High cholesterol - what are the risks?

[candycoatedwaterdrops]

I am on a shit load of medication and have a condition that puts me at a higher risk of heart disease that most, so my GP tests my cholesterol every now and then. I saw my GP for something unrelated and he mentioned my cholesterol is 7.9 which Dr Google tells me is pretty fucking high.

I'm very overweight with high blood pressure but have started addressing it already after getting this kick up the arse. GP doesn't want me to start on meds for the high cholesterol while I'm having other unexplained symptoms that are being investigated.

I know the bog standard risks but am I at risk at my current age (25 yrs old) or is it likely to be something that will affect me in the future? Basically, am I at risk of heart problems NOW given my age?

Bump

Your age is actually in your favour at the moment.

The two links below calculate your risk. If it is over 20% and you have no other risk factors you should have treatment.

With other risk factors that you mention it is usually cholesterol above 5 that we treat.

Risk of stroke and heart disease increases with age so your GP does have time to wait and sort this out carefully.

At that level have you been assessed for familial hyper cholesterolaemia?

The risk scores assess over the next 10 years so you will become higher risk sooner than some people.

Re the links where it asks for cholesterol/HDL ratio just put in the cholesterol level. Unless you know what your HDL level is.

The ASSIGN score is the Scottish version

assign-score.com/about/beginners/

www.qrisk.org

Get on the porridge now! High cholesteral can be lowered by losing weigh, exercise, de-stress and diet (more of eating 'good' foods than cutting out 'bad' foods).

Stress is a big factor, so exercise helps with the weight and stress issues - will also help with the blood pressure too.

Cut out white foods - rice, pasta, bread, wheat... And switch to brown

Porridge is great stuff (made with water, not milk!)

Soft goats cheese is good (hard cheeses are not)

Eat apples and pears with the skin on

Eat light and early in the evenings

'Bitter' tasting salady foods (red chicory, radiccio, watercress...) Are all good at helping to lower it too.

Take a decent multivit and fish oil

You are still very young so look at it as a wake up call:

Lose weight, take up exercise, learn to destress and revise your diet. You really can bring the cholesterol down with these things (I've seen it brought down from 9 to 4).

Thanks for the replies. Oh lordy, I hate porridge.

I tested my risk and it was very low which is odd.

It's your age which is in your favour. Pity we can't stay young for ever.

Agree think of this as a chance for change.

Dp's doing the 5:2 diet it's helping.

I don't want to do any faddy diets, I just want to eat healthily. I can easily lose weights on diets like slimming world but always struggle to maintain. I want to change my whole eating habits and attitude to food. I am physically disabled, so exercise is hard but I know I could make more of an effort to move around at home.

I read that oily fish is good, I love salmon and eat it twice a week, so I'll keep up with that. I'll try to force myself to eat a bit of porridge as it does seem to be so good for you.

I've also realised that my egg habit has to be controlled. I was eating 2 eggs for breakfast every single day for months on end and sometimes I'd have eggs as part of my meals too.

Eggs are not bad for cholesterol levels.

I have the sort of high cholesterol that runs in families - thanks Dad and was on statins to control it until last year when I switched to a low sugar, low carbohydrate and higher fat diet. When I have had blood tests my ldl cholesterol levels had dropped significantly which demonstrates what is being put forward in the articles that Travelin linked to. I no longer take the statins (yay).

Cut out sugar and white carbs and you'll find that it helps no end with the weight too.

I have highish cholesterol (7.6) due to genetics.

Believe me statins are not your friend they are what you take only if you've already had an incidence.

You have time to change it. I was 10 years old when my high cholesterol was diagnosed! My second to last test (mid teens) was 7.9. I had another teat last time and its now 4.2 (over the moon!). You're only 3 years older than me, I always used yo worry that the damage had been done but it hasn't. Times on your side, but unfortunately it won't be forever.

Best of luck :)

High cholesterol can lead to an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, narrowing of the arteries, transient ischaemic attack (also known as mini strokes), peripheral arterial disease, formation of blood clots and coronary heart diseases.