When should I worry about High Cholesterol?

[maryclaire]

It's been a very rough 6 months for me...I'm a conservative and the last election has cost me in my health...so upset I would drink a 2 beers a day and drink soda and eat ice cream..plus all the anxiety and fuming I did. I have stopped the beers and am cutting back on sweets...Just got my lipid test and my cholesterol has never been so high. Do I need to worry or just let the LDL come down with exercise and diet...my doctor was trying to get me to take statins for much lower cholesterol...she will press harder when she sees these results. Thank you for any advice!

Cholesterol 297 mg/dL
<200 mg/dL
Triglycerides 138 mg/dL
<150 mg/dL
VLDL Calculated 28 mg/dL
<31 mg/dL
HDL Cholesterol 61 mg/dL
>40 mg/dL
LDL Calculated 208 mg/dL
<160 mg/dL

[ofonorow]

It would be nice to know, a) how much vitamin C you are taking and b) what the true Lp(a) value is.

Optimal vitamin C intake would keep your total cholesterol around 180 mg/dl

Lp(a) is an indicator of how much trouble your heart/cardiovascular system might be in.

Good that you are correcting some "bad habits" but I think the sweets are filling a need. If we could only find glucose-only sweets (without any fructose) we'd all be able to enjoy them.

[maryclaire]

Thank you, Owen...I'll ask my doctor to request a Lp(a) when she pressures me about taking a statin...the last time I had it tested was in 2014 and it was 32 mol/L...I did let my supplements slide also...I try to take around 12-15 grams a day but will step it up and be consistant...when asking for the test how do I specify a 'true' lp(a) test?

[sjmusic2]

You should only worry about cholesterol levels if you have familial hypercholesterolemia.

Firstly, the lipid panel numbers are meaningless without knowing fractional particle sizes

High total cholesterol does not equal heart disease. CHD is an inflammatory disease and if you provide the necessary amounts of ascorbate, lysine and sometimes proline there is no need for anything else to appear in arterial walls.

There are studies that indicated that over age 60, there is an inverse correlation between LDL and heart disease and old people with low cholesterol have been shown to die twice as often from a heart attack as did old people with a high cholesterol.

Owen said "Lp(a) is an indicator of how much trouble your heart/cardiovascular system might be in."
But per Pauling, this is not a function of cholesterol levels per se, more a deficiency disease associated with inadequate ascorbate/lysine supply.

Your triglycerides suggest that you are not consuming too many (refined) carbs, though you are getting close to the upper limit and may become more insulin resistant (a far more relevant predictor of CHD). I would suggest you explore paleo diets and see if they resonate with you. My favorite is Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson, though of late he seems to be more into Keto than paleo, which is a step too far for me.

Finally, you couldn't pay me to take statins. Read the studies, there are many, and watch where big pharma uses relative benefits instead of absolute. Eg. one study started with an all cause mortality rate without statins of 2% ; with statins it was 1%, so pharma claimed a 50% benefit (relative) for what is in reality a 1% (absolute) improvement with drastic side-effects.

[Blargus]

I'm with you about election. Dunno if this is helpful info:

The aged garlic extract 'Kyolic' lowers serum cholesterol levels in humans and experimental animals

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9247357/

Read the studies, there are many, and watch where big pharma uses relative benefits instead of absolute.

Apparently also what they did with the covid vaccine trials...

[maryclaire]

Thank you to all of you...I really appreciate your feedback because most people are all about following the crowd and not thinking for themselves. My doctor has already emailed me and wants to know what I'm going to do. I asked her for further testing and told her I would exercise and stop the ice cream. I also stepped up my vitamin c, lysine...course I couldn't tell her that. Thanks!

[Blargus]

Couple things I ran across lately for myself, apparently just bouncing on a trampoline 10 mins a day has profound health benefits there're some interesting explanations as to why:

https://www.gettrampoline.com/health/re ... and-after/

Also heard about Hibiscus tea on Healthy by Nature this week supposedly helps heart health and cholesterol:

Hibiscus flowers are a popular herbal remedy for all these conditions as well as others around the world, yet most Americans know very little about the plant or how to use it, and they are unaware of the hundreds of research studies validating its many benefits. Metric tons of hibiscus flowers are now being shipped into Europe for use in natural products because information about the heart-healthy benefits of hibiscus flower and the new research on it have been shared effectively in the European natural products industry

https://www.rain-tree.com/hibiscusbook.htm
hbnshow.com

I have had a high cholesterol test recently as well as anxiety and other strange stuff, never had anxiety in my life. Unlike a lot of people I haven't been overeating during "lockdown" stressful though it has been. I know a couple other people who have very similar things going on as me at about the same time. Wonder if it has something to do with the virus. Also reading in Owen's book that cholesterol has detoxification function made me wonder. I've been taking Vit C and selenium for either anti-viral or clearing the possibly GMO protein crap, it's speculation just thought I'd mention it--it also could just be the craziness going on or my diet/lack of exercise.

Also lots of people seem to find the homeopathic Bach Rescue Remedy to be helpful for anxiety, stress and lots of other things.

[maryclaire]

Got my test back...I think they are all good...can I relax now?

Lipoprotein (a) 17 mg/dL
<=29 mg/dL

Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate Automated 12 MM/HR
0 - 30 MM/HR

C-Reactive Protein <0.20 mg/dL
0.00 - 0.50 mg/dL

[ofonorow]

Got my test back...I think they are all good...can I relax now?

Lipoprotein (a) 17 mg/dL
<=29 mg/dL

Yes. Your Lp(a) appears to be properly measured and is just under what Linus told us a long time ago was "safe" (e.g. under 20 mg/dl).

Keep taking your vitamin C and lysine, and proline, because the value isn't yet zero! Anecdotally, adding proline to the basic Pauling therapy lowers Lp(a) to less than 2 mg/dl in a period of less than a year. (The case of the Medical school professor in my book).

[maryclaire]

Will do...thanks Owen!

[simpleiv826]

Reading from 160 to 190 mg/dL is considered very high and it's the point where one should be concerned about their cholesterol level

[ofonorow]

If you are speaking about a measured Lp(a) then yes, those levels are considered very high, and you should seriously consider taking Lp(a) binding inhibitors... Vitamin C, lysine and proline. See: http://www.PaulingTherapy.com