My blood test shows high Cholesterol – Looking for advice - Drugs / Diet .

[Gecko123]

Reducing alcohol consumption and increasing physical exercise can definitely help reduce high triglyceride  levels. High BMI is associated with increased levels of LDL and cholesterol and decreased levels of HDL. My advice to OP would be to shoot for one hour daily aerobic exercise, and staying active as much as possible during the day, cut out drinking (if any), cut out sugary and baked goods, try to reduce total caloric intake, and move towards plant based diet. These are my recent numbers, following above program:

 

FBS 85

Total Choles 198

Triglyceride 73

HDL - Chol 42

LDL Chol 115

Weight 227

[ExpatOilWorker]

10 hours ago, zakalwe said:

I had higher cholesterol than you for 20 years. I refused to take any statins until recently.

Do you recall at what total cholesterol level you started taking statin?

At 240 my "farang" doctor actually recommended what you just did, wait for now.

 

Edited March 10 by ExpatOilWorker

[tomgreen]

16 minutes ago, Gecko123 said:

Reducing alcohol consumption and increasing physical exercise can definitely help reduce high triglyceride  levels. High BMI is associated with increased levels of LDL and cholesterol and decreased levels of HDL. My advice to OP would be to shoot for one hour daily aerobic exercise, and staying active as much as possible during the day, cut out drinking (if any), cut out sugary and baked goods, try to reduce total caloric intake, and move towards plant based diet. These are my recent numbers, following above program:

 

FBS 85

Total Choles 198

Triglyceride 73

HDL - Chol 42

LDL Chol 115

Weight 227

 

Hi , thanks for the advice , which most of it I’m now following , one thing that I’m finding difficult to do would be the daily aerobic exercise . My stumbling block is a combination of high ambient temperature ( its just too hot ) and at 74 years old my over all stamina and enthusiasm for doing any things too physical is on the decline . I’m hoping that my new diet will not only lead to better cholesterol numbers , but loosing some weight as well.

Tom

 

.

 

 

 

[zakalwe]

1 hour ago, ExpatOilWorker said:

Do you recall at what total cholesterol level you started taking statin?

At 240 my "farang" doctor actually recommended what you just did, wait for now.

 

My total was 304. My LDL was 220. 

 

Oh, a doctor actually recommended statins to me decades ago. I had a bad reaction to Lipitor and decided to swear off of statins. I should have tried another one. I can tolerate Crestor just fine now.

[retarius]

On 3/8/2024 at 8:16 AM, Dolf said:

Why is high cholestrol bad?

 

https://reason.com/2018/09/22/new-research-confirms-we-got-cholesterol/

I have read a few studies on this. But statins have solid outcomes studies conducted over decades all showing that whoever you are and whatever your starting cholesterol level is, MACE is reduced in all types of patients studied....so whether it is primary prevention of heart attack eg WOSCOPS, secondary prevention in patient who have had heart attacks 4S study and a host of others, the results are remarkably consistent. 

I watched a video about a year ago by a cardiologist that I had never heard of from the western US. He had observational data showing that lower LDL was not better, and in fact worsened outcomes. In the last two weeks there have been two other studies(one pre-peer review) allegedly showing the similar effects. I have only seen the press reports. The question I have is how come all those large, long =term outcomes studies on statin all showed a benefit? Were they wrong? Each result was statistically significant ie p< 0.05 ie each study had only a one in twenty chance of the result being incorrect. If you nave two positive studies then the chance of them both being incorrect falls to 1 in 400 and if 3 positive studies then the chance of them all showing an incorrect positive result is less than 1:8000. Do you see where I am going? A couple of small studies published now cannot negate a dozen or more positive studies done previously. The message being don't ditch your stating yet, at least not until some real non study experts have fully evaluated the most recent data. 

[Dolf]

4 minutes ago, retarius said:

I have read a few studies on this. But statins have solid outcomes studies conducted over decades all showing that whoever you are and whatever your starting cholesterol level is, MACE is reduced in all types of patients studied....so whether it is primary prevention of heart attack eg WOSCOPS, secondary prevention in patient who have had heart attacks 4S study and a host of others, the results are remarkably consistent. 

I watched a video about a year ago by a cardiologist that I had never heard of from the western US. He had observational data showing that lower LDL was not better, and in fact worsened outcomes. In the last two weeks there have been two other studies(one pre-peer review) allegedly showing the similar effects. I have only seen the press reports. The question I have is how come all those large, long =term outcomes studies on statin all showed a benefit? Were they wrong? Each result was statistically significant ie p< 0.05 ie each study had only a one in twenty chance of the result being incorrect. If you nave two positive studies then the chance of them both being incorrect falls to 1 in 400 and if 3 positive studies then the chance of them all showing an incorrect positive result is less than 1:8000. Do you see where I am going? A couple of small studies published now cannot negate a dozen or more positive studies done previously. The message being don't ditch your stating yet, at least not until some real non study experts have fully evaluated the most recent data. 

Lots of lifestyle factors will influence results and lots of studies are funded by drug companies. 

[Gecko123]

3 hours ago, tomgreen said:

 

Hi , thanks for the advice , which most of it I’m now following , one thing that I’m finding difficult to do would be the daily aerobic exercise . My stumbling block is a combination of high ambient temperature ( its just too hot ) and at 74 years old my over all stamina and enthusiasm for doing any things too physical is on the decline . I’m hoping that my new diet will not only lead to better cholesterol numbers , but loosing some weight as well.

Tom

 

.

 

 

 

Come on guy, 74's too young for the rocking chair. But I agree the climate makes exercise a challenge. Any swimming pools around where you live? I exercise early morning (walking and mountain bike riding), driving to a long stretch of back road with almost no dogs or traffic. I always carry a small flashlight. Wish you the best of luck achieving your fitness and health goals.

[TigerandDog]

start drinking extra virgin olive oil. 30 mls (2 tablespoons) every morning on an empty stomach and the same dose again 1 hour before bed at night.

 

 

[FruitPudding]

46 minutes ago, TigerandDog said:

start drinking extra virgin olive oil. 30 mls (2 tablespoons) every morning on an empty stomach and the same dose again 1 hour before bed at night.

 

 

 

Lemme guess this 'Dr' is a chiropractor? Pretty sure, he is.

 

I am no doctor (nor is this guy), but I'd suggest it's more important to cut out the bad crap, than to start some supplement.

 

Like, would you put a bandaid on a dirty wound?

[Sheryl]

5 hours ago, tomgreen said:

 

Hi , thanks for the advice , which most of it I’m now following , one thing that I’m finding difficult to do would be the daily aerobic exercise . My stumbling block is a combination of high ambient temperature ( its just too hot ) and at 74 years old my over all stamina and enthusiasm for doing any things too physical is on the decline . I’m hoping that my new diet will not only lead to better cholesterol numbers , but loosing some weight as well.

Tom

 

.

 

 

 

At your age one of the best things is simply brisk walking (brisk according to what you can tolerate).

 

Download a step tracking app on your phone and set a daily target of not less than 5,000 steps. I use an Android app called Step Tracker, free. It really helps a lot...motivates you to move around more rather than economizing on movement which tends to be out default.

 

As to the heat: Try dividing into 2 daily walks, one first thing in the morning before it is too hot, and one after 5 PM once it cools off. And on the morning walk, use an umbrella to shade yourself from the sun, Thai-style. It makes quite a difference.

 

Being more active and having a better diet will definitely help your overall health regardless of whether it reduces LDL enough (that, maybe it will, maybe it won't).

[TigerandDog]

14 hours ago, FruitPudding said:

 

Lemme guess this 'Dr' is a chiropractor? Pretty sure, he is.

 

I am no doctor (nor is this guy), but I'd suggest it's more important to cut out the bad crap, than to start some supplement.

 

Like, would you put a bandaid on a dirty wound?

That may well be true if you can believe the YouTube video claiming he's only a chiropractor, BUT that doesn't change the fact that what he and many other REAL drs say about the health benefits of EVOO isn't true. I've been drinking EVOO now for around 6 months and my high blood pressure (165/85) is now well within a healthy range (114/70), my blood sugar level has dropped from 145 to 92 and my LDL cholesterol is now also within the healthy range. So it does work.

[FruitPudding]

12 minutes ago, TigerandDog said:

That may well be true if you can believe the YouTube video claiming he's only a chiropractor, BUT that doesn't change the fact that what he and many other REAL drs say about the health benefits of EVOO isn't true. I've been drinking EVOO now for around 6 months and my high blood pressure (165/85) is now well within a healthy range (114/70), my blood sugar level has dropped from 145 to 92 and my LDL cholesterol is now also within the healthy range. So it does work.

 

Have you not made any other lifestyle changes?

[TigerandDog]

Just now, FruitPudding said:

 

Have you not made any other lifestyle changes?

nope. I was already eating healthy, doing DDPYoga 4 times a week and cycling an average of 150kms per week. I was even on blood pressure meds, but none of this was having any impact on my blood pressure, blood sugar or LDL cholesterol. The only impact the healthy eating and exercise was having was keeping my weight constant at 80kg (176lbs). All the improvements have occurred since starting to drink the EVOO. As previously stated, 2 tablespoons (30 mls) every morning on an empty stomach and the same dose 1 hour before bed every night.

[FruitPudding]

5 minutes ago, TigerandDog said:

nope. I was already eating healthy, doing DDPYoga 4 times a week and cycling an average of 150kms per week. I was even on blood pressure meds, but none of this was having any impact on my blood pressure, blood sugar or LDL cholesterol. The only impact the healthy eating and exercise was having was keeping my weight constant at 80kg (176lbs). All the improvements have occurred since starting to drink the EVOO. As previously stated, 2 tablespoons (30 mls) every morning on an empty stomach and the same dose 1 hour before bed every night.

 

Interesting 

 

That's like 400 calories a day though, in oil.

 

That's like a meal. You really ought to consume that oil on a salad.

[TigerandDog]

Just now, FruitPudding said:

 

Interesting 

 

That's like 400 calories a day though, in oil.

 

That's like a meal. You really ought to consume that oil on a salad.

Forget the calorie count. EVOO is loaded with healthy monounsaturated fat and polyphenols. Even my GP was surprised at the results I've achieved since starting to drink it daily. He said he knew it had health benefits but my results blew his mind. Admittedly I've drinking double the suggested amount, but not exceeding that because too much EVOO will have you sitting on the loo far more than you would like to.

 

Did you actually watch the video I posted? If you don't trust Dr Mandell (??) then go to YouTube and watch any of the numerous videos there on the health benefits of EVOO.

[superal]

25 minutes ago, TigerandDog said:

nope. I was already eating healthy, doing DDPYoga 4 times a week and cycling an average of 150kms per week. I was even on blood pressure meds, but none of this was having any impact on my blood pressure, blood sugar or LDL cholesterol. The only impact the healthy eating and exercise was having was keeping my weight constant at 80kg (176lbs). All the improvements have occurred since starting to drink the EVOO. As previously stated, 2 tablespoons (30 mls) every morning on an empty stomach and the same dose 1 hour before bed every night.

Sounds good . What brand of evoo and where to buy it please .

[Gecko123]

19 hours ago, tomgreen said:

at 74 years old my over all stamina and enthusiasm for doing any things too physical is on the decline .

Just one last suggestion. Take a look at your sleep quality and sleep hygiene. Keep a sleep diary for a month and see if any patterns emerge. Poor sleep quality => low energy level => low activity level => poor sleep quality.

 

If you're physically inactive you're likely to have developed some joint pains which can disturb sleep every time you change sleeping position. Doing strengthening and stretching exercises that target specific joint pains can improve sleep quality => encourage more physical activity => improved cholesterol numbers.

[BigStar]

20 hours ago, tomgreen said:

My stumbling block is a combination of high ambient temperature ( its just too hot ) and at 74 years old my over all stamina and enthusiasm for doing any things too physical is on the decline .

 

You can get an exercise bike, treadmill, or elliptical machine and do cardio at home in the aircon. You can use resistance bands, a couple of dumbbells, and/or a suspension trainer for resistance exercise and more. Sorted.  

 

Being unfit makes you lazy. Starting is the hardest part. In fact, the dread of losing progress and starting over will be a great motivator later on.

[TigerandDog]

3 hours ago, superal said:

Sounds good . What brand of evoo and where to buy it please .

The first thing with EVOO is to make sure it's not fake. Fake EVOO has things like canola oil and other types of oil mixed in, which means it's actually detrimental to your health.

 

If you want to test the EVOO put a shot glass of EVOO in the fridge overnight. Genuine EVOO will 100% solidify. Should there be any liquid residue on the surface it's fake EVOO.

 

Secondly, ONLY ever buy EVOO that is in a dark (preferably green) coloured bottle. That is what keeps the light out and therefore prevents the oil from going rancid.

 

Thirdly check the labels, front and back to ensure that the oil is cold pressed and that there is a produced date AND a best before date on the rear label. The maximum period between the produced date and best before date MUST be 18 months.

 

Bertolli is genuine BUT their rear label only has a best before date, so there is no way of knowing when it was produced and it could have been anywhere up to 2 years or more prior to the best before date.

 

Carbonell is also a genuine EVOO and it has both dates on it's rear label. This is the one I currently use.

 

Monini is another genuine oil but my local supermarket only sells it with an unhealthy oil as a freebie stuck to it, so I haven't been able to see any dates on the rear label.

 

Never buy EVOO in plastic or clear bottles, it will go rancid very quickly.

 

I buy my oil at Lotus's. My local Makro has Bertolli but only in 1 litre bottles. Based on information I've seen in videos by olive oil experts and reading data, it is recommended by those experts that for home use you should only purchase 250 or 500 ml bottles. 1 litre bottles and larger quantities, especially in tins/cans are meant for restaurants that have a heavy turnover in EVOO use.

 

Should you, or anyone else, have any genuine questions please feel free to message me rather than post an enquiry as a comment.

[tomgreen]

On 3/10/2024 at 11:07 AM, cardinalblue said:

Congratulations you have made it to your current age…

 

my best advice is to read Dr Dean Ornish’s book - Reversing Heart Disease

 

it will answer all your questions and which path you should take given your situation 

 

bottom line is it’s all about your condition of your arteries and daily stress management and not about blood test numbers, what meds you are taking or am I doing 60 minutes of cardio a day…

 

good luck 

Thanks , I'm going to check that book out 👍

 

 

Tom

 

.

[tomgreen]

3 hours ago, BigStar said:

 

You can get an exercise bike, treadmill, or elliptical machine and do cardio at home in the aircon. You can use resistance bands, a couple of dumbbells, and/or a suspension trainer for resistance exercise and more. Sorted.  

 

Being unfit makes you lazy. Starting is the hardest part. In fact, the dread of losing progress and starting over will be a great motivator later on.

My wife told last night that her cousin purchased a new home treadmill 6 months ago , but the cousin had a motorbike accident and now cannot use that home treadmill , so I'm going to take a look at it in a few days and if it looks ok I will buy it and start using it in my home.

 

Tom

 

 

.

 

 

.

[tomgreen]

 

So after Sheryl’s recommendation today I had another blood test , but this time only for the following areas...

 

1. BUN
2. Creatnine
3. Sodium
4. Potassium

 

The blood test cost 300 Baht and took 30 minuets to receive the test results .

 

While sitting in the waiting room waiting for the blood test results I was thinking to my self that after seeing the blood test results from the 5th of March 2024 , which showed both high BUN and Creatnine test result numbers , todays new blood test results will only go to confirm that my BUN and Creatnine test results are going to also show high numbers. 

 

I was surprised to see that my BUN and Creatnine test results numbers on todays new blood test were both showing different lower numbers, and both the Sodium and Potassium numbers showed to be in a normal range 

 

I'm now not sure what to think 😒

 

Tom

 

.

[AgMech Cowboy]

On 3/10/2024 at 7:16 AM, tomgreen said:

Hi , its interesting that you bring up drinking alcohol and the use of statins. Personally I don’t drink alcohol , but I do know other expat friends here who are also taking statins to lower their  Cholesterol numbers and they have continued to drink alcohol on a daily basis . If fact one friend I recently talked to , who is also taking Atorvastatin and drinking alcohol on a regular basis, made the comment that as long as his Cholesterol numbers are being controlled and lowered by taking Atorvastatin , then its perfectly ok for him to continue his daily Chang beer drinking routine . 
 

Tom

It is a quandry. I don't have a reference to back it up. It's just what my friend (and strangely his name was Tommy, too) told me the Doctors had told him.  I was glad I got to speak to him before he passed away. We'd been friend since 1971.  I found one with a quick google search, but it sort of blows off my story.  My guess in Tommy's case it was the only cause the could come up with for his liver disease.  https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/statins-and-alcohol

[Sheryl]

1 hour ago, tomgreen said:

 

So after Sheryl’s recommendation today I had another blood test , but this time only for the following areas...

 

1. BUN
2. Creatnine
3. Sodium
4. Potassium

 

The blood test cost 300 Baht and took 30 minuets to receive the test results .

 

While sitting in the waiting room waiting for the blood test results I was thinking to my self that after seeing the blood test results from the 5th of March 2024 , which showed both high BUN and Creatnine test result numbers , todays new blood test results will only go to confirm that my BUN and Creatnine test results are going to also show high numbers. 

 

I was surprised to see that my BUN and Creatnine test results numbers on todays new blood test were both showing different lower numbers, and both the Sodium and Potassium numbers showed to be in a normal range 

 

I'm now not sure what to think 😒

 

Tom

 

.

You would have fasted before the prior test since it aldo included a lipid profile and were likely dehydrated then.

 

Hence the recommendation to get a non-fasting repeat creatnine level after adequate hydration. 

 

This one is normal suggestion the prior elevations were due to dehydration.

 

Contrary to what Thao hospitals tell you, it is fine to drink plain water before  for cholesterol. 

[superal]

3 hours ago, TigerandDog said:

The first thing with EVOO is to make sure it's not fake. Fake EVOO has things like canola oil and other types of oil mixed in, which means it's actually detrimental to your health.

 

If you want to test the EVOO put a shot glass of EVOO in the fridge overnight. Genuine EVOO will 100% solidify. Should there be any liquid residue on the surface it's fake EVOO.

 

Secondly, ONLY ever buy EVOO that is in a dark (preferably green) coloured bottle. That is what keeps the light out and therefore prevents the oil from going rancid.

 

Thirdly check the labels, front and back to ensure that the oil is cold pressed and that there is a produced date AND a best before date on the rear label. The maximum period between the produced date and best before date MUST be 18 months.

 

Bertolli is genuine BUT their rear label only has a best before date, so there is no way of knowing when it was produced and it could have been anywhere up to 2 years or more prior to the best before date.

 

Carbonell is also a genuine EVOO and it has both dates on it's rear label. This is the one I currently use.

 

Monini is another genuine oil but my local supermarket only sells it with an unhealthy oil as a freebie stuck to it, so I haven't been able to see any dates on the rear label.

 

Never buy EVOO in plastic or clear bottles, it will go rancid very quickly.

 

I buy my oil at Lotus's. My local Makro has Bertolli but only in 1 litre bottles. Based on information I've seen in videos by olive oil experts and reading data, it is recommended by those experts that for home use you should only purchase 250 or 500 ml bottles. 1 litre bottles and larger quantities, especially in tins/cans are meant for restaurants that have a heavy turnover in EVOO use.

 

Should you, or anyone else, have any genuine questions please feel free to message me rather than post an enquiry as a comment.

Thanks for the info . When you say the fridge , will that be cold enough or what about a chest freezer ?

[tomgreen]

32 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

You would have fasted before the prior test since it aldo included a lipid profile and were likely dehydrated then.

 

Hence the recommendation to get a non-fasting repeat creatnine level after adequate hydration. 

 

This one is normal suggestion the prior elevations were due to dehydration.

 

Contrary to what Thao hospitals tell you, it is fine to drink plain water before  for cholesterol. 

Thanks Sheryl

 

On the 5th of March 2024 Blood test I did fast for 12 hours before the blood test as instructed by the hospital doctor, on to days blood test test I did not fast at all before the blood test , I'm a little confused with the results , have I got this right . It seems to suggest that a blood test can give you 2 different results , depending if the patient fasted before the blood test or not. So which blood test ( 5th of March 2024 ) Vs ( 11th of March 2024 ) would I assume to show the correct and more reliable results for the BUN / Creatinine numbers. 

 

Tom

 

.

[Paul9989]

Your total cholesterol isn't very high. My grandmother had cholesterol of 400 and lived into her eighties. 
 

My total cholesterol was also around 240 not too long ago. My HDL/LDL ratio was good with high HDL though. 

 

I used to eat 4 egg yolks a day. Dropped it to zero for 5 weeks, then retested. Cholesterol then dropped to 185.  Then I started eating 2 eggs yolks per day and cholesterol went up a little bit, but not much. 
 

Recent studies show no direct correlation between LDL and heart disease so I don't really worry about it. I also take 3 fish oil tablets a day containing 1,000MG of oil each, which probably attributes to my higher HDL. 
 

Your FBS and triglycerides are also a bit on the high side. Possible indications of a high sugar/high carb diet. You need to eat healthier and reduce sugar and cheap carb intake. 
 

Also, your high creatinine in the most recent test is not a good sign. Might be related to the statins. Get some more kidney tests done like Urine Protein, Urine Creatinine, and, most importantly, get a Cystatin C blood test done for kidneys. 

 

Statins are bad for liver and kidneys. You also should reduce your BMI a bit and start exercising. Some walking on a treadmill 3-4 times a week and some light weight/resistance training would be really good. 
 

Best wishes..

[tomgreen]

3 minutes ago, Paul9989 said:

Your total cholesterol isn't very high. My grandmother had cholesterol of 400 and lived into her eighties. 
 

My total cholesterol was also around 240 not too long ago. My HDL/LDL ratio was good with high HDL though. 

 

I used to eat 4 egg yolks a day. Dropped it to zero for 5 weeks, then retested. Cholesterol then dropped to 185.  Then I started eating 2 eggs yolks per day and cholesterol went up a little bit, but not much. 
 

Recent studies show no direct correlation between LDL and heart disease so I don't really worry about it. I also take 3 fish oil tablets a day containing 1,000MG of oil each, which probably attributes to my higher HDL. 
 

Your FBS and triglycerides are also a bit on the high side. Possible indications of a high sugar/high carb diet. You need to eat healthier and reduce sugar and cheap carb intake. 
 

Also, your high creatinine in the most recent test is not a good sign. Might be related to the statins. Get some more kidney tests done like Urine Protein, Urine Creatinine, and, most importantly, get a Cystatin C blood test done for kidneys. 

 

Statins are bad for liver and kidneys. You also should reduce your BMI a bit and start exercising. Some walking on a treadmill 3-4 times a week and some light weight/resistance training would be really good. 
 

Best wishes..

Hi and thanks for your comment .

 

I was some how hoping that the blood test I had to day ( 11 March 2024 ) was an indicator that my creatinine number was not too high Vs my blood test results on 5th of March 2024 .

 

 

Tom

 

. 

[Paul9989]

One more thing, if you drink lots of fruit juice and/or soft drinks, I would cut it out immediately. And don't put lots of sugar in coffee and tea. You don't want to end up with type 2 diabetes. Those things can also be contributing to your higher FBS and higher triglycerides.

 

And lack of physical activity and regular exercise is really an enemy of aging. Some lifestyle changes are needed for longevity. 

[Paul9989]

1 minute ago, tomgreen said:

Hi and thanks for your comment .

 

I was some how hoping that the blood test I had to day ( 11 March 2024 ) was an indicator that my creatinine number was not too high Vs my blood test results on 5th of March 2024 .

 

 

Tom

 

. 

Creatinine can go up and down from use of medications. In my case my creatinine is almost always high because of regular weight training and creatinine in the blood is actually a byproduct of muscle breakdown. If I stop exercising for a few months then my blood creatinine drops back to normal levels. But all of the other kidney related tests I recommended come out normal for me. So it seems weight lifting is the cause for me. 

 

But in your case, the high creatinine isn't from rigorous exercise. So I would definitely get those 3 other kidney marker tests done that I suggested to see if there are any other signs of kidney disease.