Yesterday I got a little card in the mail informing me of the results of the routine blood test I took last week. On it were some numbers I didn’t understand and a note saying “Slightly elevated cholesterol levels. Watch diet and continue exercise.”
Elevated cholesterol? Huh?
Of course I went immediately to Google and started reading about it, because if we’re being honest, when I gave cholesterol any thought (which was rare), I usually associated it with problems facing people my parents’ age, not people in their 20s.
As I was reading the foods to avoid, I was getting frustrated. I don’t eat that stuff! If you went by the lists, my diet is basically exactly what it’s supposed to be for a normal level of cholesterol. And yes, I could exercise a little more, but in general, I’m the poster child for a cholesterol-happy lifestyle.
And then I scrolled down to the next section: genetics. So I called my mom.
And yup, she has it too, has since she was a kid. In addition to inheriting her great eyebrows (among other qualities), I got her cholesterol.
My levels aren’t super high, but that didn’t stop me from kind of freaking out about it and reading WAY too much information. If ignored, high cholesterol can lead to clogged arteries and heart problems later in life. But in the end, it’s something totally manageable without medicine (at least in this stage in life) and there are things I’m going to try to lower it a little.
Oatmeal in the morning (I just finished my first bowl since the winter. I’m not a huge fan of it in the summer, so I might have to switch to Cheerios).
Less cheese. This one is going to have to be a conscious effort because UNconsciously, I eat a lot of cheese. I can’t help it, it’s good.
A more regular exercise plan. I do exercise, but it’s not daily anymore and it should be. I am going to make a solid effort to finally find a dance class, too.
Natural supplements. This one I’m holding off on until seeing if the other things work, but there is one — red yeast rice — that has been used as a natural way to help lower the levels. There is debate over whether or not it works and it’s not recommended for use when pregnant (I’m not, but hope to be jumping on that bandwagon soon. In which case, I don’t want to mess around with my body.), so I won’t be taking it any time soon.
This isn’t a huge deal. I’m healthy, but could stand to get the levels down a little. So I’m going to try. In the meantime, I urge you all to get a routine physical and have them run some blood tests. I’m learning that it’s important to be proactive about your health. What we do now is going to make a difference later. And I don’t know about you, but I’d like to stick around for a long time.
11 comments
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July 22, 2009 at 9:55 am
Sara
You should ask your dr about getting re-tested in a few weeks. If you happened to eat a lot of eggs or have a cheese happy week it could have been elevated. This happened to my father once. He convinced himself he was going to die and when my mom suggested he go back for another test he was fine.
July 22, 2009 at 10:33 am
Inna
I haven’t gotten checked out in a while. I think you are absolutely right though, it is better to be proactive… maybe I’ll go schedule an appointment.
July 22, 2009 at 10:40 am
A
I was surprised by this, too. It’s just barely too high, and since I eat a mostly vegetarian diet, I was able to blame my dad.
July 22, 2009 at 11:36 am
bing
I am the same way. I found out in early college that I had highish cholesterol. I inherited it from my mom’s side of the family as well and also love cheese. What can you do? Sigh…
July 22, 2009 at 2:08 pm
tipperella
I had borderline high cholesterol for awhile too even though I eat fairly healthy and even when I exercised regularly. My dad takes medicine for it so I thought maybe I inherited it…until I stopped taking my BCP and it was back in normal levels! Same thing happened with my thyroid…I was borderline hypothyroid until I stopped taking them. I took different pills over the years too. I could just be an anomaly, but something to consider!
July 22, 2009 at 5:56 pm
Rob
You really shouldn’t worry at all about your cholesterol. Because of our brainwashed minds, this will sound strange to most people, but it’s a fact: High cholesterol is harmless. Yes, it’s our cholesterol fears that we need to lower, not our cholesterol. One thing to realize right away: Most heart attack victims have either normal or low cholesterol. But there’s far more to it than just that, if you care to read on.
Seven years ago, I was given the news by my doctor that my cholesterol was high and I would need to take a Lipitor prescription for life. Prior to having the prescription filled, I decided to do some research and learned that it’s a a big myth, hoax, lie and scam.
While it is true that most studies indicate a slight relationship between high cholesterol and heart disease in men aged 25-49, there is absolutely no relationship between heart disease and women with high cholesterol or men past age 50. Secondly, a relationship does not equal a cause. There are a few doctors who have studied the research and have thankfully shed some light on the truth.
Dr. Uffe Ravnskov has a website and a book that completely slays this age-old myth on dietary fat and cholesterol. This link is a great place to begin the cure for your Fear of High Cholesterol:
http://www.ravnskov.nu/cholesterol.htm
To your health,
Rob
productreviewratings.com
July 22, 2009 at 6:05 pm
spamwarrior
There’s a ballet place in Lincoln which is pretty good.
I love cheese… and I’m pretty glad my cholesterol is ok.
July 22, 2009 at 7:35 pm
Kim
I am due to have my cholesterol checked, and I’m a little nervous because of the cheese-factor. Eep.
July 22, 2009 at 10:21 pm
Britt
All the women in my family have high cholesterol too. So far, I’m ok, but I always try to keep a watch on my diet and have a physical.
Good for you for being proactive!
July 22, 2009 at 11:44 pm
Amber
I tend to eat a lot of cheese too, although not unconsciously…
Good for you for looking so deep into this, I don’t think you can be too prepared or overly informed! Sounds wise to me!
July 25, 2009 at 8:47 am
cindyinatl
To the poster who says that the cholesterol ‘scare’ is all a hoax….. Beware of the ‘all or nothing’ position he takes to this issue. Do your own reading of his website as well as googling ‘cholesterol hoax’ or ‘cholesterol roll in heart disease.’ Pick any health topic and there is a fringe opinion that the AMA is wrong or that there is a conspiracy involving drug companies.
The bottomline for me is that high blood cholesterol is related to diet (high intake of saturated fats), eating lots of fat makes you fat, being fat causes all kinds of diseases. So, even if you adhere Dr. Ravnskov’s thinking, if you get fat, you will have more risk of many diseases. I haven’t read his book, and I will. I hope he addresses the health risks of obesity.
By the way, both my parents had high cholesterol and both of them had heart disease. My levels are slightly elevated and I’m not taking the risk that Dr. Ravnskov seems to want us to.