What can I do as a woman after menapause do to improve on my Cholesterol and Triglyceride blood results?

Question

In April 2006 my blood work showed: Cholesterol 167.6; Triglyceride 220.4 and HDL 38.1. I am talking Lipitor during both of these blood tests.
In October 2006 my blook work showed: Cholesterol 211.1; Triglyceride 143.7 and HDL 48.5.
I listed the HDL because I was afraid the Lipitor was effecting my Good Cholestrol count.
I'm looking for someone that can tell me why my cholestrol went up this time and triglycerides went down and what is my next course of action.

Answer 1

Eat cabbage, oatmeal, apples, etc. for soluble fiber and of course some type of exercise.

Also, here's some all-natural supplements that are very effective.

OmegaGuard: reduces the risk of heart disease/stroke, lowers triglycerides and cholesterol

Soluble Fiber (e.g. Fiber Plan): prevents fat absorption; reduces stress on heart by minimizing fat accumulation

Lecithin: converts serum cholesterol to good HDL

CoQHeart: Reduces LDL oxidation

Garlic Complex: prevents clotting; dilates small blood vessels; dissolves fatty deposits & thins blood

Hope this is useful and feel free to contact me with questions.

Answer 2

Hello: In answer to your questions let me first start by giving you the normal values: Total cholesterol less than 200 mg/dL Triglycerides less than 150 mg/dL HDL (good cholesterol) greater than 55-60 mg/dL LDL (bad cholesterol) less than 130 mg/dL or less than 100 if you have other risk factors like diabetes. When you get this "lipid profile" done in a fasting state (nothing by mouth except for water for at least 8-10 hours) the numbers are much more accurate. What I am very concerned about is your triglyceride level. When triglycerides (another type of fat) are greater than 400, the lab cannot accurately measure the LDL (bad cholesterol). The number you got for your LDL is impossible. It cannot and never can be 29 mg/dL. So the triglycerides are messing up your entire cholesterol profile. The problem with triglycerides are that they are an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, ie. heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure, etc. over long periods of time. The more pressing issue is that if they are very high, you run the risk of developing pancreatitis, an inflammation of the pancreas, which is probably one of the most painful things you can get. There is an increased risk of death with pancreatitis also, so you ABSOLUTELY MUST GET THEM DOWN!!!! I read a few of your responses. Someone suggested lipitor. I can tell you honestly and from experience, lipitor will not get the triglycerides down to normal. The drugs of choice for extremely elevated triglycerides are Niacin (niaspan is what I use on my patients) or one of the fenofibrate drugs like gemfibrozil. Until you get your triglycerides down, your blood profiles will not be accurate. The problem with niacin drugs is that they can cause extreme itching and flushing which is easily remedied by taking an aspirin. Your doctor may want to put you on a statin drug like lipitor plus a niacin or fenofibrate drug combination. My advice is get to your doctor ASAP and get on the appropriate medications. You will probably feel better and have more energy once you get the triglycerides down in your bloodstream. I hope this helped answer your questions. Regards, Warren Shaffer, M.D. PS: I am wondering why your doctor did not explain this to you?

Answer 3

Natural Cholesterol Guide?

Answer 4

I have two post-meno women who swear by Red Yeast Rice. They were telling me about it last night actually! I am pre-meno, but my cholesterol is 266 and I really need to do something about it! They get the Red Yeast Rice over the internet, but they said you can also get it at health food stores.

Here's a link about it: http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=14999

Answer 5

Exercise more & your test results will go down I'm sure cause that's what my doctor told me & drink 8 glasses of water a day as well.Good Luck