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cholesterol level

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nashinha

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How can I reduce my cholesterol level? I recently had some bloods taken and doctor wants to do some more blood tests as she is a little concerned that cholesterol level is higher than last years test. BUT I gave up smoking 74 days ago and at the moment I am eating lots more chocolate and biscuits to compensate for the loss of cigarettes. Will this increase my cholesterol levels?
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nashinha wrote
How can I reduce my cholesterol level?
Click to expand...

http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.asp ... id=1199154

This study was discussed yesterday where three different diets were analysed for their benefits.
Low fat, low GL (glycaemic load), and low-carb.
The low-carb diet was most effective at raising HDL (a good thing) and lowering triglycerides (equally a good thing)
Improvements in these have a positive effect on two important cholesterol ratios : total to HDL, and triglycerides to HDL.

Your doctor may well be reacting to your total level, which some here consider fairly meaningless, unless it's over 7 (and even then it may not mean too much.)
GPs and other HCPs like to keep total under 5, and a reading over 5 as an indicator to put you on statins. My latest was 5.4 and I refused a statin, but everyone must make up their own mind about the benefits/drawbacks of being on a statin.

I found a useful, educating book was The Great Cholesterol Con by cardiologist Malcolm Kendrick. Your local library may be able to get it in for you.


Re : biscuits and chocolate. Lots of sugar and refined carbs there, so not doing you any good. Its the reduction of carbs that will help you most. Most of us Type 2s learn to get our 'sweet' fix in other ways. The occasional square of dark chocolate (70% or higher), sugar-free jelly (a favourite with quite a few :D ) etc. Reducing carbs tends to quieten down your sugar needs.

Geoff
 
Have to say I'm with geoff here. Stopping smoking but replacing it with chocs and biccies as a diabetic is a case of "out of the frying pan and into the fire"
When I gave up smoking, I started on chocs and biscuits before I knew I was diabetic. I even think that might have started the downward path for me. But when diagnosed I swapped the chocs for nuts to snack or "Graze" on. Not the same for a while, but you get used to it. The chocs and biscuits will be bad both form your cholesterol AND your diabetes. They need to go.
 
nashinha said:
How can I reduce my cholesterol level? I recently had some bloods taken and doctor wants to do some more blood tests as she is a little concerned that cholesterol level is higher than last years test. BUT I gave up smoking 74 days ago and at the moment I am eating lots more chocolate and biscuits to compensate for the loss of cigarettes. Will this increase my cholesterol levels?
Click to expand...


Take a look at the following from The British Heart Foundation, you can also ring them for advice and their phone number will be in the contact details on their website:

http://www.bhf.org.uk/heart-health/cond ... terol.aspx


Good move stopping smoking but leave the chocolate and biscuits alone :)
 
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