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Why is my cholesterol still so high??

By October 6, 2009 - 4:15pm
 
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hi-
from May 09 I have lost 21 lbs and gone from a size 16 down to a 12...I thought Yeah for me...I am even on Lipitor 40 mg...I just got my blood work back and my Total chol. is 325... tri is 194 my LDL is 204 and HDL is 77.

Any ideas of what else I could do to bring it down??? so frusterating.
-Chrsitna

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Christina,
You have received some great information, and I just wanted to "second" some of the information, as well as add to it.

1. As Reta said, your HDL is great! You want this over 50 (at the minimum), so maybe you can reframe your thinking to asking, "why is my LDL (bad cholesterol) still high?". It may give you another frame of reference that you have high GOOD HDL cholesterol, and that is actually more important as a protective factor. Way to go!

2. You did not mention one important factor, and that is the amount you exercise. Losing weight is great for helping to reduce cholesterol, and we do not know if you have a family history of high cholesterol. Sometimes cholesterol-reducing drugs can only do so much...the rest needs to be adding exercise and monitoring what you eat (not just the calories for weight loss). According to Dr. Carrie Jones at EmpowHer (10 Tips for reading your cholesterol test, she mentions, "eliminating trans-fat from your diet, as well as eating healthy fats (avocado and nuts in moderation) can help reduce LDL". Also adding fiber-rich foods can help reduce cholesterol...and adding daily physical activity (not just "exercise") can really make a difference.

Let us know how you are doing!

October 25, 2009 - 5:05pm

Christna,
You may have a lifelong battle with cholesterol, especially if you have a family history of high cholesterol. You did not indicate if what you have been doing has reduced your numbers, which I hope it has. It may take longer to get your numbers down. Lowering cholesterol does not happen overnight and you may have to try a different medication. I have been on Zocor(Simvastatin) and Vytorin (which is Ezetimibe/Simvastatin). The Vytorin was great at lowering my cholesterol but did not raise my HDL. Now I am taking Niaspan and hoping to raise the HDL.

On the plus side, you have a great HDL number at 77. I am battling to get mine above 47. Mine has ranged from 37 to 49. Having a HDL above 60 is plus and helps protect your heart.

Reta

October 23, 2009 - 9:44pm
Expert HERWriter Guide Blogger

Hi Onelife -
I'd like to first acknowledge your accomplishment in going from a size 16 to a size 12. You sound really proud, and you should be!

You mention being on Lipitor but haven't indicated what you've done to lose 21 pounds. I'm going to offer a suggestion that may help you, but am doing so without full information on what you're already tried. I say that because I don't want to frustrate you more - we're here to help!

One of the steps we can step to reduce high cholesterol is to adopt a diet that helps to lower cholesterol. Please see the link below for a lot of helpful information.

www.empowher.com/media/reference/cholesterol-lowering-diet

Additionally, you may find this article from Dr. Jason Brown helpful:

www.empowher.com/.../what-do-my-cholesterol-tests-mean-dr-jason-brown-banner-health

Please let us know if this information has been helpful, and if you have additional questions. We want to see your health at the best possible levels.

Take good care,
Pat

October 7, 2009 - 5:34pm
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