Ok..I need help with Cholesterol

Hey ..its me again...I just got my blood work results back from my Dr. and he says..as of Dec 8 that I have High Cholestrol and I need to adjust it by diet. Let me see what it is.. The LDL is 115 (99 is the highest range )Hand the HDL is 70 H (59 is the highest range) I read the archives on this and guess(at this point) I can just try to eat right and see what happens. It says on my report that I don't have to be put on Lipitor until LDL is over 130. And that if the HDL is over 59 and it is 70 that I am at risk for heart attack. My ratio of LDL to HDL is 1.6 I am assuming that this is hormone related..but too high or low?? I just got the new pellets put in on that day. So I guess I need for them to kick in to see what happens to my levels. I have ALWAYS had the cholest of about 127..never over 200...extremely low and so this is fun! My DH is no believing this! Help me sort all this out.. my dear Hyster Sisters!!!

Hi So sorry about your cholesterol results. Estrogen can lower your LDL level, with oral estrogen having a greater effect than transdermal (and I would think that the pellets would be more like transdermal). Here is a link to an article you might want to check out about estrogen and cholesterol:

http://www.obgynworld.com/internatio...onfers_sup.asp

Hope this helps!
s,
-Linda

Thanks Linda ..I will check it out.
Cynthia

I find that very interesting, since it's the belief in the cardiology community that the patches improve the profiles better than the oral preparations do. I'll have to forward that study on to my cardiologist friends!

My understanding of cholesterol treatment is that the concern is more over the ratio rather than the total cholesterol, particularly if the blood work was NOT done in a 12-hour fasting state. What are your triglycerides? That may help fill in the picture for you a bit. I've not heard that an isolated high HDL increases heart attack risk (or at least I hope not, since mine is over 80 ). HDL is widely considered to be the "good" cholesterol, and theoretically it's the ratio that really determines risk, rather than absolute numbers.

I hope you get some answers soon! There are other products besides Lipitor -- but changes in diet can make a difference, especially including more soluble fiber such as oats.



Audrey

Thanks you Audrey...I am not very versed on all this but am just reading the lab report..Ha! Ha! guess I don't know how to do that either ! My Triglycerides are 129 so those seem to be in the ok range. Yes.. now as I read it..thanks for getting me straight on this.. it says that an HDL values over 59 mg/dl are associated with "reduced" cardiac risk..o.k. thats better now. Mine is 70. Guess what I really need to do is lower my bad cholestral. Right?? I know that I can do this..because we did it with my DH and we able to successfully handle it... sometime back. Now he ison Lipitor every other day. Seems to work well for him. Anyway I appreciate your help and woudl be interested in any additional help from your "cardiac buddies" . Knowledge helps me deal with things sooo much better!!

my mom ,who has not had a hyst and has been through meonpause, has high cholesterol. She takes provachol and HRT and is doing a low carb diet and it has really helped her levels. Before, they were way over 200 and after 3 1/2 months they are below 200. I, myself, have really low cholesterol (111) but all of the drs i have talked to say a low carb diet and lifestyle really help the levels.just my 2 cents worth.

Thank you to everyone... I am going to see if these pellets will bring it down...and as of last night ..have started on my low carb diet...You all are the greatest support and I appreciate you. If anyone gets any update on Cholest and HRT..pass them along to us..Thanks again...Cynthia

My Doctor didn't seem concerned at all about my cholsterol results. Over all 235 Tri and Hdl were fine LDL was 153?? Isn't that way to high? This is the first time I've had mine checked so I don't know if ERT has made a difference.

She didn't say a word about it.

Any ideas?

Dana

Were you fasting when the blood was drawn? Eating can make the results un-interpretable. Ideally, you should be fasting for 12 hours before the labwork.

Your numbers are a little high. If you're overweight or have diabetes in your history, you probably should explore some interventions through diet and medication. Some HRTs can also affect cholesterol and the profile in various ways.

Find out, too, what the ratio is, since that tells you what the real risks are. Yes, the LDL seems high, but if HDL was in the 70 - 80 range, the ratio wouldn't be so bad. Also, I'd ask your doctor at what point she would be concerned. If you have family history or other risk factors for heart disease, tracking cholesterol and treating early can make a big difference in slowing the progression of artery disease. Heart disease in young women, particularly those who are menopausal, is still under-recognized and under-treated, but catching cholesterol changes early can make a big difference in the outcomes later on.

Hope this helps!

Audrey

Total cholesterol--233(thought it was 235)

Tri-74
HDL-62
LDL-157

It was a fasting test. When I had the test done in September I weighed 160(I'm 5'7")now I weigh 145. No diabetes for me(dad has type 2).
No known family history of heart disease(my mom has one of those fuzzy family histories)

What surprised me is that mine is higher than my mom's. She is extremely over weight(at least 100 pounds), has been a chain smoker for over 50 years, and generally does not take care of her self.

Guess you never know.

Dana