I don’t understand my cholesterol results !

[Isitreallybad]

My GP has been telling me for 2 years I have high cholesterol and need to make changes but I eat healthily and not high fat food ? I drink the cholesterol lowering drinks but it’s gone up again ??

total is 5.6
hdl 1.9
non hdl 3.7 (This one shows in normal range)

Can something other than diet affect cholesterol?

No idea, but following as my dh is in the same boat.

How’s your thyroid? Mine is under active and that can hugely affect your cholesterol levels.

Mine is 8.3 😥
I’m having a CT scan of my heart to see if my arteries are furred up.

I have hashimotos but TSH is 0.5

I hope the CT scan is ok

It can be genetic. How old are you?

44

Thanks. I’m interested to know whether exercise, healthy diet or losing weight is the best way to reduce cholesterol if anyone knows?

Your ratio - 5.6/1.9 - is still in the optimal range. Mine is 6 overall but my good cholesterol is high. 6 used to be the number that was considered top of okay but, in the last few years, it's changed to 5. I'm sure I read it's still 6 in the US. What was it last time?

My husbands had high cholesterol for a few years,last couple of times has just stayed the same,so hasn't come down.
He has the cholesterol drinks,we try and have a healthy diet nothing too bad,he does more excercise but nothing has changed.
So the doctor is putting it down to running in the family,his mum and dad both have high chesterol ,and have just started him on statins.

My under active thyroid is well medicated too but still have stubbornly high cholesterol. Statins ?

Mine knocked around 6+ for years despite healthy weight, healthy diet and exercise. I’ve just gone on statins with absolutely no side effects at all.

It depends on your overall risk factors including BP, weight, diabetes, etc. Look up Q3 risk assessment. My cholesterol is about 6.5. I can get it down to 5.7 but that is no sugar, no saturated fat, no alcohol, no red meat, no cheese. It's a bit too far on the side of Mizz. However my Q3 risk is very good. No statins so far.

What is your Q3 risk @RosesAndHellebores?
Mine is 7.2 which doesn’t seem too bad?

You Know it is not just a case of ''eating healthily''?
One is not supposed to eat meat - no beef, steak, pork, lamb, veal, sausages. Chicken, turkey, fish, venison are OK.
Lots of oat products OK. No sugar, cakes or ice cream (bad). No or only low fat diary. Skimmed milk only. Butter - apparently only Kerry Gold is Ok because cows fed only on grass. Eat lots of nuts, veg. and fruit etc NB Use lots of olive oil - no veg oils.
No highly processed foods. etc.

Chicken is just as high in cholesterol as red meat.