[kierr]

Having diabetes puts you at as much of a risk of a heart attack as someone who has already had one.

If you are able to lose weight, many people become non-diabetic, even a lot of diabetics are able to stop their medicine or downgrade.

Losing weight also lowers your bad cholesterol and increases the good cholesterol.

It is important for your health that you really work at this.

I know because I'm there. I was about 242 pounds and diagnosed with high cholesterol in my 20's. What's worse is I was diagnosed in january at 32 years old with coronary artery disease.... ALREADY.

Diet and exercise doesn't work for everyone but for many, a SERIOUS diet does. I have a diagnosed genetic condition, extensive and studied. Everyone in my family says diet doesn't help. Well, it does if you are serious, and you stick to it. Lowfat is like zero saturated fat by the way. Too many people eat 30% fat and call it lowfat. It's not. If you can try 10% or less from fat for 6 weeks, then retest, do it. You may not need the drugs if you have the willpower.

Being scared has really motivated me to get off my butt and do something about my own health. I'm sorry if I sound harsh, but I wish somebody would have kicked me in the butt sooner. You can do it. It is work but it is so worth it.

[Misti in Seattle]

I was happy to find this thread even though it's a bit dated. I was really surprised today to get my lab results and find my "bad" cholesterol at 140.80 (s/b under 130) since I am eating so healthy and exercising like crazy. At my exam my doctor even said she would be very surprised if I had high cholesterol. But perhaps it is just the results still of having gotten so fat and out of shape. I used to take flax seed oil and stopped but am going to go out and get some. A friend of mine also was told by her doctor to take red yeast rice pills.

The good news though is that EVERY other blood level was well within normal range... my triglycerides are 71 (s/b under 150)!!!! And blood glucose 87 (s/b under 100). So the healthful diet and exercise IS paying off!

And I agree about the eggs... they are so healthful and this is an old wives' tale that they are bad.

[Yogini]

Misti, sometimes when a person is burning fat and reducing, the actual blood level can sometimes be elevated...perhaps this is the case with you? Good job taking charge of your health, at any rate

Originally Posted by Misti in Seattle

And I agree about the eggs... they are so healthful and this is an old wives' tale that they are bad.

As a nutritionist, I have to say that there are many reputable studies that have been done that suggests that reducing, limiting or eliminating egg consumption has benefits that are quantifiable. I don't view eggs to be 'healthful' for those who are looking to reduce cholesterol, especially.

General comment to those in this thread:

When people say that they have tried 'everything' to lower their cholesterol before resorting to medication, I am curious as to what that really means.

Let me say this: In working closely with Doctors, I have never seen a person who was told or claims that their elevated cholesterol was 'genetic' *not* see significant reduction when following a whole-foods, lower-fat, high fiber vegan diet with frequent exercise. I have seen amazing things happen in as little as 6 weeks! That being said, I am sure that there are some people whose cholesterol levels would remain at higher than optimal even with a rigorous lifestyle adjustment such as following a whole-foods, lower fat, high fiber vegan diet with adequate exercise-I have just never personally seen or heard of anyone who didn't drastically improve when doing this consistently.

To the OP: Let your Doctor know you wish to look into natural ways of dealing with your health issues. Get him/her to work with you and devote yourself to whatever plan you decide on 100%;Give it a good chance and allow the plan to work before deciding that it won't work...your body wants to be in balance and it may just do that when given the chance. Do research and look for alternatives. If all this fails to balance your levels significantly after the time your Doctor has allowed for you to work on it, do what you and your Doctor feel is best for your health.

Best of luck to you and everyone else!

[Misti in Seattle]

Thanks for the good responses. Actually I am not that concerned since I trust my doctor highly and she said in her note to continue to work on diet and exercise and "you're doing a great job." She didn't even want a repeat for 1 year. I am just wanting it to be within range like all the other readings.

[JayEll]

Some people have high cholesterol running in their family. This type sometimes is so severe that statin drugs are necessary. But for the rest of us, I'd like to suggest that the cause of elevated cholesterol is stress and too much carbohydrate.

Exercise not only burns calories, it reduces stress and it lowers blood sugar.

If you would like to read more about the connection between low fat/high carb and cholesterol, look up The Schwarzbein Principle by Diana Schwarzbein, M.D. She found that most heart patients who were put on low fat/high carb diets developed diabetes AND had high cholesterol. She was one of the first doctors to recommend lower carbohydrates and higher protein.

Good luck!

Jay

[Misti in Seattle]

Thanks Jay... and others... for the valuable input! I decided I am overreacting since my doctor wrote that I am doing a great job and to continue to work on diet and exercise, return in 1 year. All of my other lab results were fantastic! I did buy some flax seed oil and I am going to ask her about red yeast rice pills... also start using oatmeal instead of crumbs for coating. But I asked her at my checkup if there was any way to improve what I am doing (diet and exercise) and she said it is "perfect" and to keep it up... so I am not going to make major changes. She is very diligent so my "logic" knows if she is not concerned I don't need to be. I did make an appointment just to discuss it.

And darn... I was hoping the cholesterol would be low enough so I could eat more chicken livers and make pate as I LOVE it and it is low in calories... but guess that had best go on "hold" for now LOL.

Yogini, as to your comment about the eggs... good point... while I personally don't believe they are harmful, it's not wise for me to express that opinion publically and maybe influence others to go ahead and eat them since I most definitely am not a nutritionist.

[lilybelle]

I just wanted to add that if a person has liver disease, such as fatty liver, PBC, auto-immune hepatitis or any number of liver diseases that their cholesterol can be astronomically high. Mine personally is over 500 and my hepatologist has said that it is not the type of cholesterol that clogs the arteries and causes heart disease. I do have cholesterol deposits under both eyes. He recommends a low-carb diet. Which is what I follow. Also with liver disease a person is unable to take cholesterol lowering meds as it can triple your cholesterol in just a couple months time and make transplant imminent. I do eat Oats and low-fat to try to help as much as possible. He also informed me that many people with liver disease have a cholesterol level over 1000. Also, even with this high of cholesterol, I have had every heart study known to man, and I have no heart disease and my arteries are clear.