Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => Other Health Discussion => Topic started by: Lynda07 on February 10, 2022, 03:47:31 PM
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Hi
A few month ago my cholesterol was 7.2 and I was told by my GP I needed to lower it. I had a blood test to measure it again a few weeks ago as part of a check up for a possible heart issue and I was horrified to hear yesterday that it's now 8! I've no idea what could have caused this increase. My blood pressure is also high at 150/91 and that is with the 24 hour monitor :(
I've done so much reading to see how I can improve things in the past 24 hours that my head is spinning. I've told my GP I'll give up alcohol and on this basis she has given me 3 month to bring my cholesterol down, failing that she obviously wants me on statins and I really don't want to take them.
Reading on line, tips seem to be mainly to eat low carb, good fats and exercise. I thought I had a reasonably healthy diet but based on what I'm reading I do have too many carbs and although not a sugar addict, I do eat biscuits and chocolate.
Can anyone offer any other advice that is straight forward or direct me to somewhere with easy(ish) UK recipes? I am sure deep down it's quite simple to get to grips with a different way of eating but I do feel quite overwhelmed with all I have read.
Thank you.
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Hi,
Best place to start is with this doc. Website has information and video. He also has a published recipe book. Good luck.
https://doctoraseem.com/
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Hi there, I just wanted to say that although I am sure you will be able to make some really good changes and make a difference to your reading - it isn't the end of the world if you do need to take statins. A very large scale study has shown they work and a lot of the side effects were actually due to the 'nonebo' effect. In other words people expect to get muscle aches etc and so experience them. I think the study showed that they were just as present in the placebo group! Also... I think there is research happening to see if they have a preventative effect for Alzheimer's.
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We take statins. My levels were 7 for years which freaked out our new GP. Talking it through we both decided to take them every morning. No side effects at all.
Supposedly lessens the risk of stroke. I don't know if GPs get paid to prescribe them?
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Aprilflower, thank you, that is really interesting, much appreciated.
Gnatty, I have read this also, thank you My only problem is I have a dreadful fear of all medication, it makes life very difficult at times.
CKLD - I am glad you have no side effects. I am reading lots on what they may do or not do, it’s a minefield out there. Thank you for replying.
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Hello Lynda07.
I am fortunate that my cholesterol and blood pressure etc are all good but I wanted to say that you needn't feel daunted if you have to change your diet. I did exactly that twelve years ago when I stopped eating meat and dairy. Actually it took me a while to give up cheese and eggs but from 2013 I have been completely plant based. I was never much of a cook but I discovered great chefs on YouTube and along with vegan recipe books I now make delicious food that is healthy for me. I also eat a lot of carbs but they are the complex ones from plants and for healthy fats I eat plenty of nuts. Thankfully the Ulcerative Colitis that caused me to change my diet is now a thing of the past.
Hopefully your cholesterol and high blood pressure will improve with lifestyle changes so that you don't have to worry about taking medication.
Take care and please keep us updated.
K.
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Thanks Kathleen. I think once I ‘get my head around’ a total change in diet I would be ok but do feel daunted at the moment as I just don’t know what to eat, we aren’t very adventurous in our diet at home so I tend to eat very similar, carb heavy meals most days. It’s so encouraging to hear from someone like yourself who has not only made changes but done so successfully.
I will let you know how I get on. Also, I never thought of YouTube for recipes etc so thanks for that too.
Lynda
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I was always the one who refused the cream cakes when out to lunch with friends and always followed a strict healthy diet all my adult life. Guess who was the one who had the highest cholesterol, me!
It can be genetic as in my case, all I can do is stick to my healthy diet and keep active. I couldn’t get on with the statins, my digestive system couldn’t cope and made me feel very ill.
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Hello again ladies.
Lynda07 - I found that my palate adapted when I changed my diet and now I really appreciate the taste of the meals that I make. I also substituted some foods and used healthy alternatives, for example soya milk instead of cows milk. I found the whole process fairly straightforward and I don't feel deprived at all.
I did all this because my Ulcerative Colitis was caused by chronic inflammation which animal foods contribute to but plant foods do not.
Gracie - I have a friend who has Familial Hypercholesterolemia and he needs to take statins because his high cholesterol can't be controlled by diet. He tried several types of the drug but now he takes one that suits him very well.
Take care ladies.
K.
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That is such a shame Gracie, My GP mentioned it could be genetic too. So (if you don't mind me asking) do you just not take any medication due to the side effects you suffered?
Kathleen, I am feeling quite inspired reading your latest comment, I've got some vegan and vegetarian cook books and am going to look through them at the weekend and make a weekly meal plan.
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Hello Ladies :)
If it of help, my GP said that cholesterol is not raised by foods but by dropping ultra processed
food, sugars and increasing exercise we get our balance back.
I listened to this program on radio recently all about how we eat too much sugars ...
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0639xp0#:~:text=Simon%20Evans%20looks%20at%20the,been%20knowingly%20concealed%20for%20decades.
I hope your special diet for your ulcerative colitis working fine for you Kathleen. I make absolutely no criticism, because you make it right for you.
Most people have been misled about animal fats for many years. A Doctor called Ancel Keys made mistakes in his study which were used by food processors to advertise their sugary and low fat packet foods that damage our health. There are questions about inflammation too and what is really causing it. Omega 3 is lacking in many diet that are low in fat so balanced diet with meat and real dairy does make a healthy diet after all.
My bad cholesterol got higher than she liked, so I now have better food. More from scratch, lots of vegetables and fruit, meat and fish, and back to full milk. Cholesterol is down. My family is doing fine.
Now my VA is improved, I can exercise more comfortably and I expect to have my cholesterol down more than my last check. :gym:
With best wishes 💓
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Good post Gynaikeios. That's pretty much as I understand things.
Cutting down on sugar and starchy carbs is hard but pays dividends. Good quality protein also helps to satisfy the appetit for longer.
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That is such a shame Gracie, My GP mentioned it could be genetic too. So (if you don't mind me asking) do you just not take any medication due to the side effects you suffered?
I don't take any meds and I had a blood test done last year and nothing was mentioned but I probably would have refused statins again if offered.
I was diagnosed with high cholesterol many years ago and I am hoping my diet is keeping me healthy, apart from having a chocolate digestive which is my only vice, no doctor is going to take that away from me. :)
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Gynaikeíos - I do appreciate you posting this link, thank you. I'm half way through listening to it and it's interesting (and amusing).
Aprilflower - I think that's very true, I hadn't realised how much I "rely" on both and I do find the thought of giving them up or reducing them quite difficult. I have stopped drinking alcohol but noticed I have then veered towards chocolate so there is a sugar craving there, in place of the wine, for sure.
Gracie - I would be the same as you, in every way, I don't want statins (just my personal view of course)
Thanks again ladies.
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Try switching to dark chocolate. FIL was diabetic, gp told him it was OK (and better for him than the diabetic chocolate).
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I love Simon Evans voice! He sounds like a very clever happy horse 😍
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Hi Lynda
I've bumped an old thread on this ( which I haven't read through before doing so) but it should give you a picture of some of the issues.
Basically it is not cholesterol level per se which is important but the ratio of total to HDL, as well as LDL that is important/ Some people naturally have a higher level. Mine is often at that.
As probably mentioned in the other thread the doc should take a number of factors as well as the CH and plug them into the Qrisk analysis to come up with a theoretical stroke risk - so in your case the high BP is more of a worry I would say, if it is consistently high.
I would focus on your whole lifestyle (apologies if you are already doing everything you can) - so your body weight. So for women who are very overweight, very important to reduce this so a healthy range. Exercise - very important to incrrease this if necessary. And of course diet - not necessarily reducing fats altogether, as others have said, nor even having a vegetarian diet, but reducing refined carbs (not all carbs) and eliminating processed sugars as far as possible. Should be fine to eat coconut, olive oil, avocado etc - natural fats but if you eat a lot of fried or processed foods and fatty red meat then yes reduce these - as well as alcohol and salt in your diet.
There are lots of natural ways to reduce BP but you may well not reduce your Ch - thoiugh if your BP reduces then this should reduce your Qrisk score. Also depends on your age too!
No need to completely stop your treats! A little alcohol eg at weekend, small squares of dark chocolate or really good quality expensive chocs so you don't feel tempted to eat them all at once!
Hope this helps :)
Hurdity x
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Sheila99 thanks for the dark chocolate tip, I do have some and find I can't/don't want to eat as much as milk chocolate.
Thanks so much for bumping the other thread Hurdity. I've read through it and will be checking out all of the links in it as well.
I wasn't told my ratio, I should have asked for that, in the past (admittedly many years ago) my GP said my good cholesterol was "fantastic" - however, my GP last year said the bad cholesterol was catching it up.
Last week the GP said my Q risk was 9, to be honest, that isn't really high enough to make me want to take statins (well, I don't want them full stop really). I'm hoping that by giving up alcohol and reducing sugar and "bad" carbs this figure will reduce as I expect it to have an effect on my blood pressure too.
I'm 57 and 9 stone 4 and 5'4 so not overweight but any fat is belly fat which isn't healthy I know. Exercise is something I am still struggling with - I manage to get my 10,000 steps in most days by walking my dogs but do need to do some cardio and I've a cross trainer sitting here waiting to be used as well!
I'm going to give this my best shot - keep your fingers crossed for me in three month time when my cholesterol is retested.
Thanks again everyone who has replied. It's all a big deal to me as I have awful health anxiety but even worse, a phobia of medication so your replies have been really helpful and supportive.
Lynda x
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Hi Lynda
Personally I’m not keen on the idea of taking statins either. My friends who take them have had varying side effects however the overriding factor is that their good cholesterol is considerably reduced as well - I don’t want this.
I started to take plant sterols, exercise more. Due to lack of check ups due to Covid I’ve not had a cholesterol check recently so I don’t know whether it has continued to reduce.
Flutterby x
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I read that oats, pulses (soya) and nuts (almonds) were good for reducing cholesterol so I have given it a go.
I use oats, and wholemeal grains such as rye as well as wheat and try and eat 2 or 3 meals with pulses in a week (but not necessarily soya as too much of this is not so good for kidney stones :( ). I have allergy problems with hazelnuts and almonds so I skip those.
High fibre is supposed to help, so plenty vegetables and fruit alongside the pulses and wholegrains.
Oily fish is supposed to help too with Omega 3 fats, so make sure you get your sardines/mackerel in. Not too much Omega 6 as this changes the Omega 6/3 balance so do not overdo the chicken and avoid sunflower oil (olive or decent rapeseed is ok).
At one point, I was making cakes using egg, minimal sugar and ground almonds and lemon, which were very nice, but then I found that it was setting allergies off.
It is a long while since I was tested, but my HDL/LDL proportions were good and the overall number reduced to just under the required level.
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Flutterby, I'd not even thought of good cholesterol being reduced as well, I don't want that either. I've brought Benecol, also got some plant sterol tablets.
Thank you Dahliagirl - I love almonds and am eating a handful daily and have now got myself an nice overnight oat recipe to try as well. I think my problem is we (at home) are in a rut meal wise and I need to get out of that. I'm pleased your numbers are good, that's great to hear.
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You need a 3 legged dog ;). Mine can't go at walking speed so I end up jogging (it's also the reason I avoid walks where she has to go on a lead, I hate running).