Blood Pressure/Chloesterol

[Buzz-Lightyear]

Any body out there beaten these two? As I see it low fat and low refined carbohydrate diet and plenty of exercise. Then it's just a question of sticking to it. Would appreciate any advice.
Thanks.

[willoman]

I have been fighting the cholesterol battle for years - but luckily not high blood pressure as well. Diet plays a small part of the equation as most cholesterol is produced by the liver - it is also difficult to lower it and maintain low levels by exercise alone.
There are cholesterol reducing drugs available ( and acceptable to CAA ) but they may have side effects. Weight loss can have a significant bearing in lowering the readings. The best advice is to start the weight/exercise/diet routine and if that isn't working try the prescribed drug route as a last resort - your doctor can give best advice on that.

[gingernut]

High cholesterol and high blood pressure-its not the end of the world ! Remember, everyone has a "blood pressure" and "cholesterol" level. I'll deal with blood pressure first. Blood pressure is nothing magical, its just the pressure of blood exerted on the walls of your arteries. It is expressed as two figures, systolic, the pressure when your heart is pumping, and diastolic, the pressure when your heart is relaxed.
Your blood pressure varies at any one time, and changes according to several factors, eg. stress,(white coat syndrome), tiredeness, etc.
A one off high level is not usually dangerous in itself, what worries clinicians, are the long term effects of sustained high blood pressure, it does eventually "wear out" the internal organs and vessels.
In an ideal world, average blood pressure should be below 145 (systolic) and 85 (diastolic), although I believe in the aviation world, acceptable limits are 160 (sys.) and 90 (dia.) - don't quote me, I know little about aviation medicine. (But lots about blood pressure !).
Long term, several factors will influence your blood pressure, level of fitness, keeping your weight within its limits for your height, eating a low salt diet, not smoking, reducing alcohol intake etc.
Cholesterol is natural hormone found within the body. High levels of cholesterol have been associated with atheromasclerosis, or narrowing of the arteries, which can lead to heart disease, strokes etc. Ideally, levels should be below 5.2 (?mmols/l). Higher levels are not usually associated with sudden ill health, again it is the long term effects which are important. Factors influencing cholesterol include diet, alcohol intake, genetic factors.
You can't really do that much about genetic factors, some people are 7 foot tall, some are 4 foot tall, most are somewhere in the middle. Cholesterol levels (and for that matter blood pressure levels), can be considered in the same way.
Diet has been found to influence cholesterol levels. Low saturated fats, (saturated fats are those which are solid at room temperature eg cheese butter etc), high intake of fruit and veg, and increasing intake of oily fish may lower levels.
Incidentally, there is a further cholesterol test that can be performed, called HDL, or high density lipoproteins. This is a slightly different test, and unlike the cholesterol reading, the higher the reading the better. (Don't get too worried about this, but bare in mind that high cholesterol levels are not allways a bad sign, this HDL stuff can actually protect your arteries).
Hope you are not too confused so far !
The good news !
Unless blood pressure and cholesterol levels are dangerously high, (very unusual in people who are fit, i.e. can walk through the surgery door), then they are not usually dangerous in the short term. No one reading should be taken in isolation from other risk factors. I use a "risk calculator" which tells me the risk of a patient developing heart disease or stroke in the next 10 yrs. This calculator uses variables such as blood pressure, cholesterol level (and HDL level), smoking status, age,sex, smoking status etc. to calculate your risk of keeling over in the next 10yrs. It is usually on this basis that treatment decisions for cholesterol are made. Currently if your risk is > 30 % over 10yrs, Mr Blair will pay for the drugs to reduce your cholesterol. (This level of risk is very unusual.) Your clinician may, however, take other factors into account, eg your family history.
Blood pressure treatment decisions are made on slightly different criteria. Consistently raised readings (ie over 160/90) usually warrant treatment, borderline raised readings may invoke the use of the "risk calculator."
Interestingly, one of the biggest factors in the calculator, is smoking.
In summary, don't get too hung up on individual clinical readings, they have to be seen as part of the "bigger picture."
Finally, when its time for your medical, try and relax. Empty your bladder prior to having your blood pressure taken, breathe deeply, close your eyes and think of hot warm beaches or whatever tickles your fancy. If your blood pressure is up, ask the ME to try it again in a few minutes. Make sure the cuff fits your arm correctly. (Big arms need big cuffs.)
Good luck.
(PS I have no knowledge of aviation medicine, listen to your medical examiner if in doubt. I am on level 6 of my PPL, how do you get the bugger to fly in a straight line?)

[nztreds]

I strongly suggest reading a 'diet" book by a Dr Atkin, a cardioligist. It is all to do with modern day western eating. We quit simply eat far too many carbohydrates. Too many carbs leads to large rise and falls in blood sugar levels. Our bodies were never ment to cope with it. The pancreas then injects insulin into the body to deal to the glucose. If there is heaps of glucose in the blood, which there inveriably is in the western diet, the insulin turns any surplus into triglyicerides....the really bad stuff. It then stores it around the body as fat. For blokes it typically startes around the gut area. This guy knows what hes talking about!

[Buzz-Lightyear]

Thanks for the advice guys, I think I have got myself into white coat hypertension!! As for the carbohydrates I have seen Dr Atkins book and I think that carbohydrates are definately bad and are a bigger danger than is realised. I have started walking, losing weight, cut out carbs and relaxing at the medical. Sounds easy!! Lets see how it goes, thanks again.

[Charlie Foxtrot India]

Two years ago I had a cholesterol count of 8.4, over 6 of which was LDL. My aviation doctor, who is also my GP, said that it was more to do with my liver and heredity than diet, as gingernut said. I've been on Atorvastatin ("Lipitor") 20 mg/day since then, and now it is down to around 3.0, with no side effects; (helped by cutting down drastically on the smokes) and I haven't changed my diet at all; but will probably have to take the Lipitor for the rest of my life, which is a bit costly but better than being dead I guess!!
I hold a Class One medical.