I just had a medical check-up. Everything came out fine, but my cholesterol level was slightly elevated. Here are the numbers:
Total: 218 (s/b between 100-199)
Triglycerides: 114 (s/b between 0-149)
HDL cholesterol: 68 (s/b >39)
VLDL cholesterol cal: 20 (s/b between 5-40)
LDL cholesterol: 130 (s/b between 0-99)
I know this topic has been discussed before, but couldn't find the link.
Would appreciate thoughts on these numbers, and possible ways of lowering the LDL.
Thanks for any input.
Love to all of you,
Kari
Cholesterol
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Cholesterol
"My mouth waters whenever I pass a bakery shop and sniff the aroma of fresh bread, but I am also grateful simply to be alive and sniffing." Dr. Bernstein
Hi Kari,
Your LDL is a little high, but your high HDL sort of offsets that. and your triglycerides look good.
I'm surprised that your LDL and total aren't lower, since (I assume) you're eating a low-carb diet. Your numbers may be due to your genetics. Do higher cholesterol numbers run in your family?
If you're already eating a low-carb diet, the only way I know of to significantly lower your LDL and total cholesterol, would be to take a statin. Before I started taking atorvastatin (in April of 2017), my LDL was 130, and my HDL was below 40. My LDL was 79 the last time it was checked (July of 2019), and my HDL was in the 60's. I haven't changed my diet.
Love,
Tex
Your LDL is a little high, but your high HDL sort of offsets that. and your triglycerides look good.
I'm surprised that your LDL and total aren't lower, since (I assume) you're eating a low-carb diet. Your numbers may be due to your genetics. Do higher cholesterol numbers run in your family?
If you're already eating a low-carb diet, the only way I know of to significantly lower your LDL and total cholesterol, would be to take a statin. Before I started taking atorvastatin (in April of 2017), my LDL was 130, and my HDL was below 40. My LDL was 79 the last time it was checked (July of 2019), and my HDL was in the 60's. I haven't changed my diet.
Love,
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Hi Tex,
As usual, you've given me good information - thanks. I think you hit the nail on the head with the carbs. Because I've been doing so well on 3 mg Budesonide a day, I have started to add carbs back into my diet - so the first thing I'll try is to cut back again. Both my GI and you have advised me to cut back on the Budesonide to every other day, but living with anxiety over my BM's for 20 years, gives me pause to start messing with this. Also, I don't have any sign of constipation, mostly once a day firmish/softish stool, with no urgency. Feeling so relaxed about this issue, is like a huge, unexpected gift - sort of like a new lease on life :).
Anyhow, back to the cholesterol. I do believe that there is a genetic component to it. My mother, and 3 of my sisters all had strokes, as well as other members of my family. I'm sure they ate (most of them are diseased now) plenty of carbs, as bread is a main staple in Norway. For now, I will try the diet angle to get my numbers down, and go back and check after some time. What would be your suggestion on when to get another check?
Thanks for being here Tex - I so appreciate everything you do.
Love,
Kari
As usual, you've given me good information - thanks. I think you hit the nail on the head with the carbs. Because I've been doing so well on 3 mg Budesonide a day, I have started to add carbs back into my diet - so the first thing I'll try is to cut back again. Both my GI and you have advised me to cut back on the Budesonide to every other day, but living with anxiety over my BM's for 20 years, gives me pause to start messing with this. Also, I don't have any sign of constipation, mostly once a day firmish/softish stool, with no urgency. Feeling so relaxed about this issue, is like a huge, unexpected gift - sort of like a new lease on life :).
Anyhow, back to the cholesterol. I do believe that there is a genetic component to it. My mother, and 3 of my sisters all had strokes, as well as other members of my family. I'm sure they ate (most of them are diseased now) plenty of carbs, as bread is a main staple in Norway. For now, I will try the diet angle to get my numbers down, and go back and check after some time. What would be your suggestion on when to get another check?
Thanks for being here Tex - I so appreciate everything you do.
Love,
Kari
"My mouth waters whenever I pass a bakery shop and sniff the aroma of fresh bread, but I am also grateful simply to be alive and sniffing." Dr. Bernstein
I could be wrong, but I'm guessing that you should be able to see the effects of a diet change in your cholesterol levels in about a month. I believe when I started taking the atorvastatin, it knocked about 50 or 60 points off my LDL level in a month. I was amazed.
Love,
Tex
Love,
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Thank you for sharing your experience Tex. My SO has been taking Simvastatin for a really long time. He just had a check-up, and his numbers look great. I'm so reluctant to add yet another med to my collection:), so I will give the diet a try before throwing in the towel.
Wishing you the best of health!!!
Love,
Kari
Wishing you the best of health!!!
Love,
Kari
"My mouth waters whenever I pass a bakery shop and sniff the aroma of fresh bread, but I am also grateful simply to be alive and sniffing." Dr. Bernstein
Kari,
I believe that's a prudent choice (trying diet changes first). A couple of years before I started taking avorstatin, I tried simvastatin (after having a second TIA) for about 9 months. During the last couple of months, I would often wake up in the morning and find my fingers on one hand or the other would be locked in the extended position. I would have to use the other hand to force them to fold. When it began to happen to both hands at the same time, I stopped taking simvastatin.
After the stroke, when I was strongly encouraged to start taking a statin, I talked it over with my GP and he suggested the atorvastatin in order to avoid the finger issue. Sure enough, it works fine, with no apparent side effects. I also take Doctor's Best Ubiquinol, (even though it wasn't suggested by my doctor) in order to avoid any coenzyme Q10 issues because of the statin.
Love,
Tex
I believe that's a prudent choice (trying diet changes first). A couple of years before I started taking avorstatin, I tried simvastatin (after having a second TIA) for about 9 months. During the last couple of months, I would often wake up in the morning and find my fingers on one hand or the other would be locked in the extended position. I would have to use the other hand to force them to fold. When it began to happen to both hands at the same time, I stopped taking simvastatin.
After the stroke, when I was strongly encouraged to start taking a statin, I talked it over with my GP and he suggested the atorvastatin in order to avoid the finger issue. Sure enough, it works fine, with no apparent side effects. I also take Doctor's Best Ubiquinol, (even though it wasn't suggested by my doctor) in order to avoid any coenzyme Q10 issues because of the statin.
Love,
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.