I'm sorry, my cholesterol is what now?

FutureGuy

Hi everyone (not looking for any medial advice as I have a plan of action, merely looking for similar people).
So last week was interesting. Male, 40, non-smoker, non-drinker, clean-eating, running 20+ miles per week. I'm busy at work when the nurse from the previous day's blood test called. "Clearly going to give me a lovely low cholesterol number to go with my resting heart rate of 55 bpm and blood pressure of 110/70" I smugly thought to myself.

She sounded serious. "Your cholesterol is dangerously high. It's 9.0. Your triglycerides are 7.3"

To say I was shocked was an understatement. Called in the following day for a second round of fasting bloods. 9.5 total cholesterol and 7.1 triglycerides. The triglycerides are so high, they cannot accurately ascertain HDL and LDL.

So I'm kinda at a loss. The only thing I can think of, baring an incredibly unlikely diagnosis of familial hypercholesterolemia, is that I have flushed a lot of fats into by blood due to marathon training and a significant effor to cut body fat in the previous 3 weeks.

I have a doctors visit in the morning. I am wondering if anyone here has had unusually high lipids after weight loss? Any insight you could give? Also, if you have links to any interesting articles relating to weigh loss and spikes in lipids, please link them!

Much appreciated.

wally1990

FutureGuy wrote: »

Hi everyone (not looking for any medial advice as I have a plan of action, merely looking for similar people).
So last week was interesting. Male, 40, non-smoker, non-drinker, clean-eating, running 20+ miles per week. I'm busy at work when the nurse from the previous day's blood test called. "Clearly going to give me a lovely low cholesterol number to go with my resting heart rate of 55 bpm and blood pressure of 110/70" I smugly thought to myself.

She sounded serious. "Your cholesterol is dangerously high. It's 9.0. Your triglycerides are 7.3"

To say I was shocked was an understatement. Called in the following day for a second round of fasting bloods. 9.5 total cholesterol and 7.1 triglycerides. The triglycerides are so high, they cannot accurately ascertain HDL and LDL.

So I'm kinda at a loss. The only thing I can think of, baring an incredibly unlikely diagnosis of familial hypercholesterolemia, is that I have flushed a lot of fats into by blood due to marathon training and a significant effor to cut body fat in the previous 3 weeks.

I have a doctors visit in the morning. I am wondering if anyone here has had unusually high lipids after weight loss? Any insight you could give? Also, if you have links to any interesting articles relating to weigh loss and spikes in lipids, please link them!

Much appreciated.

I'm going to assume something is missed with the family history , we have it in my family and for example my uncle is very fit , competes in marathons and cycles a lot weekly and clean eating diet and is also 9 for his and can't get it below but doctor now has him on tablets

The doctor will obviously best advise but it probably isn't uncommon

Toots

It's in my husband's family. His brother would be like you - doesn't drink or smoke, in the gym 5 days a week, eats really healthy, etc. Had one of those corporate health check yokes in work and came back with his cholesterol through the roof.
The mad thing is one of his other brothers never exercises (but is skinny) smokes and practically everything he eats is fried. He went to have his cholesterol checked after the brother got his result and his cholesterol was perfect!

FutureGuy

wally1990 wrote: »

FutureGuy wrote: »

Hi everyone (not looking for any medial advice as I have a plan of action, merely looking for similar people).
So last week was interesting. Male, 40, non-smoker, non-drinker, clean-eating, running 20+ miles per week. I'm busy at work when the nurse from the previous day's blood test called. "Clearly going to give me a lovely low cholesterol number to go with my resting heart rate of 55 bpm and blood pressure of 110/70" I smugly thought to myself.

She sounded serious. "Your cholesterol is dangerously high. It's 9.0. Your triglycerides are 7.3"

To say I was shocked was an understatement. Called in the following day for a second round of fasting bloods. 9.5 total cholesterol and 7.1 triglycerides. The triglycerides are so high, they cannot accurately ascertain HDL and LDL.

So I'm kinda at a loss. The only thing I can think of, baring an incredibly unlikely diagnosis of familial hypercholesterolemia, is that I have flushed a lot of fats into by blood due to marathon training and a significant effor to cut body fat in the previous 3 weeks.

I have a doctors visit in the morning. I am wondering if anyone here has had unusually high lipids after weight loss? Any insight you could give? Also, if you have links to any interesting articles relating to weigh loss and spikes in lipids, please link them!

Much appreciated.

I'm going to assume something is missed with the family history , we have it in my family and for example my uncle is very fit , competes in marathons and cycles a lot weekly and clean eating diet and is also 9 for his and can't get it below but doctor now has him on tablets

The doctor will obviously best advise but it probably isn't uncommon

My mum and dad were placed on atorvastatin 10 mg/day (low dose) for borderline cholesterol levels - 5.X - in their mid-late 60's without giving them the chance to tackle it with lifestyle modifications. Apparently familial hypercholesterolemia is not common - 1:250 people. If that one is me then fine, but I dont want to be thrown on a tablet when there is perhaps a temporary spike.

mathie

FutureGuy what is your diet like?
Two years ago I was in the same boat.
Went for a bloods check as a healthy guy in my 30s (played football and ran long distance races all my life)
Cholesterol was "borderline high"
I was recommended to "improve my diet"
I ditched the biscuits and cakes and eventually became vegan over the course of a year.
When I got it checked again I was told I should be giving the talk on what to eat.

It could have been the junk or the meat or the dairy. I won't know but it dropped significantly.

Tar.Aldarion

mathie wrote: »

FutureGuy what is your diet like?
Two years ago I was in the same boat.
Went for a bloods check as a healthy guy in my 30s (played football and ran long distance races all my life)
Cholesterol was "borderline high"
I was recommended to "improve my diet"
I ditched the biscuits and cakes and eventually became vegan over the course of a year.
When I got it checked again I was told I should be giving the talk on what to eat.

It could have been the junk or the meat or the dairy. I won't know but it dropped significantly.

While people generally say dietary cholesterol doesn't affect blood serum cholesterol, it does to some extent and only exists in animal products. Certainly worth cutting it and junk to see how people get on anyway , if it's too high.

pinkypinky

Were you definitely fasting before the test? I had an anomaly reading once and they had failed to tell me to fast. I'd never had a cholesterol test before so didn't know.

Martina1991

FutureGuy wrote: »

My mum and dad were placed on atorvastatin 10 mg/day (low dose) for borderline cholesterol levels - 5.X - in their mid-late 60's without giving them the chance to tackle it with lifestyle modifications. Apparently familial hypercholesterolemia is not common - 1:250 people. If that one is me then fine, but I dont want to be thrown on a tablet when there is perhaps a temporary spike.

I'm surprised that their doctor prescribed statins so quickly without lifestyle changes. Sounds a bit lazy.

To the OP, your family should definitely get their cholesterol checked too. Familial hypercholesterolia may be uncommon but it happens. Another blood test would confirm it.

fussyonion

Does anyone think the increased consumption of high fat foods these days has anything to do with it?


People are eating real butter, full fat cheeses and milks, cooking with lots of oils and generally the latest fad seems to be eating high fat foods.

I ask this because my partner had been eating a high fat diet, got his cholesterol checked, it was 7.

Changed his diet on the advice of a cardiologist to a low fat diet. Switched to low-fat spread, milk, cheese and yogurts.
Had his cholesterol checked again and this time it was 3.5.

I eat low-fat too and had my cholesterol checked and it was 3.2.

I'm aware of familial high cholesterol; my Dad has it, but surely the increase in the consumption of high fat foods in society has to be a contributing factor for high cholesterol?

I broached this with the cardiologist who vehemently advised to stick with lower fat foods.

NIMAN

Glad I found this tread.

I too got a test in work recently, and mine is low 7s. Shocked me a bit.

I had tests in the past with the GP and they were in low 6s, and I did get it down to 5.5 at my best, but that was a long time (6-12m months) living no life at all. Exercising, eating no junk, no takeaways, no biscuits, no sweets. Its hard.

My father also had high cholesterol and my older brother, who also was very sporty, so perhaps it runs in my family too.

I have started on plant sterol supplements, and was going to start on the Flora Proactive etc. Changing my diet again too, starting to eat the recommended nuts (almonds, walnuts etc), going to swith to soya milk, getting the bike out of the shed, no takeaways for a while, porridge back in for cereals. Will see how it looks in 6 months. I might go back to my GP and get another test done in case it might be more accurate than the work one.

FutureGuy

Hi all, I actually forgot about this thread and I wanted to give you all an update.

Met with the doctor last week who also noted my bilirubin was a bit high and gamma-GT was at the peak of normal. He recommended an ultrasound of my liver and a consultation with an endocrinologist. The bilirubin didn't flag with me as you can increase your bilirubin when marathon training.

I had the ultrasound last week expecting a clean bill of health. It revealed significant non-alcoholic fatty liver. My liver is fat and is struggling to clear toxins etc.

I have to put on the cap of honesty for a small bit. I'm not fat but I have been carrying around 10 kg more than I should regardless of diet. Sneaky chocolate bar here, KFC there etc. It says it all that I have been running 3 days a week for 4 years and am still the same weight as when I started.

So it looks like my liver has been working overtime for a decade and needs a break. While I have yet to meet with the consultant, the fact that I have no symptoms, my liver is not enlarged and I'm fine otherwise says this is reversible with diet and other lifestyle choices.

Now, I am getting repeat bloods tomorrow and they need to rule out hepatitis (but again, I have no symptoms so they are not too worried), but what I have learned is that this is a silent epidemic in Ireland. Lots of people used to eating dinner then sitting on couch until bed. Eating poorly is so easy to do nowadays.

Since the start of September, I've gone from 83kg to 78.8kg this morning and will probably be advised to get lighter than that. I'm aiming for 75kg and we will see where I need to go from there. I'm eating lots of incredibly clean foods, raw vegetables, lean meat and absolutely no treats or fizzy drinks.

This all came of a shock to me but I am really glad I know so I can try and reverse it.

FutureGuy

pinkypinky wrote: »

Were you definitely fasting before the test? I had an anomaly reading once and they had failed to tell me to fast. I'd never had a cholesterol test before so didn't know.

Yep I was, 14 hours.

FutureGuy

For anyone that was curious. Had set of bloods done last week.

Cholesterol from 9.5 to 6.0, 4.0 LDL, 1.5 HDL.
Triglycerides from 7.3 to 1.0.

Ate completely clean for 4 weeks. No chocolate, no fried foods, no sugar drinks or the odd desert. Lost 4 kg in process (maintained muscle mass).

Still have to monitor bloods and my liver specialist is very pleased that my changes to lifestyle has such a positive impact.

mathie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNj6V7kIqGY

Boooourns

NIMAN wrote: »

Glad I found this tread.

I too got a test in work recently, and mine is low 7s. Shocked me a bit.

I had tests in the past with the GP and they were in low 6s, and I did get it down to 5.5 at my best, but that was a long time (6-12m months) living no life at all. Exercising, eating no junk, no takeaways, no biscuits, no sweets. Its hard.

My father also had high cholesterol and my older brother, who also was very sporty, so perhaps it runs in my family too.

I have started on plant sterol supplements, and was going to start on the Flora Proactive etc. Changing my diet again too, starting to eat the recommended nuts (almonds, walnuts etc), going to swith to soya milk, getting the bike out of the shed, no takeaways for a while, porridge back in for cereals. Will see how it looks in 6 months. I might go back to my GP and get another test done in case it might be more accurate than the work one.

I'm basically a mirror of you, high cholesterol is in my family. Just had it done and it was 6.4 and i have the healthy diet you mentioned. I've been like this for years. Nurse reckons its a genetic thing, she reckons i'll end up on statins which i really want to avoid.
Make sure you look at foods that help your arteries like Tumeric, Water melons etc (just google it) and keep check on your blood pressure.
I might start on the red sterols , apparently they're good for lowering cholesterol as well.

Boooourns

mathie wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNj6V7kIqGY

Have you tried that?

Tar.Aldarion

Another paper just released on amla https://twin.sci-hub.io/89f310a056bf91b23c7cdefd3d6882ac/yadav2017.pdf results are in table 4 on page 7. Seems like good stuff. Another study I read tracked them after they stopped taking it and their cholesterol went back up.

The second video from above is here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QfhK6R14C4

Also, have you tried not eating any dietary cholesterol for a length of time?