• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Pre-diabetic and high cholesterol

bobandpat

bobandpat

Well-Known Member
Messages
106
Location
West Yorkshire
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi all,

My hubby has recently been diagnosed as pre-diabetic with a high cholesterol level, 6.1 LDL 4.3 HDL 1.4. We feel we can cope with the diabetes angle, I've been type 1 for over 40 years, so I tell him 'no you can't have all those chocolates' and he obeys! ;) :p

The high cholesterol is a problem to us. I've wondered about LCHF but will this not affect the cholesterol level? The other problem with LCHF is that he can't afford to lose any weight, he's 5' 10" and weighs about 11 stone and looks very skinny. He doesn't want to take the statins that were advised so we have to sort this naturally if possible.

Can anyone give any advise as to how to lower the cholesterol level please?
 
I was told my cholesterol level was 7.2 about 3 months ago. My latest level is now 5.6. I've managed to get to this level by drastically reducing saturated fats in my diet. I no longer eat red meat or meat products (chicken and fish are ok). I've found low fat cheese, salad cream and mayo and drink one of those Benecol yogurt things every day. I'm aiming to get my level down to about 4 if I can just through diet as I don't want to take statins unless I really have to. I have to say that I wonder what the cholesterol levels are like amongst the LCHF diabetics. I don't follow the LCHF diet as I actually need to put some weight on that was lost prior to the T1 diagnosis. Hope this helps.
 
General reports here are that LCHF will raise your total cholesterol (TC) but improve your triglycerides and ratios. TC is not statistically significant at predicting anything and shouldn't be used as a diagnosis in itself, just as a hint to run more detailed lipid tests.

Having said that there are a not insignificant number of people on here reporting lipid profile problems on LCHF that are worrying (not just high TC). It may be down to individual differences. It may be the "quality" of the fats is important rather than the quantity. It may be that higher amounts of omega 3 EFAs required.

I think it would be prudent to get regular full lipid profiles done while doing LCHF.

LCHF will not work if you use low fat products or avoid fats. There is no evidence demonstrating saturated fats are bad for health. Quite the contrary in fact. But it may be a good idea to mix in high quality mono and poly unsaturated fats as well.

I totally get wanting to avoid statins if possible, but if he can't get his important lipid measures down by LCHF or other means he will come under great pressure to take the statins.
 
Hubby's TC : HDL ratio is below 4.0 so he is beating the NHS target on this measure which is the significant one. His TC and LDL are outside of target but only the ratios are predictive of good vs bad health.

Of course you may have an argument with your doctor about that, but politely ask them to check the actual evidence base rather than blindly reciting NHS targets. :-)
 
Thanks for the responses.

@June_C there is no way I'll be able to get him to cut down on his meat, red white or any other colour it comes in, though we do always buy lean (and then he goes through it with a fine-tooth comb to take any fat off :rolleyes:). Will maybe have a look at the Benecol when we get home as it's very expensive in France (and where we will be for the next 3 months).

@Spiker thanks for the advise about the targets and where he's at with them.

He's absolutely a chocoholic so I showed him the fat and sugar content in the ones he was sitting down to eat this evening. Think it frightened him a little as he says he's not buying any more when he finishes the ones he has left :D. This is helpfull as it wo'nt put temptation in my way :p
 
You don't have to stick to Benecol. Most supermarkets produce their own range of cholesterol lowering yogurt drinks. :)
 
There is a probiotic that I tried will reduce Cholesterol called
ENLIVA. It is available in Australia, may be available over there.


Sent from my iPad using DCUK Forum
 
Back
Top