Blood results-cholesterol

[Hamsterdamn]

I’ve just made a face to face appointment with my gp of choice in a few weeks about this issue but I’m interested in what questions I should be asking.

I'm 54 female and 5ft 6 and 60 kg. I have a history of breast cancer. I took HRT for a while but it was stopped because of the cancer. I’ve put on weight since maybe 3kg. I have a tummy and hips for the first time in my life. Gone from a dress size 8-10 to a 12-14.

I am vegetarian and have a reasonable diet I think but do like bio yogurt, kefir, semi skimmed cows milk. I eat real butter. My weakness is dark milk chocolate and Percy Pigs but I really try not to! I eat soaked oats every day ( kefir or yogurt, chia seeds, pecans and frozen berries).

over the past few years I’ve been told my cholesterol is frighteningly high by some medical professionals only to make an appointment and been told taking into account all my risk factors, it isn’t.

I walk between 7k and 16k steps a day.

I’ve also got a thyroid issue controlled by 75mg levothyroxine but no one’s interested in this. And I think my immune system is up
the spout-seeing a liver consultant for this but no action needed.

do these bloods look worrying (page 2 is blank)?

should I be worried about taking statins?

I'm not a HCP so can't comment on your blood tests, but I wonder why you're worried about taking statins? Are they contra-indicated for any of your predispositions?

I'm not worried about taking statins per se.

It is more I’d like to know why I have a problem and then treat that problem.

I have no idea if statins are contraindicated for me.

I had levels similar to yours for a few years. My BMI is within normal limits, I exercise, don’t smoke or drink and even on a pretty restricted diet my cholesterol refused to budge. No family history.

my GP thought it was unexplained and I started Statins which resolved the issue without any problems. I believe the guidance suggests some monitoring bloods 6 months after starting to check there’s no detrimental impact

If you fancy learning more watch the new documentary The Cholesterol Code, it is very interesting.
Interestingly, women with higher cholesterol live longer than those with lower cholesterol. Averages and all, but interesting.

7.9 is quite high yes

I am technically underweight and have never eaten red meat in my life. I'm pescatarian and eat minimal dairy. My cholesterol is high due to familiar hypercholesterolaemia. Just genetic really. It's crap! Take the statins, you don't want to risk heart disease. My gp has told me to come back in a year for mine to be re-tested. I imagine i will end up on statins at some point.

Just one of those crap genetic quirks.

Mine was 7.9 three years ago. I drastically changed my diet (basically vegetarian now, cut out butter, cheese, and chocolate) and did a lot more exercise and got it down to 4.99 within a year. It's creeping back up now (cheese).

I will / would absolutely take statins, though, if lifestyle didn't make a difference. I agreed with GP I would try lifestyle stuff first, retest in 6 months, and if it wasn't making a difference, do statins.

I have a decent lipid profile otherwise (low triglycerides, high "good cholesterol" and lowish "bad" cholesterol) but I have risk factors (pre-eclampsia) and a family history of heart disease so I choose to take it seriously.

It's likely genetic
Why do you say no one is interested in your thyroid issue? You're on treatment already so clearly someone took an interest

Thanks all.

Odd that it’s probably genetic as I don’t know anyone in my family who has high cholesterol while being a save bmi.

I don’t think I can change anything in my lifestyle enough to make a change in my cholesterol. I will talk to my GP about it and the pros and cons.

Ill watch the film, but im not going on a keto diet as i don’t eat meat and love carbs.

Full fat bio yoghurt and kefir are quite high in saturated fat, also chocolate and butter obviously, so you could make changes there. It can be helpful to track the total saturated fat you normally eat in a day by checking the labels and quantities you are eating, it's surprising and annoying how quickly it mounts up! As a rough rule of thumb an average person shouldn't eat more than 20mg saturated fat per day and if trying to reduce cholesterol aim for no more than 10mg (I know, I know, I will be shouted down by the keto and full fat fans 😂but I'm only passing on info I was told from the lipid clinic as I have FH myself). Also increase soluble fibre like beans, lentils, oats, apples etc. No you shouldn't worry about taking statins, if you get any side effects you can switch to another. Good luck with your appointment - I would ask why it was deemed no action was necessary when you have previously been told your cholesterol was high.

I’m very overweight (mostly due to prescribed steroids for my disability and subsequent limitations re: movement), size 22, and this is my cholesterol. Is mine bad? 😬 I’m concerned as my Dad died of heart disease & subsequently, heart failure…..
LIPID PROFILE
Serum cholesterol level 3.46 mmol/L
Serum HDL cholesterol level 1.6 mmol/L
Serum non high density lipoprotein cholesterol level 1.9 mmol/L
Serum cholesterol/HDL ratio 2.2
Serum triglyceride levels 1.0 mmol/L [0.0 - 2.2]
Calculated LDL cholesterol level 1.4 mmol/L; LDL-C measured by the Sampson equation.

If possible I’d swap some animal fats for plant fats. Olive oil spread instead of butter, low fat yoghurt. I’d also take plant sterols before meals - they out compete some cholesterol.

This wouldn’t worry me. Within range.

Are you a HCP? Hope you don’t mind me asking

Student dietitian so don’t take me as gospel as I am not qualified - but it’s within what I have been taught is normal. We learn that up to 5 for total cholesterol is within range, up to 4 is within range for NonHDL, over 1 for HDL though we would aim for people with heart conditions to be <2 LDL.