How much damage has been done?

[beth0277]

I am a 27 year old female. 2 years ago I had my cholesterol drawn and it was "borderline" but seeing as how I was only a few months postpartum, my doctor didn't take a lot of stock in the results and requested that we redraw them. I then started Paxil and gained about 25 pounds. When my cholesterol was redrawn, it was now slightly over "borderline" and into the "high" category. I am not a fan of taking medication so my doctor said for me to try to lose the weight and we will go from there. Last I had it drawn, my Total cholesterol was 262, but I don't remember the specifics of my LDL and HDL. I think my HDL was borderline low, my LDL was high and my trigylcerides were fine. Since then I have been taking Krill oil daily and I have lost 20 pounds. I still have about 30 pounds to lose, but I am working on it, losing at the rate of about a pound a week. I try to exercise a few times a week, but I admit it is hard to do with a 2 year old at home.

My concern is about possible damage that has already been done. I know that my cholesterol has not been high for longer than a year/year and a half. I am taking the necessary diet & exercise/supplement steps to lower it and I believe that I will be able to get it to a healthy range without medication. Do you think that with high numbers for 2 or so years that I have already had significant plaque buildup?

I am very scared seeing as how I have a 2 year old to raise. Both of my parents have/had heart disease, but my mom is overweight with diabetes and had long standing and untreated high cholesterol. My dad was not overweight but ate only greasy and fatty foods and meats. They both also smoked. My brother is in excellent shape and does not have high cholesterol so while I think there is a hereditary factor there, I don't think I am destined to be high.

If I am able to get to a healthy cholesterol level within 6 months or so, do you think the damage has already been done? I am just so scared about all of this.

[gymdandee]

http://www.livestrong.com/high-cholesterol-in-women/

[beth0277]

I looked back at my results and my total cholesterol was 242, not 262. My LDL was 166 and my HDL was 49. Trigylcerides were 136. I know that about 6 months before that my numbers were lower, so I don't think they were high too incredibly long.

Jon-Do you have any literature that shows what you have mentioned about women in their childbearing years being naturally protected?

[erijon]

Let me cut through much of this. You have a few things going for you, first is your age. It is unlikely that you have already done any major damage to your arteries. In addition, women in their child bearing years are naturally protected from heart disease so I'm sure that you still have time to turn things around.

If your number was 262 and your HDL was low, your LDL must be very high and needs to be lowered. Despite those that write books and want to tell you that cholesterol is not a major risk factor for heart disease, it just is and that's all there is to it. Work with your doctor to try and lower your LDL naturally through diet and exercise. Keep up the good work losing weight. I have lost over 80 pounds so I know how hard it can be, but it is possible. Exercise within your doctor's recommendation and retest in a few months and see where you are. You can try meds for a period of time and see how they work for you as you can always stop at anytime. The important thing is to make the changes in your life that will keep this from becoming a problem down the road.

Good luck!

Jon

[gymdandee]

As for the krill oil, I snuggest buying Source Naturals Arctic Krill!
Inflammation can cause Asthma, heart disease, arthritis, alzheimer’s I could keep going on. You should have your levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) checked It's a blood test. Your body increases CRP because of inflammation.
your level should be less than 1.0.Between 1.0 and 3.0 is considered
borderline. Anything above that is a concern and should be rechecked from
1-3 months. If you have a cold it can raise your CRP. but as you get better your CRP goes down.

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/WBL02262/Eating-to-Lower-Cholesterol.html

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/TIP04311/AntiInflammatory-Diet-Makeover-A-Healthy-Refrigerator.html

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/TIP04318/AntiInflammatory-Diet-Makeover-Clean-out-Your-Cabinets.html

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/TIP04304/AntiInflammatory-Diet-Makeover-Getting-Started.html

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/TIP04333/AntiInflammatory-Diet-Makeover-Grocery-Shopping-Tips.html

[Red_Star]

"Basically, if you have significant internal inflammation, this plaque will be deposited as a healing agent regardless of whether you have high or low cholesterol. On the other hand, if you don't have excessive inflammation, high cholesterol levels just keep circulating without getting deposited on the artery linings. Therefore, it is more important to control inflammation rather than trying to artificially "lower your cholesterol" with possibly harmful drugs."

To read more: The Hidden Truth About "Reducing Your Cholesterol" You may be surprised at the REAL causes of heart disease -- and it's NOT saturated fat or dietary cholesterol"