To think these cholesterol values are very bad?

[AtDeathsDoor]

Cholesterol level 8.26 mmol/L
LDL cholesterol level 6.04 mmol/L
HDL cholesterol level 1.27 mmol/L
non HDL cholesterol level 6.99 mmol/L
cholesterol/HDL ratio 6.5 mmol/mmol

Should I be seriously worried about these values?
I’m ok about dropping down dead but I don’t want to be incapacitated
I’m mid fifties and obese.

I’m ok about dropping down dead

Do you have any dependents? Are you depressed?

Do your Qrisk score.

https://www.qrisk.org/

https://www.heartuk.org.uk/cholesterol/understanding-your-cholesterol-test-results-

And then get things sorted. Disability is more likely than death - and you don't want that, do you?

No dependents
Yes depressed

Yes that is high. Are you on statins, you should be and they work.

No. I’ve just got the results of the blood test and GP surgery has booked me an appointment with the surgery pharmacist in a months time to discuss the results.
Seems like it should be done by a GP but I guess that is the state of the NHS
I have PMI so should I arrange to see a specialist instead?

Yes, that is high. Get looking on here for lifestyle changes you can make straightaway https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/risk-factors/high-cholesterol/five-top-questions-about-lowering-cholesterol
also make sure you speak to someone at your surgery (pharmacist, GP or nurse) who can help you interpret the results and decide whether a statin would be a good option for you. You may also need screening for potential causes of the raised cholesterol which could include genetic conditions.

Thanks, that’s really helpful

Clinical pharmacists are often specialists in interpreting and investigating cholesterol results so I wouldn’t think you are getting second best

Ok, thanks, that is reassuring although having to wait a month for the appointment isn’t ideal.

A pharmacist will be fine to help you with this. The lifestyle changes that you can will be good, look into drinking olive oil/ Mediterranean diet. Exercise helps as well as diet. But with levels that high I would say statins will probably be needed tbh.

I had 8 snickers bars and 2 bags of crisps for dinner so I guess that isn’t helping 😳

Have you had it checked before?? If you have private health cover see a cardiologist.

Picture yourself seriously disabled. Those numbers are high. Now go to the shop and buy fruit, yoghurt, eggs and whole meal toast. Tomorrow morning, choose from that for your breakfast.

Is that real? Bless you.

I am mid 50s and obese too. I know I need in general to avoid simple carbs as I was pretty insulin resistant, constantly crashing after eating, so tired and sluggish I could barely stay awake in the afternoon.

Now I am doing intermittent fasting and feeling much better. I eat in an 8 hour window of about 12-8pm.

Today I had a homemade prawn marie-rose wrap with guacamole and spinach and a bowl of soup for lunch, a gold bar and grapes mid afternoon, and home made chicken soup, sourdough bread, and raspberries and cream for dinner.

I am slowly losing weight but it's feeling less awful that is the big win for me.

Invest in your health. It's so important and it need not be hard. For example, a healthy lunch of scrambled egg with wilted spinach takes 2 mins to cook. You are worth it, you know.

Thank you, that is so kind. It’s hard to care about myself but I definitely don’t want to end up disabled.
Well done for the changes you are making.

Another 8 snickers today. I just don’t care enough about myself ☹️

2 snickers is 100g (near as)

2 snickers is 495cal
2 snickers is 49 grams of sugar

So 8 snickers is just under 2000 calories
And just under 200g sugar, which is about 16 1/2 tablespoons of sugar.

I don't get it. Why would you even have 8 snickers in the house? It would be cheaper to just eat 16.7 tablespoons of sugar out of the bag, and less calorific.

Just chuck them out, or take them to a neighbour with kids. Never buy them again; or any chocolate bars in that kind of bulk.

I don't buy flapjacks because I can't be trusted with them, I don't self regulate well. You are obviously the same with chocolate.

Start with eating wholemeal toast and butter instead. Add a slice of cheese. It's no harder and you will get some nutrition at least.

Have you done a HbAC1 yet? T2 Diabetes is a real risk and the consequences of that are very often a long life of nerve pain, infection, foot issues up to and including amputation and blindness. Chuck in a few strokes for good measure and peripheral artery disease/Critical Limb Ischaemia from the high cholesterol and you will absolutely not get an 'easy' end if you're really eating eight Snickers bars a day.

I bought 2 four-packs on the way home.

My HbAC1 is 37 which is ok, I think

Are you doing anything about your depression? Getting to the root cause, or at least medicating it could help you to be more proactive about your health and eating. It's hard to do anything when just getting out of bed is a challenge.

Yes, it is hard to give a shit about my health.
I’m on 40mg citalopram but I think I will need to stop that as it shouldn’t be taken with high cholesterol

Keep eating eight Snickers a day and it won't be for long. That would then be added to the other lengthy ways of suffering - you can lose legs and have permanent nerve pain due to complications of high cholesterol as well. And strokes are hugely, hugely painful and unpleasant even when you don't sustain severe permanent damage from them, according to my friend who has had three this year.

Your life is your choice, but if this is all true, you're currently thinking it would all be quick and easy, when the reality is likely to be long, drawn out and excruciatingly painful.

I have stage 4 cancer, type 2 diabetes & recently started statins for high cholesterol. I'm also obese.

The pharmacist at my gp has been brilliant. She has given me much more time than the gp could - at least 30min appointments when we have had a lot to go through. She spent ages finding a cream for my lips on prescription when all the skin peeled off them due to chemo. She really was so kind & helpful.

Don't worry about seeing the pharmacist rather than the gp. In my experience they are great.

You dont say how obese you are or what your BMI is

Mine was late 40s when I was obese and although I didnt have a diet like yours, mine was a 'healthy' diet, I dont believe it makes any odds to the health of a person if they are covered in fat, inside and out, so I was probably just as unhealthy

My cholesterol was much lower than yours, hovering around 5.6 total but the ratio was high, around 6.2

I have lost a lot of weight, total cholesterol has not gone down but ratio is now about 4.3 from memory, had it emailed me the other day. Im very happy. I do want it under 4.

One of my biggest fears was like you, not dying on the spot, one can deal with that fairly easily! But having a stroke that would leave me immorbile or other disorders and disabilities.

Concentrate on including foods that will support lowering your cholesterol and improving good cholesterol, all the good fats, porridge, good grains, beetroot I believe etc etc