DH Cholesterol 6.8 : gone up from 6.7 since last year and he has been trying SO hard. He's gutted

[sparkysparkysparky]

My DH has just called to tell me his blood test results came back as 6.8 for cholesterol. He's gutted it's gone up by .1 and not down. He's been eating anti cholesterol version of marg and yoghurt, loads of fruit and veg. Cutting right down on crap.. He's a bit overweight (me more so). We eat healthy but could probably eat even healthier. He doesn't go to the gym but leads pretty active life with dd ( I have MS so activity is patchy). He regularly goes on mega hill walks - takes day off to do it.
My cholesterol was 5 but a year of anti type food brought it down to 4.8
Any words of advice or comfort for him? I said a chat with a doc rather than the nurse he spoke to.

Hi, the latest research seems to be showing that diet is not necessarily the key to cholesterol - some of it may be genetic. Anyway I would google it and see for yourselves. I was admitted to hospital last year and they found that my cholesterol was 10! I was put onto high dose statins and two months later it was 4. Now I tick over on one 20mg statin pill per day. Cardio consultants seem to think that high cholesterol is the number one indicator for a heart attack - again though if heart problems are common in your family then it may be an indication that you are susceptible too and ought to act. No easy answers so I would make that appointment if I were you (and hope you do not get one of those lazy doctors who just asks you what you would like!)

My GP split it down into " good" cholesterol " and "bad" - they don't two try about the good cholesterol . Did he have the figure split ?

Worry not to try !

Thanks all.

and .1 is surely quite a small variation...being tested on different machines might cause that?

my dh had similar - there is a condition called familial hypercholesterolaemia and he was initially treated with statins however new research shows it's the split of the number is important. His gp should be able to advise.

I don't think he had the figure split or he didn't take it in.
Thanks for taking the time to respond, everyone. You have given me info to use to prod him into speaking to the doc.

I had a shock this week when I found out my my cholesterol was 7.8!! Never had it checked before, it was part of a health review as I have recently turnd 40.

I run about 15 miles a week.
I don't eat sugar at all. None. I follow a low carb way of eating.
I am 5 foot 4 and weigh 9 stone 5 pounds.
I don't smoke.

I asked the doctor what had caused it in her opinion and she told me to stop eating so many eggs and red meat. I hardly eat any red meat.

I asked her if it was alcohol, I do drink most nights but not huge amounts, she said no as my liver was fine.

She said it was probably hereditary but there is no history of it in my family afaik.

Go figure!

there is a website you can put your details into to determine your chances of having cardiovascular problems. Mine was 0.6%...

this one

I have the same diet as my dh, apart from he is a bit healthier. His bmi is 19 and mine is 22.2.

My fasting cholesterol is 4.1, his was 5.9. His was decided to be genetic and he now takes statins and it has reduced to 4.

isnt it all a bit out of date now, this 'high cholesterol' fear? most of it is non diet related anyway. has he got low vit d?

PILs have high cholesterol despite being the fittest people I know, they have always eaten very healthily and exercised a lot. It must be hereditary in their cases.
DH is on statins after a stroke last year, his cholesterol was just average but for people who have had strokes they like it to be super low (although his stroke was related to a heart defect, now mended).
We know a medic who pretty much confirmed that diet alone doesn't do much to reduce cholesterol, which seems odd!
I think he needs to go to his GP and get more info and advice. I can see why he would be disheartened!

Lots of new research is saying it isn't the scary thing we are lead to believe it is and in certain places where levels of cholesterol are higher there is less heart attacks and only 50% of people who have heart attacks have high cholesterol.

Statins can cause so many problems with aches, liver and memory that I wouldn't touch them. Mine is high, hasn't been checked for two years now and I have decided not to bother due to the new information coming out. One GP doesn't agree with my decision but the other one did and was not at all bothered and believes before long everyone will realise how it isn't the big killer we once thought it was.

Oh and for the person who was advised not to eat as many eggs?

I would go see someone else. That advice died years ago.

Christ it's scary to see how far behind doctors are. Statins increase your risk of heart attack. We need cholesterol for brain function. High cholesterol isn't indicative of anything unless it's small sticky ldl. If the gel, the puffy bigger ones, is the high number then that's ok.
A qnother doc saying not to eat eggs? You can't ingest cholesterol and then it goes into your bloodstream. Your body makes it from other foods ...gah

HDL not gel

It is scary. One of my gp's wants me on them now! I was not going to take them when it was 5.9 and my overall heart attack risk score was extremely low. The statins is more of a risk to my health than my cholesterol is.

My 'good' cholesterol was normal as well and she still pushes me about it. I can't wait for the NHS to catch up. Mind you, there's a lot of money to be made in statins.

Thankfully my other gp is more with the times.

Thank you so much for your advice and personal insights. I really appreciate it.

What's his sugar intake like?

I know you said you'd been eating well but sometimes people can let the sugar thing in as it's very difficult to cut out.

What's sugar got to do with cholesterol?

I'm the sugar monster, to be frank. He barely has any. He had a bit of a problem with portion control when we first got together but we sorted that pretty quick.

Insulin effect cholesterol production. Not exactly up on it but my dad reduced his level from 6 point something to under five by cutting sugar intake.

He still had the odd biscuit mind!