My husband just got some bloodwork done and his cholesterol was around 250 -- should be no higher than 200. (The "bad" LDL was 177 -- should be no higher than 100.) He is 36 and not fat, although he should probably lose 15 lbs. Both his grandfathers had strokes and/or heart attacks very young (40s and 50s).
His eating habits aren't ideal. Mainly, he doesn't eat enough fruits & veggies. He is a sporadic exerciser, but likes to do it.
He hasn't seen the doc for a follow-up, yet, but the note with the test results said that meds were recommended for him, based on his family history.
So, my question, is it possible for him to lower his cholesterol by the necessary amount w/out drugs, by making some moderate changes? Or would he have to go vegan and become a gym rat? (Not gonna happen.) Or does it really depend on the person?
Anyone have experience with this?
Watch the documentary forks vs knives, he can totally do this without meds and following a healthier diet and getting in some exercise. It highly recommends a vegan diet, but he can still see major results by eating healthier. Otherwise, yes he will need meds.
He needs to go for his follow up visit and listen to the doctor.
Hyperlipidemia can be a result of genetics, lifestyle, or a combination of both. None of us here have access to his results. His doctor does.
Before listening to any of this, he needs to find out more. If meds are recommended for him based on his family history and numbers AND suggested by the doctor, there's no reason not to listen to the doctor who is intimately aware of his unique health history.
Please watch "forks over knives" with him before making any decisions. It streams on Netflix.
I think if he is resistant to lifestyle changes he should just do them in small doses. its not like you have to be vegan all the way. How about vegan two meals a day or three meals a week. Bite off something you can actually chew. Don't overwhelm yourselves.
Only his doctor can answer this question accurately. I took a statin to lower my cholesterol which was around 250 too. It did lower my cholesterol to 190 but then my liver enzymes came back elevated. The doctor took me off the statin because statins are processed thru the liver and can cause liver damage. So far my cholesterol has stayed around 200.
My doctor says that one can keep their cholesterol down thru diet and exercise. I've not tried to change my lifestyle so can't say from experience that it works.
I just wanted to let you know that whether or not to take statins is dependent on more than just needing to lower one's cholesterol.
I have not read all the answers, but has the doctor prescribed niacin for him? It can help lower cholesterol but has side effects of hot flashes. he shoudl also do the old fashion of eat better and exercise.
I consulted my wellness guide that i have and it suggests taking Phytomega. The phytosterols & omega-3 fatty acids in Phytomega help to lower cholesterol levels & maintain healthy triglyceride levels for enhanced cardiovascular health.
The pharmacists that I work with say that the best thing to do for your cholesterol is "choose your parents wisely"..in other words it is an inherited tendancy.
You husband should follow his doctors advice...he can lower his cholesteral a lot by increasing his exercise and reducing his intake of red meat and dairy products But he will probably also need to take some form of cholesterol medicine.
Just be grateful that you have gotten the diagnosis before any major damage was done to his heart.
He may have to because of his family history, but he should really give better diet and exercise a go for 6 months or so -see if he can drop that 15 lbs (even that can make a big difference) and EXERCISE -at least 4 times per week if not 5. As far as foods -he should really give up sugars and processed foods as well as high-fatty foods like bacon and fatty beef. He doesn't have to give it all up, but he needs to start eating lean. If the numbers don't really come down in 6 months with him really adhering to this type of lifestyle, then yes, take the meds.
A lot of people have success with taking the fish oil capsules, if they need to just lower their cholesterol a bit.
Most likely, the doc will be calling with his recommendations, and call in a prescription for him.
I've dealt with high cholesterol for many years..... mine were WAY high, though. However, when I stopped taking Tegretol for seizure control, my cholesterol levels dropped dramatically. The last time, my doc just recommended taking 2 capsules a day, I think.... I took them for several months, but need to get back onto it again.
My dad's family all had problems with metabolic syndrome.... high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and type II diabetes...... so far, I've just had the cholesterol problem, but I do need to lose weight to help stave off the other problems.
It sounds genetic. He probably could be vegan and still have high cholesterol. My advice, take the meds.
It can be dependent on family genetics. My husband's cholesterol was high for a few years before he went on prescription medications. His MD monitored his cholesterol every 6 months. First he altered his diet and lowered his numbers by 50 points, but it wasn't enough for him. Then he tried fish oil, no change for him (but that has worked for other people). Then he tried Niaspan, that worked for awhile. Then he was on one medication and now it is two. He still eats healthy, probably even healthier now than 5 years ago. His family has a history of heart disease. High cholesterol can contribute to strokes and heart attacks but it takes years, not months so he can try different alternatives to see what works best for him, as long as his MD is ok with it and monitors his labwork.
It really depends on the person and from what I understand, two people with identical everything could have different results from diet and exercise changes.
I would suggest that making dietary changes (adding fruits, vegetables, and fiber/whole grains, limiting fatty foods, eating leaner meats) and getting regular exercise (not necessarily going to a gym or over doing it...walking every day etc) certainly can't hurt. He may be able to get the doctor to agree to let him try this for a specific time frame and retest before starting meds.
He could change it, but he HAS to be willing to change his diet. Healthy eating habits are much better than having to take medication forever. He should at least try to change his diet and go back in like 60 to 90 days for another blood test.
Eating red meat once in a while is fine, but it shouldn’t be consumed every day. He should also have fruits and veggies with every meal. A brisk walk everyday will also help. Can he walk on his lunch hour or around the block after work? You also have to consider (salty or not) snacks and sodas things like that can raise your cholesterol too.
Just saw this on the news this a.m; meds vs. diet. I would definitely give it
a month trial of diet change. Oatmeal is the absolute best for high cholesterol and you need read labels. Given his family history, I would
probably say at one point he would need meds.
My mom has a history of heart disease in the family.
She's on meds.
She eats like a rabbit (veggies, fruits, no red meat, only fish or chicken) and walks several miles per day. VERY healthy lifestyle. She still needs meds to control it.
It's not a "magic pill" that he can take & continue to eat as he wishes.
He can further lower it with oat bran, exercise, etc.
IF he gets it low enough on meds, they might reduce or eliminate the meds to see it he can maintain low cholesterol without the meds.
My brother lowered his cholesterol by eating oatmeal cookies to his daily diet. They are very nutritious since they are oatmeal. If he likes raisins that is nice too. They should just be normal oatmeal cookies. He also added eating oatmeal for breakfast, he likes that anyway though.
My friend went to the dietitian one time when her hubby was diagnosed with diabetes. She told then lady that her hubby liked cookies and what should she do. The lady told her that oatmeal cookies, if they are not loaded down with brown sugar or over half their ingredients was white sugar then they don't even count them as a cookie. They are that beneficial to the body.
So I say add oatmeal in as many ways and as many times per day as he will eat it.
There are also lots of recipes for bars, cakes, dishes you can add oatmeal into. My meatballs use oatmeal instead of breadcrumbs. The kids love oatmeal peanut butter bars for snack when they get home from school. There are lots of ways to integrate it into your daily routine. If he hates oatmeal then find ways to add it to meals. There is a cook book at Hastings that is something about hidden foods.
My dad had this type of issue and his doctor recommended losing that 10-15 pounds then come back and see where my dad's numbers were. The doc hesitated to put him right on drugs b/c they are expensive and need to be taken long term, so not starting them if possible was the best choice. My dad (who didn't even look overweight) went home and tweaked his eating habits and went for daily walks. He lost the weight pretty quickly and went back to the doctor - his numbers looked great and he never had to go on meds. So, I would say the first line of action would be to eat better, exercise more and lose the weight. If your husband still needs the meds, then he should go that route, too. But it's really worth the try to eat better and exercise more - especially since it's only 15 pounds and a good, healthy thing to do no matter what. Hope it all goes well.
My dad went on a no sugar and Very low carb diet for three months and cut his in half. This is a hard diet but he stuck it out and still sticks to it somewhat. He has been healthy since.
If high cholesterol and heart disease is genetic, then diet and exercise will NOT be enough to lower his cholesterol and risk of heart attack. Diet and exercise will help people who's poor diet and exercise habits alone have led to the elevated risk.
Heart disease runs in my family, too. Even though I exercise vigorously daily and eat a healthy diet, I am considering spending the money to get a complete heart scan done to determine if I have any blockages. I just listened to a radio show about this subject and they gave examples of young teenagers who already had partial artery blockage due to the genetic incidence of heart disease - not because of weight or diet or lack of exercise.
If he is willing to do a trial of regular exercise, appropriate diet limiting all highly processed foods and settle on a balaced diet of low ingredient foods with minimal processing. He could get retested in three months and if it is coming down then that is his medicine. If.not meds should he considered. However meds will not replace diet and exercise. So he will have to clean up lifestyle anyway if he has a strong family history. Gym rat no but more than he had been doing at least three times a week.
