I'm 22 and my cholesterol level is 242. Any other young people out there with the same problem?

Question

I got a call today from my doctor about my lab results. It seems that I have high cholesterol levels. I'm only 22 and I was curious if anyone else was diagnosed at a young age and/or what I can do about it. I know lifestyle changes are in order, but I'd like to know if anyone has specifics that worked well for them.

Answer 1

I don't think someone as young as you should go on meds to lower cholesterol without trying to change other factors--like eating habits. Usually when people go on cholesterol lowering meds, they are on them for life. That was my doctor's explaniation for why he wouldn't put me on meds when I was 25 and had elevated cholesterol. We tried changing my eating habits--I visited a nutritionist. I also started exercising more. If your cholesterol is a direct result of poor eating/exercising habits--and you change that, then your numbers should go down. If you change things and the numbers still are high, you may have a genetic predisposition for high cholesterol. I found out that this is my problem. I inherited it from my father, who is on Lipitor. I am 38 now and my doctor still won't put me on meds UNLESS my numbers continue to climb. So far they remain high, but are holding steady. You need to know not just your total cholesterol number, but your number for bad cholesterol (LDL) and good choleserol(HDL). Desirably, you want your LDL under 100 and your HDL over 40. It is also possible to have high bad cholesterol but to increase your good cholesterol numbers to offset. HDL helps shuttle the cholesterol out of your body, which is good because it doesn't have time to stick to your artery walls and become plaque buildup.

The best advice I can give you is to talk to your doctor about options and ask to be referred to a nutritionist. Good luck!

Answer 2

Unhealthy cholesterol levels can boost your risk of heart attacks, strokes, and other problems. According to experts, there are four basic ways to get your cholesterol where you want it: Eating a healthy diet. Exercising Losing weight Taking medicine -- in some cases While each of these works, some people have more success with one than another. Many need a combination of approaches. No matter what your age or the state of your health, you can reduce your risks of serious problems by controlling your cholesterol -- and it's not as hard as you think. 1. Lower Cholesterol by Eating Right You've probably heard it before, but foods that are high in saturated fat and -- to a lesser extent -- high in cholesterol, boost your cholesterol levels. These include foods like egg yolks, fatty meats, and full-fat dairy products. You also cut down on trans fatty acids as well, which are more often found in processed and fried foods. But eating a heart healthy diet isn't just about deprivation. In fact, some foods -- eaten in moderation -- can actually improve your cholesterol levels. They include: Fatty fish, like tuna and salmon Nuts, especially walnuts and almonds Oatmeal and oat bran Foods fortified with stanols, like some margarines and orange juices 2. Improving Cholesterol With Exercise Exercise is another way to improve your cholesterol levels. Increased physical activity can have a modest effect on cholesterol, lowering bad LDL cholesterol to a lesser extent, while boosting your good HDL cholesterol. The type of exercise is up to you. Walking is the simplest and easiest. Buy a pedometer to measure your progress and start moving. 3. Lose Weight: Lower Cholesterol Being overweight tends to lead to unhealthy cholesterol levels. Losing weight can lower your bad LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. It also can raise your good HDL cholesterol. Of course, weight loss is usually a product of a good diet and exercise. So what if you've already improved your diet and started exercising but still need to lose weight? Then you need to make some further adjustments -- gradually. Once you've reduced your intake of saturated fats, trans fats, and cholesterol, you can focus on cutting out some calories. In the same way, once you've gotten into an exercise routine, you can step up the intensity to lose some pounds. 4. Controlling Cholesterol With Medication So what happens if diet, exercise and weight loss aren't enough to bring your cholesterol under control? Your doctor might recommend medicine. Do not self-treat yourself, and do not rely on a pill: cholesterol-lowering drugs have many adverse effect, and you may end curing one illness while getting another. Taking medicines is a drastic measure, and you can start doing it only after consulting your doctor.

Answer 3

Natural Cholesterol Guide?

Answer 4

Hi there! I'm a 15 year old girl, who has almost the same problem as yours. Last year I had been diagnosed with Hypothyroidism- a thyroid gland disorder, where the hormone (Thyroxin) production is insufficient. In this case you tend to have high cholestrol (LDL) level, and in some cases Blood sugar. So I'm taking medication for that+ I've to take care of my LDL level! Recently I went through a med. check-up, where it said that my-kind-of-Hypothyroidism is not heriditary and therefore I don't have to take my med. all along my life (i.e. it can be corrected after medication to a certain level).
So what I do is (to reduce my Chol.), I exercise regularly (walking, climbing stairs, jogging..etc), avoid fatty, oily, sugary and foods with high calories. Drink plenty of water! Eat fruits and veggies! Also Soy Milk might help (ask ur Doc., also check whether you've any hormonal disorder). I don't take any medicines for my chol. 'coz I'm not old enough to take any (my doc. said that!).

If you do have Hyp.th. you'll are likely to be a bit bulky. Do you have any problems like that? I mean are you bulky or built enough?

Anyway, the first thin you've to do is go to your doc, ask him about hyp.th. He'll tell you what to do. Also please see the symptoms in the site address (given in my source).
I hope this helped you (??). Good Luck! If you'd like to contact me for further details you can mail me to: [e-mail]
Take care! Seeya

Answer 5

You are not alone and likely one of your parents are in similar position. You should start with increasing your activity level and improve your diet. You don't need to go on a "diet", just have a balance diet and eat what you like in moderation. If after a few months, with real lifestyle changes, you still have high levels, you may want to talk to your doctor about taking medications to lower your cholesterol.

Answer 6

I have a friend your age that has the same problem, but it runs in her family.

I would get retested and make sure that you really do the full 12 hour fast. If you eat anything, it will ruin the results making your numbers seem higher than they should.

You should make lifestyle changes to prevent heart disease and other complications.

Try to stop smoking if you smoke.

Get regular physical activity and stay at a healthy weight.

Go to MyPyramid.gov to find out the dietary recommendations specific to you and follow it.

(include lots of fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, low-fat dairy. Choose lean meats, poultry and fish. Watch your intake of dietary fat, saturated fat, and trans fat. Healthier oils include nuts, avocadoes, flax seed, fish oils, olive oil and other oils with more monounsaturated fat than other types in the fat breakdown on the food labels).

Answer 7

Cholesterol seems to be hereditary. (Genetic in nature)

Just watch you intake and if possible stay away from the cholesterol lowering medicine unless you really have to...

The meds are not pleasant

Answer 8

i have a friend who had high cholesterol at 21, he just made some life style changes and it went down within a couple months without meds

Answer 9

Primary hyperlipidemia is a familial disorder.It responds to 'statins"

Answer 10

dont worry about colesterol. it's a myth. read up on mattias rath's research and take lots of vitamin c!!!