Cholesterol question

[routan]

AT Health experts, here's a question for you.

Doctor tells me I have to take Lipitor. I dont want to be bound for life to a drug. I am under 30, so being on statins for the rest of my life doesnt sound like a good option.

I came across this on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/iLessterol-Cho...626084&sr=1-11

The reviews rate it very highly. What are your opinions on it?

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

So you don't want to be bound for life to a drug that's been heavily tested on it's efficacy and side effects and your doctor believes is the best treatment for you, but you're completely fine with being bound for life to some random shit you found on amazon that just claims to do magical things for you from iLuv Nutrition? I guess since it starts with an i like apple stuff it must be good?

The reviews on anything like that are going to rate it highly because the people posting the reviews are the ones who are selling it.

 

[highland145]

You'd probably be better off going to a good nutritionist if you want to spend $$ on anything other than the lipitor.

 

[JL514]

Major, major lifestyle change (and sometimes that doesn't even work) or lipitor. Honestly Lipitor is a miracle drug. If you want to try something else more natural look into niacin but the nighttime flushing is ridiculous.

 

[JellyBaby]

What did your doctor suggest regarding weight loss, nutrition and exercise? Please don't tell me he went right to the Magic Pill option..

 

[SociallyChallenged]

First of all, what were you actual cholesterol values? Your triglycerides? If you write the whole thing down, we'll have enough data to actually assess if what you're doctor is suggesting is viable or necessary. A lot of the times, losing weight, exercising, and changing your diet to include less saturated fats, more soluble fiber, more monounsaturated fatty acids, etc can significantly decrease cholesterol in the best way possible (decrease LDL, increase HDL, decrease triglycerides).

Specifically addressing that product: it doesn't have a foundation in research. It's a supplement. Fish oil has been shown to do way, way more than anything like that. Report back and we'll see what non-pill solutions we can pose, if it's appropriate.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

If you're not screwed by genetics, lifestyle changes may eventually mean you won't need the lipitor any more.

In the meantime, probably better to take the drug if it means you have lower cholesterol and are less likely to have your heart explode while you're busting your ass on the treadmill.

 

[routan]

First of all, what were you actual cholesterol values? Your triglycerides? If you write the whole thing down, we'll have enough data to actually assess if what you're doctor is suggesting is viable or necessary. A lot of the times, losing weight, exercising, and changing your diet to include less saturated fats, more soluble fiber, more monounsaturated fatty acids, etc can significantly decrease cholesterol in the best way possible (decrease LDL, increase HDL, decrease triglycerides).

Specifically addressing that product: it doesn't have a foundation in research. It's a supplement. Fish oil has been shown to do way, way more than anything like that. Report back and we'll see what non-pill solutions we can pose, if it's appropriate.

As requested, here are the actual levels with the (recommended values):
VLDL 23 (<30MG/DL)
HDL 38 (>40MG/DL)
LDL 196 (<130 MG)
Total 257 (<200MG/DL)
Triglycerides 117 (<150 MG/DL)

I eat no beef and no lamb. Only chicken. And lentils. And vegetables. I sometimes eat a bag of chips. I do not exercise very regularly, but have been losing weight, slow and steady.

 

[routan]

What did your doctor suggest regarding weight loss, nutrition and exercise? Please don't tell me he went right to the Magic Pill option..

He said, I'll give you a prescription for lipitor

 

[Wyndru]

Does your family have history of this? Mine does, and the only thing that helps is the statins. Exercise and diet don't make a difference. If it's genetic and you are cholesterol sensitive, it's likely something you will be taking for life.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

As requested, here are the actual levels with the (recommended values):
VLDL 23 (<30MG/DL)
HDL 38 (>40MG/DL)
LDL 196 (<130 MG)
Total 257 (<200MG/DL)
Triglycerides 117 (<150 MG/DL)

I eat no beef and no lamb. Only chicken. And lentils. And vegetables. I sometimes eat a bag of chips. I do not exercise very regularly, but have been losing weight, slow and steady.

That's relatively high, but definitely not the worse I've seen. Your HDL is really low as well, which is probably the more worrisome part. Your cholesterol to HDL ratio (which is a useful measure for determining risk of heart disease, etc) is 6.76. The recommended range is 3.0 to 5.0. Do you eat things with a lot of saturated fat? Be honest with us - if you skew your diet or don't divulge the whole truth, I can't help you. Start reading nutritional labels and let me know. If you eat out a lot, then making your own meals can drastically help. Eating the veggies and lentils is great, but if they're cooked in butter or vegetable oil, you may as well be deep frying them. Increase your intake of steamed/boiled/lightly sauteed (in olive oil) veggies, beans, greens, lean meat, fish, seeds, nuts, fruits, whole grain products, etc. Decrease your intake of SUGAR (pretty big deal that's under-rated), saturated fat, refined carbohydrates, etc.

Honestly, your LDL is high and your HDL is low. The other values aren't terrible, which means you may be able to get things under control without medication. If you're serious about this, taking up cardiovascular exercise will really help. Find some endurance exercise that you like - whether it's jogging, rowing, rollerblading, biking, wrestling, doing a sport, etc. Start doing that for 20-30min a few days a week and try to increase your frequency and duration. Longer cardio bouts tend to have a greater effect on cholesterol.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Does your family have history of this? Mine does, and the only thing that helps is the statins. Exercise and diet don't make a difference. If it's genetic and you are cholesterol sensitive, it's likely something you will be taking for life.

This can definitely be the case. Some people just have poor regulation of serum cholesterol. However, if he makes these changes and 3 months later, he's under or around 200 total cholesterol, his HDL is up, and his LDL is down - he may not need to take the statins. It's definitely worth putting in the time now to address this so you're not dependent on medication for life (if you can help it). If it doesn't change much, then a statin is appropriate and will significantly decrease your risk of heart attack, stroke, pulmonary embolism, etc.

 

[routan]

That's relatively high, but definitely not the worse I've seen. Your HDL is really low as well, which is probably the more worrisome part. Your cholesterol to HDL ratio (which is a useful measure for determining risk of heart disease, etc) is 6.76. The recommended range is 3.0 to 5.0. Do you eat things with a lot of saturated fat? Be honest with us - if you skew your diet or don't divulge the whole truth, I can't help you. Start reading nutritional labels and let me know. If you eat out a lot, then making your own meals can drastically help. Eating the veggies and lentils is great, but if they're cooked in butter or vegetable oil, you may as well be deep frying them. Increase your intake of steamed/boiled/lightly sauteed (in olive oil) veggies, beans, greens, lean meat, fish, seeds, nuts, fruits, whole grain products, etc. Decrease your intake of SUGAR (pretty big deal that's under-rated), saturated fat, refined carbohydrates, etc.

Honestly, your LDL is high and your HDL is low. The other values aren't terrible, which means you may be able to get things under control without medication. If you're serious about this, taking up cardiovascular exercise will really help. Find some endurance exercise that you like - whether it's jogging, rowing, rollerblading, biking, wrestling, doing a sport, etc. Start doing that for 20-30min a few days a week and try to increase your frequency and duration. Longer cardio bouts tend to have a greater effect on cholesterol.

can you please elaborate on "saturated fats"? I only eat at home, use olive oil to cook, and have only chicken. the food is pretty standard fry onions, add spices, stir fry chicken, add water, eat with mid east flat bread/pitas. as i said before, i sometimes splurge on bags of chips, 2 or 3 99c Utz packs.

in terms of sugar, i have the agave nectar with tea, and maybe a couple of tea spoons with coffee. maybe 2 cokes a week.

i will update my exercise regiment.

 

[darkxshade]

I apparently have high(or rather elevated per my doctor) cholesterol and it's hereditary. Just got my lipid profile back and confirms what I thought was a misdiagnosis since I didn't fast the last time. This time I fasted for 12 hours.

Cholesterol: 225
HDL: 56
LDL: 160
Triglicerides: 45

Blood was drawn last week... been training for marathon and century bike tour the last 2-4 months. Been eating nothing but chicken breast, egg whites, self made whole wheat bread, green veggies, lots of fruits, multigrain cheerios, & almond milk. The only thing of questionable value in regards to saturated fats and cholesterol is cheese(swiss/mozzarella) which I eat about 1 oz of as part of my chicken sammich, the coconut oil which I use 10g of to make my bread twice a week, and as dessert usually with the bread 2tbsp of either pb most times, sometimes nutella, sometimes sweetened condensed milk. I'm currently 170lbs down from 200 2 or 3 years ago when I was overweight but my cholesterol then was 202. /shrug

 

[ichy]

OP: You don't "have to" take Lipitor since nobody can force you. I'd try exercising more regularly first if I were you, but some people are just screwed over by genetics. The stuff you found on Amazon is at best worthless trash, at worst it's harmful.