high cholesterol level?

Question

Can anyone explain how it is that cholestrol levels change over a periods of time. I understand about cholestrol but why should ones levels change from week to week and from day to day, when the same types and portions of food do not vary.

I cannot understand why one day I have it at 6.3 and another day it is at 4.5.. Please help me to understand. Thank you!

I eat very healthy all the time and only have the ocassional glass of wine.

Does Simvastatin produce any adverse side effects that you know of?

Answer 1

Though Cholesterol has a bad reputation as a cause of Heart Disease it does however perform some vital functions and is produced naturally in the Liver and we cannot do entirely without it. Diet is essential to reduce the levels but even if you excluded it completely from your diet the liver would still produce cholesterol and therefore you would always have some in your blood. The level of production in the body is variable according to requirements and therefore is not at a constant measurement. Control of high levels is best done through diet and exercise. Most western diets contain animal fats, which in turn are converted by the body into cholesterol, reduction in the animal fat intake therefore helps to lower the Cholesterol levels in the blood, but these levels are not static and do fluctuate because of the natural production by the liver.

Answer 2

It would have been more interesting to have known your full lipid profile? If you know it, re-edit the question. Total cholesterol should be <5mmol/l, however 2 in 3 adults have a total cholesterol of >5.0 mmol/l. The reason I asked for your total lipid profile is because although having a high total cholesterol will of course be a risk to your health; your TC:HDL (total cholesterol: good cholesterol) ratio should be taken into consideration .You should aim for a high level of HDL and a low level of LDL (low TC:HDL ratio). If you do have a low HDL, this reduces your risk factor of developing further problems long term. Do you smoke or drink? If you do, stop smoking and reduce alcohol consumption. Exercise is a must- it will also raise your HDL (good cholesterol). If you live in the UK with ancestry from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, or Sri Lanka, you have an increased risk of developing high cholesterol. You are not overweight, your BMI is about 21. With regards to diet. Try and eat your '5 a day' fruit and veg. Eat at least three portions of oily fish a week, limit salt intake- not more than 6g a day and eat more foods that contain plant sterols. Unless there is a family history of high cholesterol or you have heart disease, are going through an early menopause or have kidney problems, hypertension or diabetes (which increase the risk of further problems) you really do not need to worry. Edit PJ above is correct.

Answer 3

I am not familiar with your test numbers - normally the results are in the hundreds (under 200 is normal, over 200 is not normal)

You could be genetically predispositioned to high cholesterol. My husband and I eat the same thing - well he eats just a little worse than I do (but not much more) and my cholesterol is 170, and his is 400+. He has the gene and needs to be on cholesterol medication. He was diagnosed when he was in his early 20's and he was NOT overweight (in fact most of his life he was underweight) and to look at him you would never know. We limited his diet severely for a few months and in fact his cholesterol numbers rose - which baffled everyone. His triglycerides did drop though because he consumed less sugar (not like he consumes a whole lot though) Oh the one thing that does help dent his numbers, although it makes them still not low enough to not need medication - is exercise.

Also you should have you thyroid tested (any TSH over 3.0 isn't normal) and that could be why your cholesterol is high. Once treated (if that is your problem) your cholesterol should drop on its own.

Answer 4

Natural Cholesterol Guide?

Answer 5

It would appear that 80% of cholesterol in your blood stream is created by your liver, and the rest from meat, eggs and dairy products.

One would assume therefore, if you cut down on meat, eggs and dairy products your cholesterol levels will change.

I'm not sure what you could do to reduce the cholesterol produced by your liver. Perhaps that's what the drugs you mentioned do.

Answer 6

To get the true level you need a blood test and need to fast from midnight.

Exercise and diet will assist to keep your level down but only for so long and then you may need medication.

Some people have bad reactions to Simvastatin. Luckily, I don't but there was a question on here earlier in the week from somebody suffering from the side effects.

You need to discuss with your GP.

Good luck.

Answer 7

Basically if you are having your cholesterol checked by the chemist and are using two or more different ones, that could explain it...to get a full and proper count you should fast for at least 12 hrs and get a full blood test done by your doctor/nurse THEN you will get a true reading.

Answer 8

Hi,
Yes they do indeed change. I always have mine checked fasting. Once my doctor told me to eat "no fat" diet and my numbers went up. Could be many factors, your thyroid, genetics etc. See the link below for some of the ways I have been able to keep it under 200 w/o medication. Niaspan is a good alternative to ask your doctor about.

Answer 9

Go to Doctor - get prescription for SIMVASTATIN - 40mg. this will control your cholesterol level. However once you start - you'll be on this medication for life.

Answer 10

Cholestrol is caused by what you've taken over time, to drop the level you also need to aviod those food items sepecially fatty arbonhydrate and take on exercises, the level drops but when you go back to those food items the level also increases.