High cholesterol/high blood pressure

[markos72]

Anyone have personal experience of the above?
Reason I ask is that Network Rail are running and health and wellbeing type thing with Nuffield,which involves having a state of the art pedometer,after an initial health assessment and further assessment in 6 months time.
My cholesterol was very high and blood pressure wasn't much better,and was advised to see my doc as soon as possible just for a chat etc etc(my mum has said there is a history of high cholesterol in the family)
My weight and BMI were ok,though I do know I could use more exercise,and years of eating crap on shifts is prob connected to the cholesterol count too.
Just wondered what folks thoughts were-I have managed to get an appt with my gp next week.
And please no lectures lol,I know where I have been going wrong.

 

[JudderMan]

Mine was stress related. If you've had a human MOT then you're lucky, most people don't get the chance and the first thing they know about it it's usually too late.

Not a lecture but I've been training for a huge bike ride at the end of the month and I feel great (I have a thread on here that details my exercise stuff I've been doing since January - 500 kettlebell it's called - believe me, I needed to do something. Sign up to something and train for it. There's no better push to get you out there. Run up the stairs. Walk to the shops. Just try and be more active. You don't necessarily have to join a gym as bodyweight exercises are more than good enough (look at the Olympic gymnasts). Get obsessed with what you eat.

I'd love to have had a full check over before I started all of this training and to do it again 6 months later. I'd be highly annoyed if I haven't made a difference, but the difference in the way I feel and carry myself is noticeable compared to Xmas.

 

[davc]

Niacin (nicotinic acid) B3 in doses over 100mg has been proven to lower blood pressure. It is a vasodilator which basically means it widens the blood vessels causing a decrease in pressure against the walls of the vessels, and also helps to raise HDL.

A side effect is the "niacin flush" which causes a flushing of the face and neck, but subsides after 20 mins or so.

I use this myself (600-700mg per day) with a garlic supplement as an aid to stop smoking and to speed up the lung healing process. It targets the dopamine receptors in the same manner as nicotine and is fantastic IMO. No need for expensive patches or gum which basically means you are no longer hooked on the evil stuff.

Nicotinic acid can be taken several times per day without causing liver toxicity as it is rapidly processed. Taking it with meals helps to reduce the flushing sensation.

Nicotinamide (or "no flush" niacin) on the other hand can cause liver toxicity (and isn't proven to reduce cholesterol) as it is released over a longer period of time; however as this takes longer to be processed by the liver, doses over 100mg per day are not recommended.

Another positive aspect of niacin is that is stimulates hair growth, so if you're thinning on top it may help to reduce this.

On another note try to get more dietary cholesterol into your body - eggs, prawns, liver and kiney are all good sources. Even monounsaturated fats like ghee, lard and and coconut oil should be incorporated. This will in turn lead to a reduction in LDL. I always fry with coconut oil as it is high in oleic acid and has a much higher smoke point than olive oil, which I might add should only be used as a dressing.

Try adding linseed or flaxseed (high in Alpha linolenic acid or ALA) as it's commonly known. I grind 2 heaped tablespoons and add it to my porridge every morning.

If you can do one thing, try to eliminate all sugar and refined carbs from your diet, this alone will help you on your way to lower BP and cholesterol.

 

[jojo]

Anyone have personal experience of the above?
Reason I ask is that Network Rail are running and health and wellbeing type thing with Nuffield,which involves having a state of the art pedometer,after an initial health assessment and further assessment in 6 months time.
My cholesterol was very high and blood pressure wasn't much better,and was advised to see my doc as soon as possible just for a chat etc etc(my mum has said there is a history of high cholesterol in the family)
My weight and BMI were ok,though I do know I could use more exercise,and years of eating crap on shifts is prob connected to the cholesterol count too.
Just wondered what folks thoughts were-I have managed to get an appt with my gp next week.
And please no lectures lol,I know where I have been going wrong.

This is EXACTLY what I was diagnosed with earlier in the year! Working in a fastfood joint since my mid teens, my love of junkfood and lack of exercise all finally caught up with me!

Since January, I've lost just over a stone in weight, and a couple of inches from my waist, plus I'm more active for the day than I use to be. I've cut out Beef, fried food, crisps and soft drinks from my diet, and eating a lot of green veg and fish. No sugar in my English Tea, and drink a lot of water or Green Tea.

Took me a while to get use to it, but it's routine now.

 

[voorhees]

Glad to hear you have found out early and good work Jojo,you sure this isn't a tactic to go faster on the quarter mile race ?

 

[Les 51]

Me too, stress related high blood pressure, had to change my diet! which has been hard. Due to go back to the doc's imminently for more tests and probably pills to help lower it.

 

[JudderMan]

Said some cool stuff

Excellent advice for the OP and on a side note, the garlic/niacin supplements I'll be forcing on my other half to try and get her to stop smoking.

 

[Nicki]

My Mum's recently started taking statins after a prolonged period of elevated (but not overly high) cholesterol levels. Nothing seemed to help reduce it and some people just naturally produce too much cholesterol. She falls into the "ideal" category for statins, so has been recommended by her GP to take them. (Not something she wanted to have to take, but think she’s resigned herself to it being advisable for her to take them.)

Mum used to work in a GP surgery so saw plenty of cholesterol test results over the years – one patient’s result was so high that the GP had my Mum phone the hospital to check that they hadn’t made a typo and missed the decimal point out, which they hadn’t – the level recorded was over 30!!!

 

[percymon]

I've lost over 3 stone since Jan this year - low cal diet in the main bt also doign 2 2mile jogs round the village every week. My BMI has plummeted from 31.5 to 25.6 currently, another 7 pounds of weightloss to go. I've measured my own blood pressure in the past and its always been high, my cholesterol was probably way up too ! I really shoudl redo my BP now I'm a lot healthier, if only to establish whether it was fitness, job related stress or an underlying hereditory issue.

Changing your eating habits isn;t always easy but cutting out a lot of carbs (bread, rice, potatoes) is a good start, and opting for lower fat variants of everyday items like butter (to Flora light), low fat cheese (tastes a lot drier and not that appealing but you get used to it) and very lean bacon or turkey rashers instead of your typical bacon are all good and relatively easy things to tackle.

Low fat/sugar cereals for breakfast, with a small additional of Oat Bran, also helps cut cholesterol.

If your weight/BMI are fine then a slight change in dietary habits should assist the cholesterol without a full blown assault !

 

[davc]

and opting for lower fat variants of everyday items like butter (to Flora light)

Margarines are bad news mate even the light versions. They almost certainly contain hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats, that's why they are solid at room temperature. Monounsaturated and MCT's (medium chain fatty acids) are by far the best types to consume. I would stick with regular butter.

Low fat foods are usually loaded with sugar to compensate for the fat that's been removed in order that the taste remains.

I'm 6'2" and weigh 12.5 stone, consume high amounts of coconut and olive oil, I use ghee in my curries but I consume very little sugar or grains. I also eat a lot of eggs but my overall cholesterol is normal and my BP the last time I checked was 100/60. I smoked up until 10 weeks ago and I don't go to a gym either.

Remember that all fats are not created equally. Our bodies need a certain amount of saturated fat to survive.

Even whole grain foods are bad and should be eliminated altogether. The modern western diet which is high in grain consumption can be attributed to the rocketing cancer rates experienced today.

Grains contain phytic acid which in moderate to high quantities prevents the absorption on key minerals like zinc, iron and vitamin c to name a few, so may be the reason why so many people get cancer.

The answer to high BP/cholesterol and many other health issues is not expensive drugs like statins, but proper nutrition.

 

[markos72]

Cheers everyone.Some good reading there.Just need to see what the quack says next week.
I don't go to the doc very often.in fact the last time was at least 18 months ago

 

[Ghost]

I try to be carful when replying to a heath thread cos we all different and what’s good advice for one may not be right for another, but its always welcome to see threads like this highlighting help is out there and its best to get the help early.

That’s the good news about the test you had Markos, its picked it up so you can get help (if you need it) early.
It’s always good to have a health check up, don’t matter if you think you fit and at the right weight and especially if you have family history of heart disease.

This is a good site to find out any info…

https://www.bhf.org.uk/

You can order free booklets and guides and you can order the BHF magazine, its free but you can donate something if you so wish.

Hi Nicki, you say you mother is on Statins, iv read if you take Statins you should avoid drinking or eating grapefruit as it increases the concentration of the drug in the blood.
If in doubt its worth asking her own doctor.

 

[markos72]

Update-being referred to hossie for a 24 hour blood pressure monitoring-basically go in early,have a wee portable bp monitor attached,go home or work,go back 24 hours later and hand it back and await results.
And to get another cholesterol test done next week.

 

[jojo]

Update-being referred to hossie for a 24 hour blood pressure monitoring-basically go in early,have a wee portable bp monitor attached,go home or work,go back 24 hours later and hand it back and await results.
And to get another cholesterol test done next week.

Yup, had blood pressure monitor thing done, it goes off every 20 minutes, but reduces to every one hour after 10pm I think. Mine gave me the all clear in terms of I'm still high, but acceptable high as opposed to I'm going to die anytime soon high pressure.

 

[markos72]

Full bloods taken today,not just cholesterol test,and getting my bp monitor fitted Friday afternoon.

 

[markos72]

Wee update folks-bp averaged 113/81 over the 24 hours which gp was very happy with,and I am on statins to lower my cholesterol.