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Cholestrol

I am 37 years old, BMI= 22.9 (60 kg/ 162 cm), teetotaler, no smoker. 1 year ago my cholesterol was checked first time and it was high (=300). I reduced fat in my diet and it came down to 250. I thought I can reduce it whenever I want, so I stopped bothering. My fat intake increased a bit. Cholesterol back to 300. So I am avoiding fat again.

Doctor suggested Simvastatin medicine but I did not buy it. I still think I can reduce it by following a strictly low fat diet. Well, I do not exercise except that I walk, or sometimes run a bit, to work. Walking time=15-30 min per day.

* Should I take medicine and eat the food that I like (fat, cheese, meat etc.) or follow low fat diet (even if I find it not tasty) and avoid taking medicine?
* How bad is high cholesterol? I read that (high) cholesterol is good for brain and cholesterol reducing medicines have some side-effect on brain.
* Medicine has to be continued for life once I start?

My mother, 57 years old, has high cholesterol too, detected about 5-7 years ago.

* Is my high cholesterol due to my mother?  Do we have a heredity problem?

My son, 7 & 1/2 years old, is also "under-weight" like I was. I always tried to give him fatty diet so that he could gain weight till 1 year ago when high cholesterol was also detected in his blood. He had 275 which is reduced to 250 now.
He also does not exercise except normal activities in the school plus walking to school. But he does swimming two times half an hour every week mostly.

My wife also has high cholesterol although she has the least among three of us. This situation doesn't point to heredity. Isn’t it?

* Why a lean child has cholesterol? Because of cholesterol we are probably not giving him good diet because we try to avoid fat, meat etc. He takes calcium plus vitamin milk (half cream milk) )+ fish + egg white (no yolk) etc. and mostly he does not eat fatty foods like cheese, red meat etc.
* With this diet how can I make him healthier and taller?
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Avatar universal
Thnaks for replying to my question.

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Heart-Disease/Cholestrol/show/1213375

* Which medine do you suggest? How much is low dose as you suggested? Are there any side effects?
* What is the treatment for a child?

Thanks.
Helpful - 0
242508 tn?1287423646
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
1.  Dietary modifincation can reduce choletsterol by up to 15%.  In your case this won't be enough and I think you should be on a cholesterol lowering drung.  The medicine would need to be taken for life.  But I would start with a very low dose.
2.  HIgh cholesterol has been associated with the development of atherosclerosis, the disease process which causes coronary artery disease and peripheral vascular disease
3.  You may have a hereditary problem.  Further testing may help elucidate that.
4.  There are low cholesterol meats such as chicken and fish which you should focus on for your son.  He will have to have his cholesterol checked at least once a year and if elevated you may consider seeing a lipidologist (either a cardiologist or an endocrinologist) for further testing and treatment.  I do think that there is a hereditary problem in your family.  
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