Explain cholesterol to me

[Driller]

Just had a blood test for cholesterol and my total cholesterol is 2.54g/L with anything higher than 2.00 g/L considered a risk apparently.

However,

My triglycerides are 0.87g/L (should be lower than 1.5 so that's ok)
HDL is 0.78g/L and should be higher than 0.4 so that's ok
LDL is 1.59g/L and should be lower than 1.6

Is this good or bad?

[turbolucie]

HDL is the 'good' one so your balance of good/bad is how you'd want it to be.

High triglycerides would be a sign of a familial high cholesterol so you clearly don't have a problem there.

'Risk' in cholesterol is not straightforward. What your GP will do is weigh up your age and other risk factors (smoking, diabetes etc) and calculate the risk of you having a heart attack/stroke over the next 10 years (they have a calculator on their computer which they should show you). If the risk of this is high then they may offer you a statin. I'm not sure about your numbers as I'm used to working in mmol/L but your ratio is good and unless your risk is significantly raised by other factors then I doubt your stats would warrant taking a statin. How old are you?

Edited by turbolucie on Monday 11th February 20:16

[Driller]

In mmol/L:

Triglycerides 0.99
HDL 2.0
LDL 4.09
Total Cholesterol 6.58



Total/HDL ratio= 3.26

Age= 40ish
Never smoked, no diabetes.

Thanks.

[turbolucie]

Have a look at this and put in your details.

http://www.patient.co.uk/doctor/cardiovascular-ris...

If your GP follows you up with your result they will probably do the same (don't hold me to that). They'll probably tell you to bugger off and get your cholesterol tested again in many years' time.

However if it concerns you, you can decrease your cholesterol a little bit by lifestyle changes.

PS. I'm not a doctor.

[Driller]

Thanks for the link Lucie.

turbolucie said:

PS. I'm not a doctor.

Now you tell me

[Marcellus]

turbolucie said:

However if it concerns you, you can decrease your cholesterol a little bit by lifestyle changes.

PS. I'm not a doctor.

errrm not necessarily..... I have been told that with my family history (every blood relative, both paternal and maternal, of previous generations with history of high cholesteral) diet has bugger all to do with and will not effect my scores at all. (which were when diagnosed 9.2 after a year on statins down to 3.4 whcih they're happy with given).

As a result my Children have been reminded to get theirs Checked regularly from an early age.

[turbolucie]

Marcellus said:

errrm not necessarily..... I have been told that with my family history (every blood relative, both paternal and maternal, of previous generations with history of high cholesteral) diet has bugger all to do with and will not effect my scores at all. (which were when diagnosed 9.2 after a year on statins down to 3.4 whcih they're happy with given).

As a result my Children have been reminded to get theirs Checked regularly from an early age.

I believe (may be wrong) that there is plenty of evidence showing a link between diet and serum cholesterol. For example http://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJM1981010830... .

From what I can see, familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) doesn't respond to diet, but the OP probably doesn't have FH given his numbers at age 40...

[Marcellus]

turbolucie said:

I believe (may be wrong) that there is plenty of evidence showing a link between diet and serum cholesterol. For example http://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJM1981010830... .

From what I can see, familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) doesn't respond to diet, but the OP probably doesn't have FH given his numbers at age 40...

That was why I said that "Changes to diet and lifestyle" doesn't necessarily change a cholesterol issue at all..... when people hear I have high Cholesterol (aged 44, quite fit etc etc) they often say that I must eat crap.... people have a perception that high cholesterol is linked to obesity which is wrong and just beacuse you're skinny doesn't mean you shouldn't get your levels checked at a certain age.

There is a strong arguement for testing of all adults at 30 and 40 to see what's going as it's one of those issues that you are largely unware may exist until it is too late.