Hello
Thank you for your query at DoctorSpring.com
Your ldl cholesterol is way too high. You are hypertensive. Are you diabetic? Overweight? Family history of early coronary or cerebrovascular disease?
Even in the absence of these risk factors due to hypertension you are a candidate for aggressive lipid lowering by around 30 to 50 percent of thos ldl level.
Of course diet control is definitely warranted. Oils like sunflower safflower olive rice bran are good for you. Green leafy vegetables fruits sprouts almonds walnuts are good for you. Avoid dairy and bakery products red meat. Fish is good for you if you are non vegetarian. Daily 45 min fast walk swimming or cycling is good for you. But in addition you need to be on rosuvastatin or atorvastatin at high dose. Side effects include muscle pain liver dysfunction. They are not so common. In case you have muscle pain or nausea vomiting anorexia you shoild consult your doctor for appropriate tests. But statins are reasonably safe and indicated in your case
Feel free to discuss further,
Regards
Dr Vivek Mahajan
DM Cardiology
Patient replied :
Thank you so much for your reply....could it be that stress produces such high colesterol levels? Or is it all due to diet.....? all of your answers are negative except for the hypertension that is being controlled by medication. Now im so nervous thinking i will have a heart attack anytime...I will consult a cardilogist tomorrow.....those atorvastin or rosuvastin will lower it immediately? thank you!!!
Hello
It is partly due to your diet and partly your body metabolism. Diet control will definitely help. Roauvastatin or atorvastatin will show effect in 6 months. You wont get a heart attack immediately but it increases the risk. You need not panic. Just follow the precautions.
Would be glad to answer any queries.
Regards
Dr Vivek Mahajan
Patient replied :
Hello Dr. Thank you very much for your prompt responses and I am feeling much better with your help until I get to see a Cardiologist in a few weeks. What type of tests can I have to find out if there is already damage in my arteries and if so, could this condition be reversed? I was told by a physician that the statins clean the arteries, if that is the case once they are cleaned will i be able to stop taking them? or this is most likely a treatment for life.
Since I have been reading Dr. Dean Ornish,s reasearch and treatments on reversing heart pathologies thru primarly a vegetarian diet, stress management and exercise I became very interested in this approach but not too many Cardilogists go along with his concepts and I want to know what your input on these issues are to help me decide to make a better decision for myself...Thank you!!!!
Hello.
Since you are asymptomatic for any arterial disease, no tests are indicated to find out if your arteries are already diseased. In the absence of any symptoms, you should not focus on the possible damage. Rather you should focus on the preventive aspect.
Most trials have shown statins effect after 3 to 5 years of therapy. So that is the duration we are looking at. However if you can tolerate it well, you should continue them even after that
Ofcourse lifestyle and dietary management are an important part of lipid control. However, we cannot rely only on that in your case at your lipid levels. So you shoild continue the lifestyle modification along with the pharmacological therapy.
Let me know if I can assist you any further.
Regards,
Dr Vivek Mahajan,
DM Cardiology.