Anyone with high cholesterol?

[IFjane]

Hereditary a factor - most definitely.

I have been following this thread since it started but did not post because of so many varying ideas/opinions, etc. Surgtech's comment hit home and I had to post. I have had high cholesterol all my life. I inherited it from my father. No doubt about that.

Waaaaay back in 1968 the National Institutes of Health "discovered" the suspected relationship between cholesterol and heart attacks. My father happened to be at Bethesda Naval Hospital for an unrelated issue. He had had a heart attack in 1965 (at the age of 48). NIH had contacted Bethesda (conveniently located across the street) for anyone who fit their profile. My dad did. He agreed to be a Guinea pig for them & consequently, the rest of us in the family were tested as well. My mom and brother did not have high cholesterol. I did. I was 13. I don't remember my levels then, but the entire family immediately went on a low-cholesterol diet. I did not get my cholesterol checked again until age 35. My total cholesterol was 350+. The doctor put me on a statin and I have been on them ever since. I have no idea if being on this maintenance drug is good or not - what I will say is that in 2000, because of my fitness level at the time, my PCP took me off the drug to see what would happen. Almost immediately my levels jumped to over 300.... I am one of those people whose bodies manufacture cholesterol.

I eat oatmeal EVERY morning for breakfast, drink only skim milk, eat red meat in moderation, lots of fruit, lots of fiber, lots of veggies....red wine ....etc. etc. I hate taking a maintenance drug - I have lots of aches & pains that I wonder if they are caused by the drug.....but.....

My father had a heart attack at the age of 48 & was told he was lucky to be alive; he went on drugs for his cholesterol 3 years later, thanks to NIH, (the drugs changed over the years as the research pointed in different directions).....and he died in 2002 - at the age of 84. I know the disclaimer is that statins and other cholesterol-lowering drugs do not prevent heart attacks, but I cannot believe that he would have lived that long - and for most of those years he was VERY active - heart attack free - without the help of those drugs.

Your thoughts?