I had a complete physical last week and have to go back to the doctor's this week for a followup for high cholesterol. My last cholesterol check was back in 2000 and it was 175 for the total... They would not tell me what it was over the phone. I have a family history of it, parents, brother. I am about 10lbs over weight and I am 37. Anyone else have this. TIA!!! Feeling kind of bummed and scared.

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Well, I HAD high cholesterol but I've been on medicine for it for as long as I can remember. Mine was around 300 before I was started on meds, but now on drugs it's under 200. If it's just a little bit up you can maybe bring it down with diet and exercise and maybe losing a little weight. But if it's familial hypercholesterolemia (genetic high cholesterol) you'll probably need meds to keep it under control. Hope that helps!!

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Thanks Aliadam for the reply.... If you don't mind me asking, how old were you when you were diagnosed? Good to hear it is under control with meds.

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I don't remember exactly, but I'd guess around mid-30's. I do have a VERY strong family history of high blood pressure.

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Mine was 260 in my early 20's, however it's now down to just under 200 (I just turned 30) - and that's without medication. I suspect part of the reason mine was initially high had to do with taking birth control pills, but that's just speculation. I think it's also partly due to genetics as most of my extended family on my dad's side seems to have high cholesterol (and both of my parents are on meds for high cholesterol).

It's hard to say why it went down exactly becuse I don't know why it was high in the first place, but I do suspect it had to do with some diet/exercise changes I made a couple years ago (swapping ground turkey for ground beef, using more olive oil, etc.).

I will be interested to see if it stays down in the next few years. If it goes back up, my doctor will put me on meds once I'm sure I'm finished having kids/breastfeeding.

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Stephanie
Mom to: Caleb (8/03), Ian (9/05), & Lucas (11/08)

This is my sister as well...she is on meds for it and has been since her late 20's. My doc keeps a close eye on mine, due to the family history, but so far, so good for me. Dh has borderline high cholestrol, and we're right now in a 6 month period of trying to alter his diet to see if that makes a difference for him. He does have some family history, so he might end up on meds as well since diet can only go so far if it's hereditary.

Mine is high and I am 37. It was 205 in Spring 2007 and 212 in Fall 2007. Then I got it tested this Fall (2008) and it is 238.

The nurse said it may have to do with me being pregnant and my OB/GYN told me not to even worry about it until after I have the baby and am not breastfeeding.

I don't know of anyone being diagnosed in my family with high cholesterol, but I am sure my dad has it, he eats anything he wants and does not worry about it. My mom does have high blood pressure.

I honestly think it has alot to do with my diet, since I exercise quite regularly, but don't always watch what I eat.

I'm waiting until next year to get tested again.

I also have high cholesterol..and I am a VEGETARIAN!! LOL It should be LOW! However, like you, I have a family history of it. I am 37 years old, and at my last check up, the dr. told me that I have the strangest cholesterol readings on a woman he has ever seen. He said I have numbers that fit a man! Weird! My bad is WAY high (314, I think) and my good was WAY low. There are a lot of other numbers that he read that made him say that about being like a man's, though, that I didn't understand. I am SUPPOSED to be on medicine, but I am currently out of it. I need to go back in, I know. He did tell me that exercising would help, as would changing my diet..but with numbers like mine, he could pretty much guarantee that I would need the medicine for life. I started walking 2 miles each morning about 3 weeks ago...and I already eat a pretty low fat and completely meat free diet. I am going to give myself until the end of the year to keep the walking up before I go back to see him. That way he can see for real just what the exercise does for me and adjust my meds accordingly. His words were, "You are a heart attack waiting to happen"...and I have way too many years of life ahead of me to have that happen!

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thanks for the replies... I called today for the actual ##'s. Mt total was 265 and my HDL was low at 37. I have a brother who is 33 who laso has high chol too.... My bp was fine 108/70 and B.S. was 80. I have had 3 kids since the last I had it checked and took fertility meds to get pregnant... I wonder if this messed with my body too....

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My cholesterol is in the low 200s (around 208 I think - done non fasting). However, my ratio is excellent (because my good cholesterol is very good) and the Dr. says I have no need to worry.