cholesterol!

[tulip]

Congratulations! I wish I had your genes! I eat well, am not overweight, exercise, and I still hover around 200 total, borderline for medication. I've gotten it down considerably, though. In college (I was a bit heavier), it was up to 316! yikes!

[Brandi]

So my parents actually did some good? They didn't completly mess me up!
I went out and celebrated with a double hot fugde sunday last too! We never do that but I had to have it! It was a small sunday,one scoop ice cream,but double fudge!

[Possegal]

Yes, your parents did you well. Put very simply, ideally the body is designed to keep cholesterol levels in check. You need cholesterol, it is a building block for steroid hormones. But too much and you do damage. So the liver specifically has receptors on it that should monitor for a proper balance of cholesterol in the system, and take up any extra dietary cholesterol in the blood and remove it. That's the perfect scenario. In some folks, that homeostasis pattern works pretty well. In many, it does not. Not to discount diet and exercise, but man, those liver receptors matter a lot, and therefore your genetics matter a lot!

[Brandi]

You know it is funny,when the dr's ask me what kind of deaseses run in our family it is hard for me to answer that question.
My grandfather died of a heart attack when he was in he's early 40's. He had an illness when he was a child that effected he's heart and made it weak. It was in the Army and probably should not have been (high stress)
My grandmother died of a heart attack when she was 68 ( I miss her so much) but she was from a time when fat and cholestrol was not looked at or tested for. everyone else had alcohol related deaths. Hard to say what my problems might be. I have two great Aunts and my great grandfather who lived (are still living) into their mid 90's. All on my grandma's side. So I figure I just have to try and live a somewhat healthy life. Moderation is really a good key and activity is a must!