Cholesterol

[mtsoxfan]

I know all cases are different...
Gymrat, I looked into Red yeast rice before deciding on fish oil with EPA and DHA because according to WebMD, red yeast rice interacts with alcohol, which can cause liver damage like taking ibuprofin and alcohol. I guess when you look at side effects and interactions, you must sometimes decide on the least of all evils...

[Beer-lord]

Niacin helps but you need alot and it gave me rashes. All these ideas are great but I'm a believer that once you reach 35-40, you should get a physical once a year. I don't enjoy it but when the doc does what he needs too, I just think of my family and do it for them. Plus, I want to be around long enough to aggravate the crap out of them.

[docpd]

Overall lipid levels and their contribution to cardiovascular risk is a complex and controversial topic, even among cardiologists. Heredity does play a large role, but diet and exercise do have significant effects. Beer does tend to increase both total cholesterol and triglycerides to a moderate degree. In moderation it can raise HDL as well. Excess alcohol of any sort actually can dramatically lower total cholesterol levels, probably by damaging the liver. I know whenever I see an unexpectedly low cholesterol level in a patient who is not particularly fit, I consider alcoholism as a cause.

A sensible diet, low in saturated fat and high in complex carbohydrates and fiber (whole grains, fruits and vegetables) can improve lipid numbers. Regular exercise will reduce total cholesterol, LDL and raise HDL, all good things.

Statins are very effective in lowering total cholesterol and LDL. Niacin and fibrates lower triglycerides and may raise HDL a bit. Statins also significantly reduce the overall incidence of heart disease and stroke in people with known risk factors like prior heart disease, significant family history, diabetes, smoking, and obesity.

In people with mild to moderate elevations of lipids and no risk factors, recent studies have not shown a benefit in using statins. A recent large meta-analysis of many prior studies called into question the use of statins for primary prevention (use in patients with no prior cardiovascular disease). Cardiologists are hotly debating this topic now.

In my opinion, a sensible diet which can include moderate (no more than 2 drinks per day) alcohol intake, regular exercise, weight reduction if needed, are the best things we can do to minimize the risk of heart disease. Lipid medications can be very helpful in the right circumstances.

[mashani]

As a counterpoint/reference:

I usually drink 2 beers a day, or just 1 if it's 6%+. I have low cholesterol, low triglycerides, and a low heart rate too. And a low BMI. But my diet is primarily vegetarian and I'm an endurance athlete so that all comes into play. To me the beer is food - I need the extra calories to maintain my BMI, and I simply can't eat enough unless I eat garbage.

That all sounds great, but try to buy your own personal health insurance on the open market (at least before the insurance plan everyone likes to bitch about these days) or life insurance when you are like me and you will see what a nightmare it can be. That last couple of times, the first thing I hear is "you must have cancer". Then the big "DENY" stamp comes out. I have to then go through a battery of tests paid for out of my own pocket to demonstrate that no, I don't have cancer, my liver is not toast, and I do not need to be hospitalized and am not about to drop dead.

They would actually be less concerned if I had slightly elevated levels of anything. I'd be "normal".

[Insanitized]

Your brain is cholesterol, enjoy it. Don't smoke, don't drink, exercise, take statins if they tell you to, and when you get to the man cave screw all of that and get drunk.

[FrozenInTime]

and a low heart rate too.

They would actually be less concerned if I had slightly elevated levels of anything. I'd be "normal".

How low? Mine runs so low I have seen all the specialist, they say for me to not worry about it, it's normal for me. But bout every time I go to see the doc, the intake nurses bout have a coronary themselves. Sitting, resting, my heart rate runs from 48 to 51/52. A couple times I have been checked as low as 34 which immediately gets me put on a machine. It has for years, I think my years in the military, running 5 miles every night and 10 miles a lot preparing for yearly aerobics is what did it for me. They put me on a tread mil twice trying to get my heart rate up to (140?) or there abouts so they could check me out, forget the name of the test, but they could not get it done, even with machine as fast as it could go. I'm here to tell ya that sucked because I had needles in the back of the hands... ouch.

I thought your first name was Abby?


Thanks for the input docpd, very much appriciated.

[zorak1066]

cholesterol comes from animal FATS not carbs. eat lots of fatty meats.... you get high cholesterol readings. example: one week before having bloodwork I consumed about a whole pack of bacon and 5 hard boiled eggs. surprise... my readings were off the charts.

CARBS come from beer and triglycerides. trigylcerides are sugars. carbs are from grains, pastas etc. drink lots of beer your carb levels go up. unless you exercise to burn them off, they get converted to fat and stored up for later use. that is why sedentary life + lots of beer = fatty fatty 2 x 4 cant fit through the kitchen door.

cholesterol types come in 2 varieties hdl and ldl. one is bad, the other is good. it is the ratio of good to overall that you want high to determine your risk of heart disease and other things. lots of research out there... just google it. while statins are being touted as the number one effective 'cure' to high cholesterol, they have tons of side effects that I for one don't want anything to do with. for one thing, they raise your triglyceride readings off the chart. go on statins and guess what? they put you on triglyceride meds. $$$$ then the statins can severely ruin your liver which means more meds..$$$$$... and you can get diabetes....more meds $$$$$$$. my doc told me he was putting me on statins and my reply was 'go F yourself'. I started taking fish oil once a day with meals, cut out bacon to a once in awhile thing... I started taking niacin... not too much (cant recall dose atm). next readings? cholesterol was down to normal.

I am not a doctor. I don't play one on tv but in my opinion ppl are too willing to accept any meds the doc prescribes. they want to line their pockets at the cost of ruining you financially and your health. if you see promo stuff in you docs office like note pads, free samples, ads etc... he or she is probably getting kick backs from the big pharma. I had one like this. here's a pill for this...a pill for that and oh wait I have to take this call. its from my pharma sales rep!

anyway... you want lower cholesterol, cut out fatty meats and add exercise. carbs too high? cut back on beer and bread and pasta... and add exercise. trigs too high? cut back on sugar, corn syrup, beer, soda, and add exercise.

[mashani]

and a low heart rate too.

They would actually be less concerned if I had slightly elevated levels of anything. I'd be "normal".

How low?

42-50 HR depending on if I'm properly rested or over trained and other various factors. My HR recovers quickly after exertion too as long as I'm not overtrained. I don't know that I've ever been as low as 32, but I have gone below 40 in the past sitting in a doctors office and they wanted to put me in the hospital and kept asking me if I was dizzy.

They put me on a tread mil twice trying to get my heart rate up... needles in the back of the hands... ouch.

Yeah been there. They turned the treadmill up to what they said would put all our local police and firemen down and that didn't work and they eventually gave up and decided I wasn't going to die. I'm not sure if that means I'm in great shape or that our local police and fireman are not LOL.

[jimjohson]

VA says my cholesterol is moderately high 220. they tried me on the 3 meds they are allowed to offer. I have bad reactions to them. so they sent me to what they called the lipitor clinic. while participating it seemed to be working, dropped 20 points over 6 weeks. next appointment my reg Doc says he has to take off lipitor va won't let him prescribe it...wants me to start the others again...oh hell no! I had "stop taking this and call your dr" kinda reactions.. I would like to know if they won't let them prescribe it why have a clinic? diet and exercise made no difference over a 2 year period my cholesterol dropped exactly 0. to my mind (nothing the doc said) it's genetic or else the diet and exercise would do some good. I don't understand why they won't just write me a prescription and let me fill it on my own dime. pretty sure wally world's got it. this is where the affordable healthcare act will lead. guess I'm destined for a heart attack 'cause VA wants to save a buck...what do you think the insurance companies are gonna do? gonna be all about saving money and you'll have no choice but to pay what they want, no competitive marketplace.

[Banjo-guy]

anyway... you want lower cholesterol, cut out fatty meats and add exercise. carbs too high? cut back on beer and bread and pasta... and add exercise. trigs too high? cut back on sugar, corn syrup, beer, soda, and add exercise.

That's it in a nutshell.

[docpd]

To Mashani and Frozen, as you know endurance athletes will run a low resting heart rate and tend to have a favorable overall lipid profile unless they have the bad luck to have strong family histories of cardiovascular disease, and even then their exercise habits will help.

The answer is not simple, but sensible diet, weight management and exercise are all keys to lowering cardiovascular risk. Statins can be lifesaving if used properly, but may be overused.

[RickBeer]

In my opinion, a sensible diet which can include moderate (no more than 2 drinks per day) alcohol intake, regular exercise, weight reduction if needed, are the best things we can do to minimize the risk of heart disease. Lipid medications can be very helpful in the right circumstances.

So what about the other 99% of the forum users?

That's why I never have more than 2 beers in a day, and average 4 a week, cause I want my health...

I actually have been lucky to have a body that metabolizes everything fast and all stats are very good.

[FrozenInTime]

To Mashani and Frozen, as you know endurance athletes will run a low resting heart rate and tend to have a favorable overall lipid profile unless they have the bad luck to have strong family histories of cardiovascular disease, and even then their exercise habits will help.

I used to be that way... blew out my back and both knees sound like crunching gravel at times. I would have thought my heart would have went the same way but even with my problems, the heart stayed strong, which is a great thing! My wake-up call was when I hit 300lbs. Sitting in the Dr's office being told I have gave birth to diabetes... felt like I was hit with a baseball bat! I'm down to 240, AIC is now 5.8, down from 7.6 and I can now walk more than 10 ft. Through all this, my heart rate never changed. Got lucky I guess.

Thanks docpd!

[Wings_Fan_In_KC]

I'm 48, 6-1 and 185 so I'm not what I consider overweight at all - maybe 5 pounds. I would like to exercise more than I do but I have a bum knee that makes it difficult - blew out the right knee's ACL in high school and it's been acting up the last few years after I rocked back too far with my knees down.

Lost of good info and responses here. Thanks to everyone who chimed in.