When is it neccesary to talk to a doctor about high cholesterol?

Question

I am 24 years old, around 150 lbs and my cholesterol was 236 today, TG- 65 HDL- 78 LDL- 144 I have been watching my diet, am active and in good health otherwise. Should I get on prescription cholesterol meds?? my mother has high cholesterol also....professionals only...

Answer 1

Blood cholesterol levels are made up of two major components, the dangerous low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL - bad cholesterol) and protective high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL - good cholesterol).


The main function of HDL is to help soak up excess cholesterol from the walls of blood vessels and carry it to the liver, where it breaks down and is removed from the body in the bile. Normal ranges of HDL is 45-65mgm.


It is critical to know not only one’s total cholesterol (or the blood level of LDL - bad cholesterol), but also the ratio of cholesterol (or LDL) to HDL. If the cholesterol to HDL ratio is 4 or less, that indicates a lessened risk of heart attack. If it is greater than 6, the risk of heart attack is above average. Even if it is 5 or above, you should be paying attention and doing something about it, especially if you have other risk factor for heart attack (high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, obesity, strong family history).


LDL - less than 130 milligrams (mg)
HDL - greater than 35 mg (less than 35 mg puts you at higher risk for heart disease)
Total cholesterol < 200 mgm.


Elevated cholesterol is a risk for many Americans for heart attacks and CAD.(Coronary heart disease) . Consider these statistics:

About 100 million American adults have total cholesterol levels of 200 or higher, which is considered borderline - high risk.
Approximately 34.5 million adults in the US population have blood cholesterol levels greater than 240, which is considered high risk.


Elevated triglyceride levels may be caused by medical conditions such as diabetes, hypothyroidism, kidney disease, or liver disease. Dietary causes of elevated triglyceride levels may include obesity and high intakes of fat, alcohol, and concentrated sweets.

A healthy triglyceride level is less than 150 mg.


Let' analyze your bloodwork result.:
At age 24, a weight of 150lbs might be appropriate as I don't know your height.
Your triglyceride level of only 65 is very good as it's less than 150.mg. However,
your total cholesterol level of 236 mg places you at HIGH RISK as it's above 200mg. .Your HDL of 78 is WNL ( within normal limits). Again, however, your LDL is BAD at 144 mg as the normal range should only be at 45-65 mg. .


You can maintain your cholesterol level thru exercise and proper diet. That's why it's imperatve that you talk to your doctor. A factor to consider that might place you at high risk is genetic predisposition as your mom has also high cholesterol. High blood pressure. (Hypertension) can make you at risk for strokes. And high cholesterol level makes you at high risks for heart attacks or myocardial infarction (MI) and coronary artery disease.(CAD). Other risk factors for heart attack are high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, obesity and strong family history. or GENETICS.


A diet, composed of a variety of cholesterol friendly foods could be as effective as statin drugs in lowering bad cholesterol and triglycerides levels, according to a recent study .These recipes use ingredients that are high in soluble fiber, beta carotene, potassium, calcium, etc
This proper diet would certainly benefit both your mom and you.


With the proper diet and exercise plus the anticholesterol drug e.g. simvastatin (Zocor) that the doctor puts you on as I suspect- in time; you might be able to get off this anticholesterol drug ( it causes some liver damage); once you reached normal levels of cholesterol.


Four types of cholesterol lowering foods:

1) Soy. - Soy-based meat substitutes such as soy burgers, soy hot dogs, and soy cold cuts, And soy milk as a dairy substitute.


2) Sticky fiber- Natural psyllium product Metamucil -- to thicken the soy milk -- and oat-bran cereal and barley-based soups.

3) Plant-sterol enriched margarine. This Unilever product is sold in the U.S. as Take Control and in other countries as Becel/Flora pro.activ. A similar product is Benecol from McNeil Nutritionals. Sterols and stanols are naturally occurring substances in plants
.
4) Nuts- A handful of almonds every day


Hope this helps !!!!!!!!!!! It involves a lot of research.

Answer 2

I would suggest you to take some healthcare food or even meds.