 |
 |
In case anyone missed it here is Harold Jones's very eye-opening post on cholesterol, where Harold points out that a reading never over 160 is NOT a guarantee of no heart blockage, as I certainly would have thought. It's more complicated than that. He may have saved a life or two with that post - including that of a friend of mine. He has had my prayer! -----Original Message----- From: Harold L. Jones <[log in to unmask]> To: Bruce Anderson <[log in to unmask]> Date: Wednesday, February 17, 1999 6:05 PM Subject: Re: 2 Quick Questions >Bruce Anderson wrote: >> >> How bad is a cholesterol reading of 237, with an HDL of 41 and an LDL of >> 162. I understand the first number should be 200 - it's the other 2 I don't >> know what they mean >> >> And can anyone recommend a non-narcotic, non-addictive pain killer suitable >> for back pain, probably muscular? >> >> THANKS ! >> B. Bruce Anderson (53, 5) >> Schooley's Mtn., NJ >> [log in to unmask] > > >Bruce: I learned about cholesterol the hard way 10 years ago when I had >open heart surgery-triple by-pass. Two arteries were 95% blocked even >though my many cholesterol tests never put me over 160. My many tests at >the well respected Lahey Clinic in Mass. never gave HDL or LDL. The >thinking in those days was that they didn't require HDL or LDL readings >if the regular was under 200. > >After surgery, a fasting test gave my HDL at 28. The ratio of HDL(28) to >the regular (200) was 5.7 and the ideal at that time was 4.5 or lower. >There isn't much to increase HDL other than exercise, so the regular can >be reduced by excercise, diet and/ or medicine. My wife has had several >cholesterol medicines and Lipitor seems to be working. > >They keep changing the thinking and 220 0r 200 seems to be a goal now. >My doctor now says at my age of 70 , the ratio is less important than >keeping the LDL below the high in the range. Most labs show low and high >ranges for the various components on a blood test. These test results >should be discussed with an internist or a cardioligist. I should >mention my mother's family had a history of heart problems. My sister >had an angiplasty last week for a blocked artery. > >ABC's Good Morning America had a section on cholesterol this week >Charles Gibson and Diane Sawyer both admitted over 200 cholesterol. I >think they will follow up and there must be a web page on this week's >program. > >It is worth spending time on. > >Harold