juice - lovely blonde lady was handing out free samples of Moma breakfasts at Waterloo. It is porridge combined with low fat yogurt, apple juice and fruit pieces. I bought one for my second breakfast this morning - nothing to do with wanting to speak to the lovely lady again, oh no.

Seriously, they do taste rather good: mOma : Welcome

Sounds like bircher muesli to me.
's what I have for breakfast during the summer (home made). Yum.


Chris S

Re: Cholesterol and all that gubbins...
« Reply #12 on: 20 January, 2010, 03:10:34 pm »
Blood cholesterol says more about your body than it does about your diet.

Did the test include your HDL/LDL ratio, and if so, what is it?

Whilst 8 is officially  :o level, if the ratio of LDL/HDL is good, that has a bearing on your risk level. Last test I had was 5.6 overall (highish) but HDL/LDL was 2.6/3.0. A ratio of almost 50/50 Good/Bad is, according to my doctor, a Good Thing and puts me well into the "Low risk" band.

If you believe Messers Roth and Pauling, high cholesterol is a response to very low Vitamin C levels; your liver is making lots of glue to hold your arteries together. Of course, many think Linus Pauling was a top of the line loony tune too, but dropping a 1000mg tab of Vit C a day won't do any harm  ;).

Re: Cholesterol and all that gubbins...
« Reply #13 on: 20 January, 2010, 03:20:44 pm »
Oh dear! I suspect that diet won't bring your cholesterol down much cos your bady's making most of it. (8 is high.)
Hope it's under control soon.

Indeed, I was told many (um, 20+) years ago that diet was a poor way of regulating / reducing cholesterol - unless I lived like an ancient Briton vegan on nuts and seeds.

FTFY
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clarion

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Re: Cholesterol and all that gubbins...
« Reply #14 on: 20 January, 2010, 03:45:13 pm »
Talking about porridge with fruit juice - lovely blonde lady was handing out free samples of Moma breakfasts at Waterloo. It is porridge combined with low fat yogurt, apple juice and fruit pieces. I bought one for my second breakfast this morning - nothing to do with wanting to speak to the lovely lady again, oh no.

Seriously, they do taste rather good: mOma : Welcome

So...did you get her number? ;)
Getting there...

Re: Cholesterol and all that gubbins...
« Reply #15 on: 20 January, 2010, 03:54:28 pm »
I had a similar results back from a recent cholesterol (LVT) test.
Like you I started a bit of panicing when I was warned it was high, normally I am around the 6 mark, this time it was an 8.3 and was requested to have another test. It has gone back down to 7.8 so the Dr said that it is too soon to put me on medication.
Apparently I am 5% chance to have a stroke of heart failure, I am not sure if that is normal or not  :-\

Regulator

  • That's Councillor Regulator to you...
Re: Cholesterol and all that gubbins...
« Reply #16 on: 20 January, 2010, 04:08:14 pm »
I had a similar results back from a recent cholesterol (LVT) test.
Like you I started a bit of panicing when I was warned it was high, normally I am around the 6 mark, this time it was an 8.3 and was requested to have another test. It has gone back down to 7.8 so the Dr said that it is too soon to put me on medication.
Apparently I am 5% chance to have a stroke of heart failure, I am not sure if that is normal or not  :-\

Well everyone dies from heart failure* in the end...  ;)











*OK - I know strictly speaking that it's their heart stopping not 'failing as such'...
Quote from: clarion
I completely agree with Reg.

Green Party Councillor

rogerzilla

  • When n+1 gets out of hand
Re: Cholesterol and all that gubbins...
« Reply #17 on: 20 January, 2010, 06:25:22 pm »
Mine's 4.2 and I eat crap  :smug:
Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.

Re: Cholesterol and all that gubbins...
« Reply #18 on: 20 January, 2010, 06:30:11 pm »
Mine's 4.2 and I eat crap  :smug:

Yeah... but you live in Swindon. It's all swings and magic roundabouts, innit?
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Re: Cholesterol and all that gubbins...
« Reply #19 on: 20 January, 2010, 06:46:59 pm »
I had a similar results back from a recent cholesterol (LVT) test.
Like you I started a bit of panicing when I was warned it was high, normally I am around the 6 mark, this time it was an 8.3 and was requested to have another test. It has gone back down to 7.8 so the Dr said that it is too soon to put me on medication.
Apparently I am 5% chance to have a stroke of heart failure, I am not sure if that is normal or not  :-\

Well everyone dies from heart failure* in the end...  ;)

Thats what I thought  :)

Re: Cholesterol and all that gubbins...
« Reply #20 on: 20 January, 2010, 06:48:56 pm »


Well everyone dies from heart failure* in the end...  ;)











*OK - I know strictly speaking that it's their heart stopping not 'failing as such'...

I somehow feel that people at the guillotine have been cheated.
Quote from: Marbeaux
Have given this a great deal of thought and decided not to contribute to any further Threads for the time being.
POTD. (decade) :thumbsup:

Re: Cholesterol and all that gubbins...
« Reply #21 on: 20 January, 2010, 08:48:05 pm »
I had astronomically high cholesterol, good diet, reasonable excercise, smoked, low Blood pressure and as the Docs calculated my risk as relatively low I did little about it 'till my first coronary crisis and my emergency stenting at 42 years of age.  I've quit fags and I take my pills, Statins at night and Ezebitimide in the morning and now I'm around 5 to 6 on a good day.  I'm a walking cholesterol factory.
As I take Beta-blockers which slow me up a bit it's hard to say whether the Cholesterol medication is having any side effects.  My sugestion is to try the medication and see what transpires.  Stenting and Beta-blockers is no fun.

border-rider

Re: Cholesterol and all that gubbins...
« Reply #22 on: 20 January, 2010, 08:52:36 pm »
I somehow feel that people at the guillotine have been cheated.

Well done.  I'd only been able to think of falling head-first into a commercial cheese grater ;)

simonp

Re: Cholesterol and all that gubbins...
« Reply #23 on: 20 January, 2010, 08:53:48 pm »
That sounds like a quick way to lose weight.

FatBloke

  • I come from a land up over!
Re: Cholesterol and all that gubbins...
« Reply #24 on: 24 January, 2010, 04:11:51 pm »
Statins at night and Ezebitimide in the morning
Interesting. I take my Ezetimibe at night with my 40mg Simvastatin and a candesartin.
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