cholesterol

[micromalc]

hi,
I have just discovered that I have slightly high cholesterol. Is this going to affect my NPPL medical ?
All advice gratefully received.

[maxdrypower]

As far as I am aware isnt NPPL medical a health check with a GP ? It isnt tested for a class 2 sodont see why it should be for NPPL . How high is it ? abov 5.5 is considered not brilliant

[gingernut]

In short the answer is no:)

A slightly elevated cholesterol has to be seen in light of the bigger picture, smoking, blood pressure, inactivity etc.

It may be something you could address by modifying your diet. What did your doc say?

[micromalc]

ah! going to see the doc on monday, but, having poured over the internet, i feel that i will first try to get levels back to normal by exercise and diet. dont fancy taking drugs forever, also, i'm not over weight don't smoke or drink alcohol. 58 years old and not willing to give up yet.(but don't mind sacrificing
chips and chocs ha-ha)

[gingernut]

Well, I'll give you an incling into how it is from the other side......

We're faced with a patient with a slightly raised cholesterol.

The evidence tells us that if we reduce the cholesterol, then the patient is less likely to suffer a stroke/heart attack, than if we don't.

We know that if the patient worked at his diet, exercise etc, he is likely to reduce his cholesterol, and chance of having a stroke.

We know that some patients are unlikely to make the changes and stick to 'em long term.

We know that we can use a chemical to lower cholesterol, but it's costly, and can have adverse effects.

We have to balance the cost& risk of the drug, against the benefits. We use the Framingham Score at the moment to guide us, but we will be using a more refined tool shortly.

Have a look at the bp thread to find out more. All interesting stuff. :)

[micromalc]

thanks...all very very interesting stuff. One more question!
If I try to cure myself (diet+exercise) how long before the cholesterol levels drop ? or is that a "how long is a piece of string question."

[Jackboot]

The same for my high cholesterol as for my high blood pressure....

I made a bad choice of grandparents.

Jack