cHOLESTERAL

i HAVE A PERPLEXING PROBLEM.   iN fEB 1999 mY CHOLESTERAL WAS 250, hdl 72 AND ldl 163.  i THAN WENT ON A RESTRICTIVE DIET.  lITTLE OR NOT SATURATED FATS,NO PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED FATS. oNLY OLIVE OIL ETC.  i ATE NOT MEAT. Only chicken and fish.  I ate alot of fruit and vegetables.  I also had grape juice, garlic salmon etc.  By August 1999 I hadlost 12 lbs.  But my cholestral went up.  Total 192, HDL 63 and LDL 192.  I am 68yr old female,
good health otherwise.  Low pressure.  I weigh 140, 5'3".  I take  1500 Calcium, Vit E, Aspirin and 10 mg Prozac once a week. What did wrong?  How come my liver is putting out more cholesteral on the restricted diet?  The fact that I lost 12 lbs. shows that I was adhereing to the diet?  Could it be too much calicum?  Or too much Vit. A ?  mY MOTHER LIVED TO BE 87 AND FATHER 78 NO HEART disease except in very oldage.  Thanks Josey

[Cleveland Clinic, MD]

Dear Josey,

Congratulations on the weight loss.  This is as important as keeping the cholesterol down.  NOt all cholesterol problems can be controled by diet and exercise alone.  You will need to maintain this current diet and exercise program and ask your doctor to add a cholesterol medication - probably one of the "statins".  Your goal for the LDL should be less than 130. Best wishes and keep up the good work.