Calling GPs and nurses your help is needed

[Worrywartandall]

Posting for traffic, but thank you in advance for reading, sorry for the title but I’m worried a bit as df died of heart problems

Serum cholesterol level 5.5
Serum Hdl cholesterol level 1.4

had an fbc, had the results on the app. No call, it says results satisfactory nfa but it says my serum cholesterol is above th higher ref limit.

i don’t know, so I have high cholesterol or not? I’ve called but it’s not an emergency so I can’t get a call back so no one can explain it to me

Not a medic but replying to bump for you.

Remember it’s a continuum, not an on-off thing. Nor does it immediately cause problems, just makes it more likely to build up fatty deposits in your arteries over time. It can be reversed. So nothing to worry about while waiting for an answer.

thank you :)

had it for years, since my early twenties, I’ve always been told it’s high but then I read something about a ratio somewhere but I can’t remember. I’m slim, bmi 21 lightly active, mid 30s. But it’s always been shrugged off but it seems marginally higher now

It gets higher with age. But if you're worried, mention it your G0P
next time you see him/her. Or make a non-urgent appointment.

Useful table here

I can’t get it, they only take emergency appointments and there’s a mad 8am rush.

ill check that link though !

Your hdl at 1.4 is at the optimum so I don't think you have anything to worry about.

Bmi doesn't always indicate anything, I remember having mine tested years ago with a couple of colleagues in their 40s who were both slim and very health conscious about their diet, natural yoghurt and fruit for breakfast and salads for lunch (health care setting), they were 5+.......mine was 3.7 and I'm very overweight, nearly always have been🤷‍♀️

HDL is the healthy cholesterol, your level is good. The rest of your cholesterol, non-HDL is slightly raised at 4.1 (over 4 is considered raised). With regards to your family history, the age your father developed heart problems is important and whether they were related to fatty build up rather than heart structure. If he was under 60 that is thought to Increase your risk. Is your blood pressure ok? Information about you is used to create a risk score (QRISK) as to whether you are deemed low, moderate or high risk. Those at moderate risk are offered cholesterol lowering medication. Mid 30s with normal BMI and slightly raised cholesterol, you’d probably be low risk.
British Heart foundation has good info on their website