Need Advice Regarding My Cholesterol page

[XGrains]

Here is a brief history:

About 5 years ago my cholesterol was typically in the 220's, my HDL in the 50's and LDL near 120, Trigs around 100. Doctor suggested Lipitor to reduce cholesterol and lower LDL's. I took a low dose Lipitor twice a week. My cholesterol dropped to 153, HDL went to 60's and LDL dropped to 80. I felt the Lipitor was making my thinking foggy, so I eventually went off of it and adopted many aspects of a Primal diet, mainly eating more protein and fat. Prior to this change, I was eating a lot of carbs, steel-cut oatmeal and fruit for breakfast, salads for lunch, and fish or chicken for dinner. Now for breakfast I'm eating eggs cooked in coconut oil about 5-6 days a week, salads topped with fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel or tuna) for lunch and fish, chicken, or turkey for dinner. I'm consuming a lot of avocados and nuts and coconut milk but I still eat a lot of fruit for desserts, or in smoothies before a workout. After going off the Lipitor and eating more primally, my cholesterol jumped back to 225, but my HDL's were 100, LDL's 110 and my trigs were 50. My most recent blood test showed a cholesterol of 256, HDL's of 91, LDL's of 148, and Trigs of 61. I'm concerned about the rise in total cholesterol and especially the rise in LDL's. At what point will my readings signal a potential problem?
I'm thinking about cutting down on eggs and coconut oil and possibly going back to oatmeal. I would appreciate any advice regarding the rise in my cholesterol and my diet. I'm 64 years old, have high blood pressure which is under good control with medication, and a history of some heart disease in my family.

[Drumroll]

Recent evidence has shown an increased lifespan for individuals with cholesterol levels of 200-270, just to let you know...

[peril]

I'm 54, have had a heart attack and spent three years researching this. My take is that you've done very well and have excellent lipids. Relax

[Rueben]

Hello Friends,

Cholesterol is a type of fat found in your blood. You need a certain amount of cholesterol for all your body cells and to produce important hormones. However, if there is too much cholesterol in your blood, it sticks to the inner lining of your artery or blood vessels to form atheroma.
Your cholesterol can be measured by your doctor, who knows your family history. If a family member has high cholesterol, heart disease or has had a stroke, it’s really important you ask your doctor to do this test. You can do this on any visit. If your results show a blood cholesterol level greater than five mmol/l (the measurement used for cholesterol levels) or your doctor is concerned about your HDL or LDL cholesterol, he or she will arrange for another test. You will need to fast for 12 hours to get more information on your HDL and LDL cholesterol. If you already have had a heart attack, bypass surgery or angioplasty, it is very important that you keep your LDL below 2.6 mmol/l. As well as HDL and LDL levels, the more detailed test will show triglyceride levels - another type of fat.
You can reduce the cholestrol from the following features:
Cut down on saturated fats: To help reduce your cholesterol level, you need to cut down on saturated fats and instead use unsaturated fats such as olive, rapeseed or sunflower oilds and spreads. You should also reduce the total amount of fat you eat.
Eat oily fish regularly: Oily fish provides the richest source of a particular type of polyunsaturated fat known as omega-3. Omega-3 from oily fish can help to lower blood triglyceride levels, helps prevent the blood from clotting, and can also help to regulate the heart rhythm.
Eat a high-fibre diet: Foods that are high in soluble fibre such as oats, beans, pulses, lentils, nuts, fruits and vegetables, can help lower cholesterol.

Best Regards
Milon Jones

Is this a windup? If not, go research inflammation and then come back and discuss, rather than posting this outdated clap trap.

[Artbuc]

Hello Friends,

Cholesterol is a type of fat found in your blood. You need a certain amount of cholesterol for all your body cells and to produce important hormones. However, if there is too much cholesterol in your blood, it sticks to the inner lining of your artery or blood vessels to form atheroma.
Your cholesterol can be measured by your doctor, who knows your family history. If a family member has high cholesterol, heart disease or has had a stroke, it’s really important you ask your doctor to do this test. You can do this on any visit. If your results show a blood cholesterol level greater than five mmol/l (the measurement used for cholesterol levels) or your doctor is concerned about your HDL or LDL cholesterol, he or she will arrange for another test. You will need to fast for 12 hours to get more information on your HDL and LDL cholesterol. If you already have had a heart attack, bypass surgery or angioplasty, it is very important that you keep your LDL below 2.6 mmol/l. As well as HDL and LDL levels, the more detailed test will show triglyceride levels - another type of fat.
You can reduce the cholestrol from the following features:
Cut down on saturated fats: To help reduce your cholesterol level, you need to cut down on saturated fats and instead use unsaturated fats such as olive, rapeseed or sunflower oilds and spreads. You should also reduce the total amount of fat you eat.
Eat oily fish regularly: Oily fish provides the richest source of a particular type of polyunsaturated fat known as omega-3. Omega-3 from oily fish can help to lower blood triglyceride levels, helps prevent the blood from clotting, and can also help to regulate the heart rhythm.
Eat a high-fibre diet: Foods that are high in soluble fibre such as oats, beans, pulses, lentils, nuts, fruits and vegetables, can help lower cholesterol.

Best Regards
Milon Jones

Milon, where have you been? Have you been reading this forum? Have you read Peter Attia's series on cholesterol? Have you listened to Dr Thomas Dayspring or Dr Lara Dall? Have you read Dr Chris Kresser's blog? I find it absolutely fascinating that you would come on this forum and give this advice without any context or explanation of why you believe in CW. Can you cite any peer reviewed studies which support your contention that saturated fat drives cholesterol which drives CVD? I have been looking for months now and can not find any objective proof of this theory.

Are you a pharmaceutical rep?

[CDC]

Oh boy here we go, this guy is in for a treat, milon sit back and enjoy the ride of education and research.

[Knifegill]

Hello Friends,

Cholesterol is a type of fat found in your blood. You need a certain amount of cholesterol for all your body cells and to produce important hormones. However, if there is too much cholesterol in your blood, it sticks to the inner lining of your artery or blood vessels to form atheroma.
Your cholesterol can be measured by your doctor, who knows your family history. If a family member has high cholesterol, heart disease or has had a stroke, it’s really important you ask your doctor to do this test. You can do this on any visit. If your results show a blood cholesterol level greater than five mmol/l (the measurement used for cholesterol levels) or your doctor is concerned about your HDL or LDL cholesterol, he or she will arrange for another test. You will need to fast for 12 hours to get more information on your HDL and LDL cholesterol. If you already have had a heart attack, bypass surgery or angioplasty, it is very important that you keep your LDL below 2.6 mmol/l. As well as HDL and LDL levels, the more detailed test will show triglyceride levels - another type of fat.
You can reduce the cholestrol from the following features:
Cut down on saturated fats: To help reduce your cholesterol level, you need to cut down on saturated fats and instead use unsaturated fats such as olive, rapeseed or sunflower oilds and spreads. You should also reduce the total amount of fat you eat.
Eat oily fish regularly: Oily fish provides the richest source of a particular type of polyunsaturated fat known as omega-3. Omega-3 from oily fish can help to lower blood triglyceride levels, helps prevent the blood from clotting, and can also help to regulate the heart rhythm.
Eat a high-fibre diet: Foods that are high in soluble fibre such as oats, beans, pulses, lentils, nuts, fruits and vegetables, can help lower cholesterol.

Best Regards
Milon Jones

Obvious spam is obvious. They get up to ten or twenty pseudo-normal posts now before dropping their commercials.

[workinprogress]

HDL's over 60 have been shown to be cardio protective. It also likely your LDL is a more benign type, due to the low triglycerides and high HDL.

[magicmerl]

After going off the Lipitor and eating more primally, my cholesterol jumped back to 225, but my HDL's were 100, LDL's 110 and my trigs were 50. My most recent blood test showed a cholesterol of 256, HDL's of 91, LDL's of 148, and Trigs of 61. I'm concerned about the rise in total cholesterol and especially the rise in LDL's. At what point will my readings signal a potential problem?

You should get worried about your LDL when the LDL/HDL ratio goes above 4.3. Your ratio is 148/91 = 1.63, which is excellent.

I'm thinking about cutting down on eggs and coconut oil and possibly going back to oatmeal. I would appreciate any advice regarding the rise in my cholesterol and my diet. I'm 64 years old, have high blood pressure which is under good control with medication, and a history of some heart disease in my family.

There's nothing wrong with oatmeal (in moderation). But eggs and coconut oil are very good for you. As other people have said, CHD is one of a host of diseases that has inflammation as a cause, and changing saturated fats for unsaturated will increase your inflammation.

Regarding your high blood pressure, I think it's mainly wheat/sugar/salt that will keep it high. My BP was 160/100 pre-primal, but now it's 110/80.

[Neckhammer]

You should get worried about your LDL when the LDL/HDL ratio goes above 4.3. Your ratio is 148/91 = 1.63, which is excellent.


There's nothing wrong with oatmeal (in moderation). But eggs and coconut oil are very good for you. As other people have said, CHD is one of a host of diseases that has inflammation as a cause, and changing saturated fats for unsaturated will increase your inflammation.

Regarding your high blood pressure, I think it's mainly wheat/sugar/salt that will keep it high. My BP was 160/100 pre-primal, but now it's 110/80.

.....and I support this message..