Venting... new cholesterol issue

[Crankin]

OK, I have always had a high level of "good" cholesterol (HDL), slightly above normal total cholesterol (down from a higher #), and average "bad" (LDL) cholesterol. In the past year, I have made a concerted effort to eat more nuts, olive oil, and salmon/tuna. I also have cut my carb intake.
So, I went for my physical last week and got the results of my blood work via a phone call from my new doc, who is supposedly, a wellness oriented physician. When I went to the exam, once she heard about my lifestyle, she didn't have much to tell me! Anyway, my HDL is now freakishly high... 107 (above 40 is considered good), an unheard of number. It was 81 last year. However, the bad news, is that my total cholesterol has gone from 217 to 278, which may have been caused by the increase in HDL, and not the most concerning. My LDL (bad cholesterol) is now 163, up from 130.
On the phone, she said "Don't worry, I am not putting you on medication. We will talk about lifestyle changes." Giving her the benefit of the doubt, I said, "Do you remember who you are talking to? What else exactly do you think I can do?" I suggested maybe eating grass and exercising 7 days a week? She said no.
So, she wants me to go back and get retested in 6 weeks, as it might be a lab error. We will take it from there. I also got a "You *are* 58 years old." :mad:.
Everything I read says there is just no agreement about how much the effect of good cholesterol fights the bad. Most specialists would not put me on statins. I have no real family history of early heart disease (before 45 for men, 55 for women). My dad had a heart attack at 83, got stents, etc. after 60 years of smoking and no exercise (he is thin, though). My mom died at 67 of liver disease, though she did go on blood pressure meds in her late fifties.
No one else (grandparents) have a history of early heart disease. My paternal grandfather had a heart attack around age 55- 60 (?), but he smoked and was overweight all his life.
I have always been freaked out about heart disease. The thing is, I am allergic to IV contrast dye, so I can't go have a stress test with dye, unless I want to risk a reaction. Of course, I will await the results of the re-test, but I am thinking of going to the cardiologist at the Brigham that DH went to, to get a second opinion. Yes, this is what drives up health care costs, but I don't need special approval and I don't really trust any local physicians.

[goldfinch]

I would wait for the retest before worrying about a second opinion. Have you had a CRP test for inflammation? Isn't there different kinds of HDL too? Maybe the retest should have an even more detailed lipid profile.

The good news is that it sounds like you don't have other risk factors. Given that I have all sorts of risks factors with my mother dying of a heart attack at 39, father of heart failure at 63 (neither smoked and were not obese), skinny brother with stent in his 30s, me with high BP, bad LDL and only half decent HDL though good triglycerides, I have been on statins and a baby aspirin for 20 years.

[shootingstar]

I did get a lab test error for my blood sugar test. So I got retested but using the more real test which is ingesting pure glucose.

So 2nd lab test meant I was not diabetes 2 as thought earlier. But still, I reduced some of my high glycemic foods alot... white rice, white bread.. It made a difference to how I feel..which is better. Probably has controlled my weight more than I realize.

So retesting is worth it if already your lifestyle is healthy.

(By the way, my partner is finding that now when he's eating nuts, he feels a bit odd. He's not sure why...so he's going to monitor his reactions more closely now.) I eat nuts once per month or so. I find nuts abit heavy.

[Crankin]

Shooting Star, your boyfriend may be allergic to nuts. He should be careful. It often begins with just a feeling of gastric distress.
I am not going to get a second opinion until after the re-test. It does take awhile to get an appt. at the Brigham, but it may also take me awhile to get an appt. with a cardiologist locally, too. The one my DH goes to is the chief of the dept. at our local hospital, but he is quite old and often "dozes" off during appts. He's been great for my DH, though, and treated him very aggressively when no one else did and my DH has been symptom free for 5 years.
As I was shopping today, looking at all the people in the grocery store, I keep wondering, gee, they are all out of shape, overweight, and they probably will live longer than me.

[lph]

As I was shopping today, looking at all the people in the grocery store, I keep wondering, gee, they are all out of shape, overweight, and they probably will live longer than me.

I would like to say "Of course they won't!" But the bummer is that there's only so much lifestyle can do. There's a large portion of genetics and plain luck in there as well, that you just can't control.

I have high HDL as well, and last time I checked it was high enough to make my total cholesterol higher than it "should" be. I had a re-test, and it was quite a bit lower then, after a few weeks. I know what it's like to stress about stuff like this when you feel you're doing all you can. Good luck with the re-testing!

[OakLeaf]

(((((Crankin))))) Hope it turns out to be a lab error, or the effect of something unusual you ate before the test.

FWIW, if I'm not mistaken, the thallium marker they use for stress tests is different from the iodine-based contrast they use for other types of imaging, the one people are most likely to be allergic to.

[Crankin]

Thanks, for the info about the thallium, Oak. It's something I would like to have done, regardless, sort of as a benchmark.
LPH, I generally have very good genetics. My mom died young of an autoimmune disease, but 3/4 grandparents lived until 91-92 and the one that died at 79 (he was the one who had a heart attack at 60) died of cancer. My dad is 87, still active, despite the stents in both heart and legs, prostate cancer for 20 years, and being a life long smoker. Nothing wrong with his brain, either.
I don't want to over think this; in my case it's dumb luck. My DH has made me hypersensitive to all of this, but he is a living example of how modern medicine and lifestyle can allow someone with genetics from hell to ride 3K miles a year, nordic ski, and run.

[ny biker]

Isn't a certain kind of fiber also supposed to be good for lowering cholesterol? I don't remember if it's soluble or insoluble, but I think it's whatever you get from oatmeal (and Cheerios).

But yeah, I would say to take a few deep breaths, schedule the re-test and then do your best to forget about it until you have the second set of results. The freakishly high HDL result could indicate that this last test was skewed for some reason.

Good luck!!

[pll]

I believe it's non soluble fiber. Oat meal has a bit (I have it every morning), something like psyllium husk (metamucil!) has it. I've had a couple of measures where my cholesterol was high, but my dr retested me only after 6 months. After the last time, I used metamucil every morning (the "original" version, sugar free), started avoiding soft cheeses, added a glass of red wine every night for a while. Almonds are good, too.

[Crankin]

I already drink a glass of red wine every night, eat almonds, and dark chocolate. I am going to up the oatmeal and decrease my cheese consumption. I eat a lot of Spanish types of cheese. I am also considering the Metamucil route.

[Catrin]

I hope this turns out to be an anomaly Crankin, crossing my fingers that the next test will have a better outcome for you.

[Crankin]

OK, I got the results of my cholesterol re-test. My total went down to almost where it was last year: it's 226 (it was 263 in April). My HDL was now 114! The message on my VM from my PCP didn't say what the LDL was, but her comment was, "your ratio is fantastic, let it alone." I am going to my endocrinologist tomorrow, about my bone stuff, and I can ask her to look up my LDL, just so I know.
OK, so this was either one of two things, or maybe a little of both. I have been eating a very large amount of meats and cheese, since January, kind of semi-Paleo, as well as restricting carbs, so I think for a few months I didn't have enough fiber, too. Since April, when i got the first results I have not had any beef or veal, and the only pork I've had are very, very thin pork chops, maybe once every two weeks. Otherwise, I've been eating a ton of fish, vegetarian, chicken, and turkey. I upped my fiber, too. I did try the Metamucil, but it made my stomach hurt. Now that cycling is in full gear, I'm eating a lot more fiber/good carbs. On the other hand, it could have just been a bad test, but I'm suspicious that it coincided with a change in my diet.

[sookiesue]

I use a fiber product called Konsyl. You shake it with 8 oz liquid (I use about 2 oz whatever fruit juice the kids have around, a squirt of lemon juice, and the rest water) and drink it. Follow with a glass of regular water. It has never given me a stomach ache, but I've never tried any other fiber products so I don't have any basis of comparison. Might be worth a try for you if you want to add fiber.

Glad to hear the retest went better for you!

[chatnoire]

Glad to hear about the good news with the re-test! We've been worrying about the boyfriend's good cholesterol here, since he had a screening through a heath day at work. His "bad" was at 168, but his "good" was only at 21.

He recently lost 19 pounds, and we've been eating more healthy foods, but he's still considered "overweight" with a BMI of 28. We are trying to drink more red wine, eat more nuts and fish, and we have a CSA farm share this summer to increase our veggie consumption, but we're also a little teeny bit worried.

[shootingstar]

Would cut back on red wine. Think about it: there are whole cultures that do not have wine often/or none at all, as part of their diet. And some of those people on such diets are healthy for at least 70-80 yrs. of their life. ANd no cholestrol nor triglyceride problems.

WIne and beer have calories. Yes, I know about so called benefits of red wine. But really? It is alcohol in the end and it has calories. It's sort of thing only couple glasses per month or less.

A nuts..is handful of unsalted nuts at times. But daily??? No. Nuts are healthy in small amounts, but can be heavy in calories.

Add more variety and range of veggies plus diversify in preparation methods. Reduce in salt in food (something I better do more.).

[OakLeaf]

Food has calories! OMG, OMG!

[Catrin]

Food has calories! OMG, OMG!

:) All things in moderation, and each of our bodies has its own way of doing things. I would have never dreamed that the best way for me to start losing body fat was to increase my calorie intake by almost 40% :eek: :confused: :rolleyes: No weight gain, and indeed I've lost almost two pounds. So sometimes the whole equation can be more complex than we realize.

[Catrin]

Crankin... but I'm glad you're okay.

What she said, I am sure the news brought a huge sigh of relief!

[Crankin]

Shooting Star, I am not sure why you think small amounts red wine, olive oil, avocado, and nuts daily are the cause of my false cholesterol reading. These foods are empirically proven to lower LDL and raise HDL. Diversify my food prep methods and add veggies? Jeez, you must not have read some of my other posts. The only way I prepare food is by sauteing, roasting, or grilling. I never eat fried food or junk food, and I haven't for most of my adult life. I don't eat pastries or dessert except for special occasions and I have never used a lot of salt. And now, I hardly eat meat. I eat a handful of mixed nuts and cranberries that come in prepackaged bags at Trader Joe's. Since I started doing that and not eating a carb based snack in the afternoon, I've lost 5 pounds.
Of course beer and wine have calories. And I don't need to lose weight and I don't have high blood pressure. I weigh the least I have since I was 35... between 103 and 105. Just like Catrin, the equation is different for everyone. I eat less of a lot of the things most people eat and more protein and low glycemic carbs. Calories from good food do not cause triglycerides to go up or your total cholesterol to go up. Eating food with fat causes that, along with inactivity, or genetic predisposition. Obviously, that doesn't apply to me.
I enjoy food and wine. Eating out and cooking are probably the most important part of my life, next to cycling. We belong to a wine club and I enjoy researching and reading up on what I like. I don't see any ill effects from one glass of wine most nights a week; if I did, I'd stop.
The way you eat works for you, just as the way I eat works for me. It's obvious my test in April was either just a false reading, or was affected by the increase in red meat and cheese I had been eating. When I stopped that, my numbers returned to almost what they were in 2011, in just 8 weeks.
Yes, Oakleaf, food has calories! Can you believe it???
As my family says, "food is good, man must eat."

[Owlie]

Crankin, I think Shooting Star's post may have been directed at the post directly prior to hers.

[Crankin]

I am not sure, Owlie. I clearly said the same thing. I have a glass of red wine daily, eat nuts, as well as added olive oil and dark chocolate. What Chatnoire's bf is trying to do is the same thing both myself and DH do. And, it's working.

[chatnoire]

And my boyfriend is making these changes from what used to be a pizza and burgers and beer, takeout wings, etc diet. So these are all good, healthy, good cholesterol building calories. Especially since we ride all the time. He needs calories to do that.

And we have a CSA share....TONS of veggies. :) Crankin, I'm glad your numbers returned to a healthy range. I'm hoping that we can get a re-test with a more complete set of numbers for the boyfriend mid-summer.

[malkin]

Would cut back on red wine...

I wouldn't.

[lph]

I know it's obvious, but it bears repeating: being healthy is a lot more important than being thin. (And Crankin, I know that you are both).

Well done on the good readings!

[Crankin]

You know, lph, I think you are wise to bring this up. My original vent was clearly about health. It just happened to coincide with the time period I had lost 5 lbs. And while it wasn't critical for me to lose that 5 pounds in terms of my health, it really has helped me figure out how to maintain my weight in terms of what foods affect my ability to ride/run/x country ski, keep my finicky stomach happy, and just feel good.
I know lots of people who have "numbers" on various tests that make mine look like I am on death's door. Yet, these people are at least 20 pounds overweight and some would be considered obese. It's kind of like those guys who drop me when I'm riding; the ones wearing jeans, riding a beater mountain bike, with a 20 pound backpack on their back, and about 20 years older than me :).
And Malkin is right. I will never give up red wine.
Spoken as I am off to the Colonial Inn to meet another bike leader who helped us on a ride we led in May. I will be sitting on the patio drinking red wine.

[shootingstar]

Crankin, I think Shooting Star's post may have been directed at the post directly prior to hers.

Yup, you're right. It was more about why would Chatnoire's bf who is trying to lose some weight, would drink more red wine, etc. :confused:

THis is not lowering bad cholestrol levels but more on lowering triglycerides for my partner: he drastically reduced wine intake, sugar desserts, red meat and did lots of cycling. Lost 50 lbs. (20 yrs. ago). Regained 30 lbs. in past 6 yrs.

Now lost 15-18 lbs by cutting back on high carb bread/bagels, he drinks about 2-3 glasses of red wine per month or less (He used to drink more beer in his 20's-30's. But now doesn't like the taste of beer anymore.)

We love wine, Crankin but both he and I don't drink much without getting drunk easily. He gets lightheaded after 2 glasses of red wine. For me it's half a glass of red wine or less for white wine. :( It's just my body naturally cannot take much wine without getting drunk fast. It's ok....it prevents me from drinking much.

For him, because he's naturally drinking less wine, his body has lost some resistance to wine.

[zoom-zoom]

I am not sure, Owlie. I clearly said the same thing. I have a glass of red wine daily, eat nuts, as well as added olive oil and dark chocolate. What Chatnoire's bf is trying to do is the same thing both myself and DH do. And, it's working.

My DH has high BP and wonky cholesterol/triglycerides. These things are predominately genetic issues, as everyone on his mom's side have the same issues, including his skinny, active mom and marathon-running aunt. Our PCP also recommended a daily glass of wine. He's also on BP meds, but doesn't need to do anything more. He's recently lost noticeable weight, too, which will likely help. And he bikes a TON.

[zoom-zoom]

My total cholesterol is freakishly low, 119! LDL's around 32. Triglycerides good. I'm not doing anything all that special. I eat quite well, but Crankin's diet is better.


:)

My most recent #s:
Cholesterol: 154
HDL: 70
LDL: 77
Triglycerides: 36

My husband sorts of hates me. I guess I got good genes. Though my mom had exceptional #s until menopause, so I may see that all change in 5-10 years. My mom is now on BP meds, but she is also totally inactive.

I hope our son inherits #s closer to mine.