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Most of my cholesterol readings in the past several years have been in this tight range. (I think I exceeded 200 once.. around like 205.. and also had it low around 150 once..) Is this a cause for concern if it's hovered very close to the acceptable limit of 200 for as long as I've known?
sounds just fine to me; there was a time when even 220 was considered perfectly acceptable, then it was lowered to 200. You are certainly in that range.
Most of my cholesterol readings in the past several years have been in this tight range. (I think I exceeded 200 once.. around like 205.. and also had it low around 150 once..) Is this a cause for concern if it's hovered very close to the acceptable limit of 200 for as long as I've known?
Like someone else said, it used to be higher and then they decided it should be <200. I don't really buy into it that much anyway. I honestly think genetics matters more in this case and if you have the history in your family, I'd be more concerned. But my grandma barely eats and hers has always been over 200.
Rather than be concerned about total cholesterol, take a look at your ratio of good, HDL cholesterol to your total cholesterol. This ratio is more predictive of future health than total cholesterol.
From Web MD:
"What Is Cholesterol Ratio?
To find your cholesterol ratio, you divide your total cholesterol number by your HDL, or good, cholesterol number. For example, if your total cholesterol number is 200 and your good cholesterol is 50, your total cholesterol ratio is 4:1.
Moderator cut: copyright violation, 1-2 sentences and link
For many of us-- especially women and those over 60-- statins should be avoided. Their risk and serious side effects far outweigh any possible benefits.
For a discussion of statins, you might want to read Are Your Prescriptions Killing You? by Armon B. Neel, Jr., PharmD, a consulting pharmacist. Fascinating book by an expert. http://www.amazon.com/Are-Your-Presc.../dp/B00D1G8FNO
Last edited by SouthernBelleInUtah; 10-25-2013 at 10:33 PM..
Like someone else said, it used to be higher and then they decided it should be <200. I don't really buy into it that much anyway. I honestly think genetics matters more in this case and if you have the history in your family, I'd be more concerned. But my grandma barely eats and hers has always been over 200.
and my mom in law's at one time was 325. When she was 92 it was down to 246. She died at 97, not from heart trouble I will add. I am certainly not suggesting people not pay attention to it, but I do think some of us put too much into lab results.
and my mom in law's at one time was 325. When she was 92 it was down to 246. She died at 97, not from heart trouble I will add. I am certainly not suggesting people not pay attention to it, but I do think some of us put too much into lab results.
I do agree...in recent years, it's become vogue to force cholesterol down to certain numbers via statins with "evidence" from a flawed study...thereby giving many people a whole slew of debilitating symptoms--cured, of course, by more prescriptions. Grrrr..
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