I just went to the doctor and apparently I have high cholesterol. I am only 23 and have a few questions.?

Question

My HDL is 79 and my LDL is 113. To my understanding, this means that my 'good cholesterol' is above the recommended level and my 'bad cholesterol' is below the recommended level; they are both in the range where they should be, but my total cholesterol is then 'high'. What I don't understand is why this is a bad thing. Do I have too much of a good thing? Is there such a thing as too much 'good cholesterol'? I don't really watch what I eat, but I walk quite a bit, my BMI is 20 and in general I feel pretty darned healthy. I need a straight answer from someone who can tell me if this cholesterol thing is something that should concern me.

Answer 1

Your HDL is great, but your LDL is a just little high -- ideally, that number should be below 100. At your age, I wouldn't be terribly concerned about it. Just keep an eye on it as you age and if it starts getting really out of hand, try modifying your diet before you start taking medication. High fiber diets really do help bring your cholesterol down, and there are two types of oil -- EPA fish oil and olive oil -- that can help out-of-control cholesterol numbers get back where they need to be.

Answer 2

Ok Ok, I was diagnosed with high cholesterol recently so I have been looking into it extensively. Now, for that clown who said try Statin, he must have missed the study that says statin causes liver problems, so sure take statin if you are willing to risk liver problems. Second, Cholesterol has two components LDL and HDL, both of which are affected by your diet. However genetics is very important too. Different races of people experience different results from the foods they eat. Bottom line, if you are a vegetarian (not vegan) or at least avoid the fats from animal products BUT do get the fat from vegetable products, even if your cholesterol is high, you will not suffer the resulting cardiovascular disorders. Medicine is a very poor choice, most of the drugs on the market today have not been tested sufficiently to know what kind of long term side affects one might experience. I worked in a preclinical labratory and I saw first hand how poorly the tests were carried out. I have no doubt that the same thing happens in clinical trials. Taking medicine is a bigger risk than simply living with the condition you were diagnosed with IN MOST CASES.

Answer 3

You should ask your doctor the questions you have. Even if your total cholesterol is higher than they say it should be what is even more important is the ratio of good to bad cholesterol. Find out from your doctor what your ratio is and what the recommended range is. Then you will know and better understand where you stand on this issue and as a result your mind will be more at ease on the cholesterol issue. Take a look at your diet too and cut out the saturated fats as much as you can.

Answer 4

Your "bad" cholesterol is over 100. Newer guidelines want that number under 100.

The gold cholesterol can't balance it off enough.

Cholesterol should concern as if you get clogging of the arteries, that's a candidate for a heart attack.

Answer 5

Now is the time to start watching what you eat. The fact that your HDL is high now, doesn't mean it will be when you are forty. The higher you let your LDL get, the harder it becomes to get it down later in life. Make a habit of eating smart now and it will serve you well later in life.

Answer 6

Curious as to why you didn't ask these questions of your doctor...after all, you're paying him/her regardless...might as well get the most for your money.

Answer 7

Don't bother, just be careful & aviod fats in your diet, that is all.

Answer 8

You should stop eating to much cheese,ice cream,meats,and butter and all those crappy trans fat stuff.

Answer 9

Fried and or greasy foods will do that.