How can I lower my cholesterol in 3 months?

[Yoyoyo1]

I've been told I have high chlorestrol by my gp. Has come as a shock, as I am a veggie, non smoker, don't drink much, exercise etc... it is probably genetic.

She said if it's not lower in 3 months, I will need to take statins and see a cardiologist.

What diet changes can I make? I don't eat fish or meat.

TIA

I'm 48 and 11 stone 3, 5 foot 6".

Total Cholesterol level is 7.37. LDL: 4.84

Go vegan. It’s a easy step if you’re already veggie.

Cut out or reduce dairy? Switch to oat milk and spread not butter (the flora proactive is nice)

Lose weight, not loads obviously but a stone could help

It’s your choice to take statins or see a cardiologist. No one can force you to do either.

DH has genetically high cholesterol. He’s built like a racing snake and hasn’t eaten meat in 30 years.

He got his down from 14 to 11 by switching to oat milk and cutting down on dairy.

Go low carb. It’s proven to lower cholesterol.

On another thread about cholesterol, I spoke about my latest 5.8 readings (hover between 6.7 and 5.8 on a good day!). I was in hospital during Covid, and as part of my treatment for Afib I had a cardiac CT scan. I am in my sixties and have had high cholesterol all my life, despite not being overweight and being reasonably fit even now.

Despite all that, and lectures from the GP over the years to take statins, I declined as several of my friends on them had terrible side effects. Lo and behold my calcium score was ZERO on the heart scan. So I had no plaque and no blockages. That score means I have NO heart disease. I also had ECG echo, stress tests, the lot, and all fine apart from arrythmia which is NOT heart disease at all. But it is unpleasant and frightening at times.

I cannot say to everyone don't bother worrying about your cholesterol, but I can tell you I am glad I didn't take statins now, and although I don't drink alcohol, I do like chocolate a lot.

My results are similar to you OP, i think in my case I need to reduce cheese as I am already low carb.

I’d never take statins as the side effects can be not good. But it’s up to each person to review their own risks. My dh takes statins but as he is a competent adult, it’s his decision.

Take a look at the British Heart Foundation website, there's lots of good advice. I took plant sterols and gave my diet an overhaul and reduced my cholesterol hugely in five weeks. So it's possible.

Thank you. Is it possible to lower genetic cholesterol? What are plant sterols?

Don't assume statins will have side effects. I started on them recently, my cholesterol is down and I haven't noticed any side effects.

@Yoyoyo1 plant sterols are available at Holland & Barrat. You take them with food - five a day.

I was similar in August - 7.8. Statins were mentioned. By mid October I had got it down to 5.6 with much improved ratios.

I have cut out: all alcohol, all sat and trans fats, all cheese except cottage, low fat philly, reduced red meat to oncenper week, cut out all processed food, all refined carbs. Increased fruit, veg and pulses. I have minimal dairy.

Also, my BP, and lipids (sugars) are normal (always have been) and there is no history of heart disease or stroke in the family. If your GP has suggested seeing a cardiologist, presumably your Q3 risk is fine. Google and check your results on-line. You do appreciate that your GP cannot order you to do anything unless you have insufficient capacity.

I’m not sure I’d want to cut out so much!
I take statins and have absolutely no side effects - but do have lower cholesterol now.

That's entirely up to you @Soontobe60. Personally, I'd rather adjust my diet than take a drug. Since doing.g so I have lost 26lb, every ache and pain has disappeared and so have the little patches of eczema.

@Yoyoyo1 ahoukd have said presumably your Q3 risk is high.

I’m wondering (and about to do lots of research) as whether this current thinking (and treatment with statins) with regards to cholesterol is wrong and outdated. A bit like the ‘all fats are bad’ advice from the NHS. And eat margarine instead of butter and lots of heavily processed foods (such as oat milk instead of dairy - oat milk high in sugar and heavily processed .)

I don’t really trust a lot of the advice from the NHS and big pharma - statins are a multi billion pound drug for them.

Is it a coincidence that on this thread (and another about cholesterol) that those with high cholesterol were healthy, active vegetarians. Or could it be that high cholesterol actually doesn’t lead to heart disease.

There’s a book called ‘The great cholesterol myth’ that I’m about to read.

I bet you eat too much cheese. My DH is a vegetarian and he eats a lot of cheese.

I have hereditary high cholesterol, have taken statins for decades without side effects, and lived longer than both parents. Though I resisted at first, taking that pill at 11pm is merely routine now, and has significantly lowered the level.

You need statins. My GP told me that unless your diet is bad and yours isn’t, making changes won’t lower your cholesterol.

Jumping on here to read the advice because I asked a similar question today.

@Delatron I am a bit sceptical too about NHS advice re statins, might look for the book myself unless you return and tell us some relevant info.

I keep thinking that there must be a reason for it's existence, it could be that we actually need to find a way to excrete it rather than prevent its production. And I expect one way or another it's got to be to significantly influenced by foods we eat, after all that's where all building blocks come from.

Does milk in tea affect cholesterol? I drink 5-6 cups a day with semi-skimmed milk? I've tried other milks but don't like them.

Yes just listening to an interesting talk. As usual there’s conflict in the science world over this. I think a bit of self education is important- looking at studies and research.

From what I understand currently the link between high cholesterol and heart disease isn’t as clear cut as many claim. Metabolic health however has a huge role in heart health. So inflammation in the body, insulin resistance and stress are more important and impactful.

Cholesterol is actually an essential molecule - for 50 years the argument has been saturated fat pushed up cholesterol and this leads to heart disease. But this has never been proven. Sugar may have more of an impact.

I mean the NHS advice is often outdated. So I do think we need to do our own digging. Now for a middle age overweight man with a family of heart disease then statins may well be necessary. But I’m hearing reports of doctors putting kids and teenagers on statins. This doesn’t seem right.

There was another thread basically with all the posters healthy weight vegetarians who had been put on statins. I think it’s more nuanced than saturated fat = high cholesterol = heart disease and the only answer is drugs. It may be for some people but not the huge amount that are on them.

It’s an area I’m keen to research. There are also other tests you can do to check your heart health which looks at the arteries. If they are clear, then even if you have high cholesterol it’s clearly not causing a problem.

We all know doctors are keen to dish out drugs without looking at the full picture. Much cheaper for them. See antidepressants instead of HRT.