cholesterol lowering?
155819
if you want to lower your chol.levels firs you have to know if you have high levels by performing a lipid panel in a clinical laboratory,this test wil tell your doctor and you levels of good and bad cholesterols.\nby yourself tou can lower your levels specially of bad cholesterol by moddifing your diet.since cholesterol is found only in animals and animals products you can reduce animals products like red meats,whole milk,avoid fried foods\nspecially in saturated fats,avoid fast foods,eat less eggs and egss products,try to eat more vegetables,cereals,non fat\nmilk and milk products like yogurt,eat oatmeal(it lowers cholesterol),try to make excercise three times a week.\nthere are medicines by medical prescription like lipitor but\nonly after a medical evaluation,(good luck).
679077
in what we eat and if we do exercise. Remember not all cholesterol is bad. THere are LDLs and HDLs. To have good cholesterol it is good to eat a small hand full of nuts. to stay away from bad cholesterol stay away from fatty food. SOy milk can also bring down your cholesterol.
13288
As mentioned above:  exercise (preferably aerobic enough to get you sweating) and soluble fiber* - oatmeal is one source (probably the best source), but isn't the only source.  \n\nAnother method of reducing cholesterol is to take niacin.  Note that niacin had a side effect called "niacin flush" which is rather unpleasant.  To prevent this, take a timed release version of niacin.\n\n*The more I learn, the more I find out that most health problems are due to either a lack of exercise or inadequate fiber.
342679
Ok, I am glad that you want to lower your cholesterol and that is a great idea and so far everyone has given very good advice, anything high in monounsaturated fat (almonds, avocado..) and fruits.  \nHowever, you said that you need to get your triglycerides tested every month.  Triglycerides are not the same thing as cholesterol.  Triglycerides make up some of your cholesterol, but they are their own thing.  The main thing that raises triglycerides is alcohol, so stay away from that.  \nYou could consider taking omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid rich foods like fish and fish oils, but be careful cause in excess these will increase your LDL (bad cholesterol) but at the same time decrease your triglycerides so its a double edged sword.  You will basically have to go on a low fat diet (with the fat you do take in coming from mono and polyunsaturated fats) and stay away from saturated fat, trans fat, and alcohol.  \nGood luck
778412
Use the American Heart Association diet. It's great. I've lowered my cholesterol and have lost 24 lbs in 6 weeks and feel great! It's geared toward people with heart problems, stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure, etc. so it would be perfect for her!\n\nHope this helps and take care.
763565
The doctors will tell you to follow  a low fat diet and increase you intake of things like oatmeal, or Cheerios. Exercise also helps. If you take the more medical way, the doctors can prescribe medications like zocor, lipitor of crestor to help bring down the cholesterol numbers. Hope this helps!!
369052
I had the same problem with side effects. I try to watch my diet but my system manufactures cholesterol no matter what I do. I understand that they are working on new anti-chol. drugs that work in a different way. Maybe that will be the answer. What does your Dr. suggest?
57726
To reduce Serum Cholestrol without medication, adopt a lifestyle that is conducive to normal blood lipids. What’s normal? Total cholesterol (T-Chol) less than 200 mg/dl, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-Chol)--the “lethal cholesterol”--less than 100 mg/dl, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-Chol)--the “healthy cholesterol”--more than 40 mg/dl. \n\nHere are the top 10 ways to improve your cholesterol levels. \n1. Decrease saturated fat intake. Saturated fats are found in all meats, skin from poultry, and tropical oils such as palm and coconut oil. Hydrogenated fats also count as saturated fat. You can’t eliminate them completely, but work at reducing the amount you eat.\n\n2. Decrease refined carbohydrates. When you eat too many refined carbohydrates (such as those in cake, candy, cookies, soda, and pasta), they can be converted to saturated fat by the body, and that can raise cholesterol levels.\n\n3. Increase fruit and vegetable intake. Research shows that as the servings of fruits and vegetables increase, T-Chol and especially LDL decreases (1). Your mother was right: eat your veggies!\n\n4. Eat 2-3 servings of cold-water fish such as tuna, salmon, or sardines every week. The omega-3 fatty acids help reduce cholesterol levels. Just don’t deep-fat fry the fish or add a lot of mayonnaise to your tuna salad.\n\n5. Exercise regularly. This is the only sure way to increase HDL-Chol levels. The more intense the exercise, the more HDL-Chol levels go up.\n\n6. Quit smoking. Cigarette smoking raises T-Chol and destroys HDL-Chol. Find a way to quit--whatever it takes--but do it.\n\n7. Take a fish oil supplement every day. Omega-3 fatty acids, specifically the EPA found in fish oil, can help lower cholesterol levels; a good target is 2-3 grams per day. Taking more should be done only after consulting with your healthcare professional.\n\n8. Drink green tea every day--hot or cold--or take a dietary supplement with the phytonutrient theaflavin in it. Both have been shown to lower cholesterol--especially LDL-Chol (2).\n\n9. Add almonds and plant sterols to your diet every day (3). Almonds contain omega-3 fatty acids and are high in fiber. Plant sterols are found in margarines such as Smart Balance.\n\n10. Use psyllium fiber three times per day. Recent research has shown that the fiber in Metamucil and similar products can lower both T-Chol and LDL-Chol--and constipation will be the least of your problems!\n\nHere’s a bonus: if you have weight to lose, lose it. Carrying extra body fat sets the body on a cycle of producing more saturated fat and subsequently more cholesterol than we need. You can lower your cholesterol without losing weight, but it’s easier if you do.\n\nTwo things: work with your doctor as you make these lifestyle changes. Getting serum lipids tested regularly is very important so that you’ll know what is and isn’t effective. Your physician should know what you’re doing to deal with the issue. \n\nSecond, and most importantly, if you’ve done all you can and your cholesterol is still too high, discuss taking a medication such as a statin to lower it. It’s more important to get your cholesterol in the normal range than it is to be stubborn about taking medications. \n\nReferences:\n1.Djousse, L., et al. Fruit and vegetable consumption and LDL cholesterol: the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Family Heart Study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004; 79(2):213-7. \n2.David J. Maron, et al. Cholesterol-lowering effect of a theaflavin-enriched green tea extract: a randomized controlled trial. Arch Intern Med; 2003.163(12):1448-53. \n3.Jenkins DJ, et al. Effects of a dietary portfolio of cholesterol-lowering foods vs. lovastatin on serum lipids and C-reactive protein. JAMA. 2003;290(4):502-10.
1084769
You will find a really complete guide to doing this at AHA.org, which is the American Heart Association's website.\n\nI advise my patients to follow a low fat, high fiber diet and to exercise regularly.  Stop smoking as this does affect cholesterol levels.\n\nLean red meat is okay a couple of times per week.  When eating chicken, get rid of the skin.  Low fat dairy is okay in moderation.  Avoid fried foods and bake as much as possible.  Avoid trans fats, which are very common in fried and store bought bakery items.  Lots of fruits and veggies are great.  High fiber breakfast cereals will help, including oatmeal, raisin bran, fiber one, all bran.
346011
25-35% or less of the day's total calories from fat.\nLess than 7% of the day's total calories from saturated fat.\nLess than 200 milligram of dietary cholesterol a day.\nLess than 2400 milligram sodium a day.\nJust enough calories to achieve or maintain a healthy weight and reduce blood cholesterol level. (Ask your doctor or a registered dietitian what is a reason able calorie level for you.)\nSoluble fiber may be increased in the diet if LDL is not lowered enough by reducing saturated fat and cholesterol in diet.\n\nAvoid foods high in saturated fats such as egg yolks, full-fat dairy products, deep fried foods, liver and other organ meats, sausage, hot dogs, bologna, salami and fatty and untrimmed red meats. Eat foods low in saturated fat, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grain foods and fat free dairy products. If you are a meat eater, then eat lean meats, fish and shellfish and skinless poultry.\nDo not eat deep fried foods. Bake, microwave, broil, poach, grill, roast, sauté or lightly stir fry your food. You should know ways how to avoid fat in cooking.\nChoose vegetable a cooking oil that is high in unsaturated fats. Always select the best cooking oil.\nEat foods high in fiber, specially high soluble fiber foods.\nYou should remain physically active. Exercise and fitness go hand-in-hand..\n\nCholesterol Lowering Recipe - 1 : Oat - Carrot Kheer\nRecipe type: Dairy product, fat-free\nPreparation time: 10 minutes\nIngredients: (for 3)\n1 cup Rolled oats\n3 cup skim milk or more, depending on the desired consistency of Kheer\n2 tsp Psyllium husk (Isbalgol, Metamusil-unflavoured) Psyllium Husk   \n1 Carrot, small, finely chopped\n10-15 almonds, skin removed, and grated\n10-15 Raisins (Kishmish)\n1/8 tsp Cardamom powder\n2 tsp Sugar or to taste\nPreparation\n\nSoak rolled oats and raisins in 1.5 cup milk for 5-7 minutes.\nBoil remaining milk in a skillet with carrot for 5 minutes. Add soaked oats and raisins of step 1 with milk and boil for 5 minutes.\nAdd psyllium husk, almonds and cardamom powder and mix.\nServe warm or cold.
1045191
My cholesterol was not controllable with lifestyle changes. This is not surprising since my mother had a heart attack at 42. I drastically changed my diet and began moderate exercise almost daily. Because of insurance, it was three years before I was able to follow up, but the numbers had barely changed.\n\nI am grateful for the cholesterol lowering drugs, in spite of any side effects I may have to deal with, and will gladly take it for the rest of my life. Considering that my son (who died of congestive heart failure at 15--the result of chemo) had to take 182 pills a week for the rest of his life, it simply doesn't seem a big deal. I am already 11 years older than my mother ever was and, with the cancer in my personal and family history, I'll be darned if my heart will take me out!
390586
Aspirin will help your risk, but it not at all a substitute for the statins.  You do need to drop the cholesterol levels..you can try diet and excercise first, but if it does not work, statins are very good drugs to take.  You can also ask your doctor about more natural options like Benechol and fish oil.  \n\nFYI, here is a very neat tool that assesses your own risk of heart disease:\n\nhttp://www.chaicore.com/h2hv2/intro.html...\n\nFollow the tool until the end. It is based on data from several large studies. It is important to note that its answers aren't the "absolute truth," but rather the best estimations of it as based on our studies to date. In the last segment of the tool, you can add or delete aspirin from your regimen and see how that affects your risk. That's the benefit. Then you have to think of the bleeding and ulcer risk, but if you are otherwise healthy and have no personal or family history of these conditions, then you are probably ok.
411865
Garlic is probably the best natural way of lowering your cholesterol, you can swallow a whole tooth of garlic every day in the morning, theres no taste, since you are taking it as a pill, but if that doesnt move you, then half of a grapefruit before breakfast will help you break down some of the fast you may intake during the day.
10185
I lowered mine by eating oatmeal everyday and adding more grains and fiber to my meals. \nAlso eating foods high in good cholesterol like olive oil, avocadoes, and flaxseed.\nI went from 235 to 167 in a month.
313907
EXERCISE AND WEIGHT LOSS ALONG WITH A LOW CHOLESTEROL DIET. IF THIS DOESN'T WORK THEN MEDICATION WILL BE NECESSARY
333857
I'd still try to get your LDL down. best thing to do is excercise and lower your cholesterol intake. if you eat a lot of eggs (they have a TON of cholesterol) or fatty meat scaling back on those on that might get you down. you could also get prescription, id probably go with a statin, zocor in particular because a generic is coming out in a month or two so it will be the cheapest. doctors are going crazy prescribing zetia right now; dont let him give it to you, its a crappy drug by itself and its expensive. i guess your profile is kinda borderline though, depends on if you want to do it or not. if you have a family history of heart problems or coronary artery disease id do it. they say every 2 points you lower your LDL you lower your risk of having a heart attack in the next 10 years by about 1% so if you got it back down to 200 which is considered normal you could decrease your risk of a heart attack by about 1/3
981401
Oatmeal and fresh fruit.  Can't beat it.  Complex carbs for long term energy (oatmeal), and simple carbs (fruit) for short term energy spikes.  Plus it can help reduce your cholesterol