BlkKnight

Please see the two images which are my dad's cholesterol readings:





and



We know your cholesterol count should not be above 4 - but which figure are they on about?

Are his readings particularly high to warrant any intervention?

Given that these two reading were taken about a week apart, what can cause them to change so dramatically?

He was not on any medication prior to either test, and did not change diet.

Any light shed on this would be appreciated.

Thanks

TopBanana

I think it's the cholesterol / HDL ratio

Mr doo

Did he starve before both tests , think its 12 hours?

BlkKnight

don't think so!

BlkKnight

just asked him - yes for both

David Lock

It seems clear enough. 1.7 x 4.9 = 8.33 which is the top figure, total cholestrol which is the key figure.

I guess doctor/nurse will give him some tablets and tell him to stop eating bacon butties. dl

(PS. non-medic reply btw)

paulr

Shouldn't he be asking his doctor.

btw,where did he get this done?

BlkKnight

1st was done by local GP

2nd was done in hospital after a severe stroke. .

Leslie

Hopefully he will be put on statins and a child's aspirin every day.

Les

BlkKnight

are the above results "high" or "normal"?

TopBanana

Compare with the target figures below. His results are clearly much higher

David Lock

As said they are higher than they should be. But they should give all the advice he needs when he is (or has been?) discharged. Main thing would be diet, exercise and weight. It would be up to you and your mum, if she is about, to try to ensure he keeps to it (easy on the cream cakes etc). Doctor would back this up with anti-cholestrol drugs and possibly warfarin (blood thinners) for life to lessen chances of a further stroke. No reason he won't go on for years if he is sensible

(non-medic but with experience. Just got back from regular warfarin blood check!!)

BlkKnight

Thank you for your comments.

I'm afraid it's slightly more complicated than this, let me explain the full story. . .

He initially went to the GB who referred him to wyc gen hospital as he'd had a loss of left peripheral vision in both of his eyes.

This was mis-diagnosed as something similar to a burst blood vessel behind the eyes.

After reading up - the initial response a DR or hospital to any sudden loss of eyesight (especially involving sudden loss of peripheral vision) is a stroke. And should be treated urgently.

This turned out to be a minor stroke caused by a blood clot which then went untreated for several weeks.

Three weeks later he had a much more severe stroke affecting about 1/4 of the back left of his brain, affecting his logic, reasoning & Perception (very badly) - which probably have been avoided if he were diagnosed correctly in the first instance.

kend

HDL = good cholesterol
LDL = bad cholesterol.

Secondary prevention target = the level to try and get the cholesterol down to, in anyone who has had a stroke / heart attack.

A blocked / burst retinal vessel can cause partial visual loss, but it would be extremely unusual for this to affect both eyes. Simultaneous loss of visual fields in both eyes is almost always a stroke / TIA. It may be that by the time he got to hospital the first time symptoms had resolved. Would suggest having a chat with his GP - as he was obviously concerned enough to send him to hospital in the first place.
Although aspirin and statins reduce the risk of having a stroke, they do so fairly slowly - statins in particular take many months to have any meausrable benefit on risk. It may be that even if the 1st episode had been treated as a stroke he would have still gone on to have a bigger stroke - of course there is no real way of knowing for sure

Hope he makes a good recovery

regards

Ken (GP type person)

BlkKnight

Thanks for the informative reply(s).

J

MartinM

I'm at 3.3 total and 1.8 LDL - highly drug controlled mind you...

I'm on a pretty big statin dose - Atorvastatin 80mg daily - which I'll take for the rest of my life.

I'm sure they'll put your Dad on something similar and that'll sort of the cholesterol no problem - and I wish him all the best on the other things.

....not that I'm qualified to give medical advice, but been there, done that - heart attack March 2005 - but strangely, no T-shirt

njkmrs

Comment about the bacon butty is not quite accurate .
I have had high cholestorwl levels in the past and changing diet did not help .Yes I would like to be lighter ,eat better ,etc,but some people do not get rid of the bad type naturally ,and only medication helps bring it down ,which is my case .
I also know a vegetatrian neuro surgeon who weighs about 10 stone ,who had high level of cholesterol and is also on tablets to keep it in check .

I would always say, yes eat healthily ,but its not always that simple a solution .
My dad died a year after retiring at 66 ,from a massive heart attack ,which made me get a check up.I have been on simvastatin tablets for a couple of years now which helps me keep it in check,(I am 37) .I also play football once a week and try to run on a treadmill a couple of times a week also.

My thoughts are also tailored now to try to enjoy every day ,no matter what,(not in a morbid way)because nobody knows what is round the corner .

Hope your dad gets better soon.
Kind Regards.

PS my highest level was 7.3 ,which was not good in my opinion and that was 6 months after changing diet etc ,exercising more after being told it was 6.7 by my doctor .!!!!

AsifScoob

I believe the Triglycerides are key (don't ask me what they are!).

My cholesterol is high (5.5) but my triglycerides are almost non existent, so my GP was happy, for now.

Still working on getting the overall figure lower.

Obviously I have no idea how this info affects your Dad's case, but it does appear that the first test showed his to be too high, the second definitely.

Best of luck.

Asif

The Fenian

Its high matey.

But as ya man said, lifestylle may not be the answer.

Some people have it in the family, genetics an all that.

My cousin died at 40 from a heart attack. Her side of the clan were disposed to it apparently

Leslie

I am on simvastatin and a daily small aspirin after my quad bypass. My cholesterol was always on the high side before but is now at 4.0 and the GP is happy with that. This will be for life too.

Les

BlkKnight

Sounds like I should get my self checked out too. Dad has a very active life and does watch what he eats - he drinks a fair bit (not excessive) to compensate though.

His mum just informed us that Steve's dad had a history of high cholesterol too. . . Nothing like closing the stable door. . . Ho hum.

clipshore

i think he had starved before taking the test that's the reason the level has gone down below 4.

with thanks
Drug Intervention Oklahoma

bigsinky

**** me mate bummer. as above, genetics plays a part. rosovastatin 20mg daily for me as well a lipitor, aspirin, metaformin, betablockers, and a shed load i can't remember. i now have what my dad has, only 20 years earlier than him. i'm only 42 but mum has type 1 diabetes, dad has age onset type 2. both sets of grandparents had diabetes. oddly enough my sister who is pretty skinny doesn't have it, she is just fooked in the head.

Hope your dad is ok.

j4ckos mate

My mums had the eye thing, but luckily its just left her with a pie shaped piece missing from her vision, no secondary attacks