Cholesterol

[Misky]

My 74 year old dad had a routine check up a the doctor's and has been given tablets to lower his cholesterol. His reading was 5.6. He's as fit as a lop, did his first half marathon when he was 67 and has completed three since then. He walks on average 3-4 miles a day, has five pints of John Smiths a year, and he does smoke - 4 a day. His downfall is obviously my mam's home baking, and cheese. I don't think he needs to panic - what do you think? Apart from cakes & cheese, he does eat healthily. I want to tell him to have a bit of cheese when he wants it, just not as much as usual, but I don't want to kill him! Does anyone have any experience/advice they can share please?

[coccinelle]

It always surprises me how a doctor can prescribe tablets just after a routine check. Why couldn't he advise your father on what foods to avoid and those he should eat to boost his good cholesterol and see if there's a difference after a few months. I've got a high cholesterol reading but as I've got more good cholesterol than bad, I don't need tablets.
Foods to cut back on are animal fats and foods to add to the diet to boost good cholesterol are olive oil, oily fish, walnuts... saying this if he's on tablets this will do the job for him.

[Misky]

Thanks for the opinion, which pretty much mirrored mine! I would have thought a simple chat about what he should eat would do the trick - he's paranoid in case these tablets make him lose his (still dark) hair! I wonder whether, if he takes the tablets, he could still indulge now and again.....? Honestly, he's in such good shape, and the last time he had a proper heart check at the Hospital about two years ago they said he had the heart of a 40 year old. It makes me angry that they see people's dates of birth and make a snap decision.

[mrs_overall]

The food "baddies" are those containing saturated fats and include biscuits, cakes, pastries, red meat, cheese and butter.
Also, offal (liver & kidneys) and prawns are very high in cholesterol.
Soluble fibre in foods can reduce cholesterol and can be found in fruit, vegetables, beans and oats.
Foods containing plant sterols can also reduce cholesterol and can be found in Benecol and Flora Pro Active.
As he is fit (good on him!) he should easily be able to reduce his cholesterol level to 5 or below by tweaking his diet.

[Misky]

Thanks Mrs. Overall - he'll have to keep taking the tablets till his next Doctor's appt., but at least if he tells the Dr. he's changed his eating habits he might not have to take them any more.... X

[jake-the-peg]

It may be absolutely nothing to do with his diet.

Your body produces cholesterol and quite often if you have a relatively healthy diet what you eat has only a small effect of the Cholesterol in your bloodstream.

With age your chance of getting cholesterol problems goes up.

Make sure he keeps an eye out for diabetes symptoms too, these conditions can be related and it's another one that tends to become more prevalent with age.

As long as he's not eating huge amounts of cheese I doubt it'll do him much harm

[Misky]

Thanks Jake - I do keep an eye on both "aged parents" re. diabetes as friends of mine have parents who now suffer. If the doctor takes my dad off these tablets, I think my mam will just have to bake less so there's less temptation in the house, and buy less cheese so he has to keep some for a (brown bread) sarni at the weekend!
Thanks everyone for not throwing your hands up in horror at a daughter's suggestion that her dad should be able to enjoy some things in life.... X

[jake-the-peg]

OK well read this:

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Cholesterol/Pages /Introduction.aspx?url=Pages/what-is-it.aspx

Your father's reading is not far above average anyway.

BTW as for cheese I recommend Ossau Iraty - not because it's low in cholesterol but because it's yummy

[coccinelle]

Hi Misky
Maybe before he starts taking these tablets he should find out if he can one day stop taking them. A lot of anti-cholesterol tablets are for life.
Maybe your mother could already change the fat she uses for her pastries and cakes and go for one that's recommended for people with high cholesterol levels.

[funnygirl]

I was put on statins, about a year ago and of course my reading has gone down.
But the doctor will not let me stop taking them!!!
He says to me "They are insurance!"

[Misky]

Jake, I've kept that page (and many others I've been looking up) to show them - thank you. I won't get him to eat that cheese you mention - I think he only eats British cheese!!

Coccinelle - my mam's been through her cupboards like a hurricane and will be buying all sorts of new-fangled stuff, but a site also says that some "low cholesterol" foods are high in other bad stuff, so it'll be an ongoing lesson I think. He started taking the tablets last Friday I'm afraid.

[Misky]

Hi Funnygirl - that's what he's got - statins. I'll not tell him that he might be on them forever. The doctor can do that if it's the case.... X

[Velvetee]

5.6 isn't particularly high. Statins do have side effects particulalrly causing muscle weakness.

My cholesterol is 7.8, but my GP at the time took into consideration, that I was a regular exerciser, didn't smoke or drink and had relatively low blood pressure, so wasn't considered high risk, as it's an inherited thing as opposed to lifestyle.

Perhaps they could have considered getting him to try products with plant sterols or make certain lifestyle changes first before putting him on medication.

[Misky]

Thanks Velvetee - I'm afraid that as it's done and dusted, and my dad is far to independent to let anyone go with him to the next appointment, we just have to make do with what we've got. I'll be mentioning all these things to him in the hope he'll say something to the doctor.
Thanks for the input.

[jonesytwotwo]

It is high blood pressure that really worries your doc. The cholesterol, you state, onits own is not unusually high. Us old uns have one option. That is to let our GP/Nurse manage the condition that we now are at. At 74 most folks are too late to change much, which will make a difference.

[Misky]

Thanks Jonesy. I bet it could be high blood pressure. He had a high reading once before. As to being too old to change, they'll be surprised by my dad. I saw him last night and he was like a reformed smoker - he said "You've had saturated fat!" hahaha Not a crumb of cheese has passed his lips since last Friday. Once he sets his mind to something, there's no changing it. I'm sure he'll be fine (touch wood). X