
Blood Test Showed High Cholesterol. Any Advice?

Welcome to the Health Care Magic
Your cholesterol level is SLIGHTLY high.
HDL is good cholesterol – higher, the better. 55 is good.
LDL (& non-HDL) is bad cholesterol – lower, the better. The value of 108.6 is just high. In the absence of any other risk factor 100 is ideal. [130 was allowed before.] In the presence of ischemia, 70 is the aim.
Your Triglyceride (TG) is MODERATELY HIGH. For a correct value, one should fast for FOURTEEN hours. I see, you have done the test of your own accord – did you fast? And for full 14 hours?
It can be Metabolic Syndrome. What is your BLOOD PRESSURE? What is your blood SUGAR? WEIGHT?
It can also be from poorly controlled hypoTHYROIDism – What is your TSH (and also T-4) level?
• Keep your weight to normal / even a little less. You have not mentioned your height, weight or BMI.
• Quit smoking, if you are a smoker
• Do regular EXERCISE – say walking or jogging – at least 20 minutes a day / at least 5 days in a week. Isometric exercise (like bull worker) is bad.
• Healthy FOOD is a must.
FOR CHOLESTEROL –
Avoid saturated fats – coconut oil, palm oil, butter, ghee, full cream milk...Avoid junk foods in particular – French fries have palm oil / Pizza has cheese / Indian sweets are made in ghee...
Change to Poly-un-saturated oil – like sun flower oil.
Include Mono-un-saturated oil – Olive oil.
Repeat the test in 6 weeks.
FOR TRIGLYCERIDE –
Take small frequent meals
Avoid high carbohydrate diets – plain sugar, like chocolate, potatos and so on, something similar to Diabetic Diet...
YOU HAVE TO SEE A DIETICIAN. You need to have several sessions to master concept of saturated, unsaturated and transfats; carbohydrate, plain and complex sugars; calorific values; biological values; fibre and so on.
The values can still be high, in spite of diet and exercise – you need drugs; Because it is also manufactured in the liver – and that is determined by heredity.
Statin is the first choice for cholesterol – but they have only moderate effect on Triglyceride.
Fibrates have better effects on TG.
Some start it straight away – even with normal levels, even without problems (Primary Prophylaxis)
Because of high values, you can straight away start on Fenofibrate (160 mg) once in the night. After 6 weeks, re-check the levels. If still high, change to a COMBINATION with a statin (say Fenofibrate + Rosuvastatin OR atorvastatin).
Take care
Wishing you speedy recovery
Good luck


My height is 5'6" and weight is about 63 kgs. waist size is 32".
Is it necessary for me to take medicine at current levels, or is it OK to try exericse and diet to bring the levels down and test after sometime ?
Also , do the medicine you suggested ( Fenofibrate (160 mg)) have any side effect ? will there any dependency grown on the drug and can I discontinue it after sometime ? do I need to take it before/ after food or anytime ?
is there any risk if I dont take any medication and continue like this ?
Attached reports do not show any abnormality.
You have mentioned your height in Imperial System (feet/inches) and weight in Kilograms! – Normal weight for your height. BMI is in normal range.
Yes. If you do not reduce your lipid levels and continue like this, there is definite risk – for heart attack, stroke, pancreatitis and so on, in the long run.
If you can drastically modify your life style - strict diet especially important / and maintain it for ever – you may not need medicine / or you can stop the medicine. There is no dependency for this medicine. While on proper schedule, you have to recheck in 6 weeks.
There is no medicine without any side effect – even simple paracetamol has. For that matter, there is nothing in the world without side effects. Fibrate is the least in the list. Millions are using it. You have to weigh the risk (very small) versus benefits (very big). Take it in the night, after food.
This is a PRESCRIPTION medicine - – You have to see your GP or Good luck

Answered by

Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
