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Do you have low cholesterol?
I'll explain more after I get some results, but out of curiousity for the moment, I'm wondering whether you have normal, high, or low cholesterol and whether you are diagnosed with MS.
Do you have low cholesterol and what is your diagnostic status?
Do you have low cholesterol and what is your diagnostic status?
My total cholesterol is high, but it's because of my HDL, which is >65, while my LDL is in normal range and my ratio is good. I am undx'd.
For the record, I didn't click on this thread because my unconscious answer to the header question was, "Well, I guess not really." :-)
Bio
For the record, I didn't click on this thread because my unconscious answer to the header question was, "Well, I guess not really." :-)
Bio
Hi WAF,
You're right that the heading probably skewed my results. I was initially going to post a question, but then decided to do a poll. Having a lot of statistics under my belt, I'd never presume to get accurate results in a setting like this--it was more curiosity on my part. But your point is well taken. :)
My diet is a result of a combination of things. I used to be a vegetarian, but always a big fan of pasta, pizza, breakfast carbs (scones, pancakes). When I got dx with celiac, most of that had to go. There are some gluten free carbs I like (rice, corn, quinoa) but most of the GF "imitation" foods aren't very good. I did start eating chicken, just because it's hard to be totally GF and vegetarian, and ever eat out (I can do it pretty easily at home, but it's hard at restaurants, and salad is great, but if you don't have bread or chicken with it, it doesn't fill you up for long). I just can't bring myself to eat red meat. So, it's a combination of things that makes me eat this way.
Stephanie
You're right that the heading probably skewed my results. I was initially going to post a question, but then decided to do a poll. Having a lot of statistics under my belt, I'd never presume to get accurate results in a setting like this--it was more curiosity on my part. But your point is well taken. :)
My diet is a result of a combination of things. I used to be a vegetarian, but always a big fan of pasta, pizza, breakfast carbs (scones, pancakes). When I got dx with celiac, most of that had to go. There are some gluten free carbs I like (rice, corn, quinoa) but most of the GF "imitation" foods aren't very good. I did start eating chicken, just because it's hard to be totally GF and vegetarian, and ever eat out (I can do it pretty easily at home, but it's hard at restaurants, and salad is great, but if you don't have bread or chicken with it, it doesn't fill you up for long). I just can't bring myself to eat red meat. So, it's a combination of things that makes me eat this way.
Stephanie
Hey, Steph!
You sure eat healthfully! No wonder your cholesterol is low: Lots of fruit and veggies, legumes, and no red meat.. Sheesh! Your natural way of eating is a recipe for low cholesterol!! Did you choose that diet just by your own personal eating preferences or was it something you adopted to be healthier? Most of us have to force ourselves to eat like that! You gotta start eating more junk so you can make vitamin D!
I am in the high cholesterol camp although I have been lowering it by eating more like you do (legumes, nuts, avocados daily, oatmeal daily, apples daily, at least five veggies and fruit daily, exercise), but, yes, I still eat red meat, chicken, fish, etc. and dark chocolate daily (yes!).
So I am high-cholesterol (but now with a great cholesterol ratio), undiagnosed, but with MS symptoms. Previously on statins (but never again: they, and particularly Lipitor, have been unofficially linked to ALS).
It looks like your theory isn't being borne out by your survey. Also, your survey might be skewed by the fact that your header was, "Do you have low cholesterol?" Some of the others here with high cholesterol might not have even opened up your post thinking it didn't apply to them. In other words, there might be even more people with high cholesterol with or without MS diagnosis here than what is showing up on your results pie. Maybe if you changed your heading to "What is your cholesterol status?" you'd get more inquiries.
As for now, I remain a high-cholesterol Limbolander in the purple slice of your results wheel.
WAF
You sure eat healthfully! No wonder your cholesterol is low: Lots of fruit and veggies, legumes, and no red meat.. Sheesh! Your natural way of eating is a recipe for low cholesterol!! Did you choose that diet just by your own personal eating preferences or was it something you adopted to be healthier? Most of us have to force ourselves to eat like that! You gotta start eating more junk so you can make vitamin D!
I am in the high cholesterol camp although I have been lowering it by eating more like you do (legumes, nuts, avocados daily, oatmeal daily, apples daily, at least five veggies and fruit daily, exercise), but, yes, I still eat red meat, chicken, fish, etc. and dark chocolate daily (yes!).
So I am high-cholesterol (but now with a great cholesterol ratio), undiagnosed, but with MS symptoms. Previously on statins (but never again: they, and particularly Lipitor, have been unofficially linked to ALS).
It looks like your theory isn't being borne out by your survey. Also, your survey might be skewed by the fact that your header was, "Do you have low cholesterol?" Some of the others here with high cholesterol might not have even opened up your post thinking it didn't apply to them. In other words, there might be even more people with high cholesterol with or without MS diagnosis here than what is showing up on your results pie. Maybe if you changed your heading to "What is your cholesterol status?" you'd get more inquiries.
As for now, I remain a high-cholesterol Limbolander in the purple slice of your results wheel.
WAF
I'm happy to get more votes on this, but I'll try to explain my thinking in asking this.
There's been a lot of discussion here lately about vitamin D and it's connection to MS and other MS-like sx. I know my levels are just shy of the normal range, and I've wondered why, given that I get plenty of sun. I thought it could be related to the celiac disease, but I still thought my sun exposure should be enough.
I had my cholesterol tested this week. Two years ago it was exceptionally low (<100), but I thought for sure that was related to the celiac (if I can't absorb fats, it's probably hard to make cholesterol). I expected it to be higher, and it was, but still well below normal (~110).
So, I started looking into low cholesterol to see if it was harmful or if it's just the diet I eat (a lot of legumes, fruits, veggies, limited carbs because of the celiac, and no red meat). So one thing I came across was not only do you need cholesterol to help absorb vitamin D, you actually need it to manufacture it from sunlight. So if you don't have enough cholesterol, you can get a ton of sun exposure, and still have low vitamin D levels.
It seems like a lot of people here have low vitamin D levels, and I was wondering if low cholesterol might be a linkage. Looking at the results so far, it seems like an unusually high fraction of people have low values (5 of 11), but this is a very small and not random survey, so I wouldn't draw too much from it. Just my curiosity. It would be great to get more answers, though!
Thanks for answering. :)
Stephanie
There's been a lot of discussion here lately about vitamin D and it's connection to MS and other MS-like sx. I know my levels are just shy of the normal range, and I've wondered why, given that I get plenty of sun. I thought it could be related to the celiac disease, but I still thought my sun exposure should be enough.
I had my cholesterol tested this week. Two years ago it was exceptionally low (<100), but I thought for sure that was related to the celiac (if I can't absorb fats, it's probably hard to make cholesterol). I expected it to be higher, and it was, but still well below normal (~110).
So, I started looking into low cholesterol to see if it was harmful or if it's just the diet I eat (a lot of legumes, fruits, veggies, limited carbs because of the celiac, and no red meat). So one thing I came across was not only do you need cholesterol to help absorb vitamin D, you actually need it to manufacture it from sunlight. So if you don't have enough cholesterol, you can get a ton of sun exposure, and still have low vitamin D levels.
It seems like a lot of people here have low vitamin D levels, and I was wondering if low cholesterol might be a linkage. Looking at the results so far, it seems like an unusually high fraction of people have low values (5 of 11), but this is a very small and not random survey, so I wouldn't draw too much from it. Just my curiosity. It would be great to get more answers, though!
Thanks for answering. :)
Stephanie
When I had my first heart attack my LDL was at 115 but my HDL was 3. HDL is suppose to be over 35. Since then my LDL has gone too high (145) and I'm now on medications for it and my HDL was still too low (15). This is keeping my LDL at around 115. My last test also showed my HDL is now at 25 but I am allergic to the medication to bring up the HDL.
Dennis
Dennis
I'm interested too, since my overall cholestrol is high but my good cholestrol is also high and the bad cholestrol low.
My "bad" cholesterol's been high and my "good" cholesterol low for decades, though I've been on assorted diet plans, exercise regimens, and Rx drugs all along. The past few years, since I've been on Vytorin, the total's very good, but the HDL is still a tad low.
I'm wondering about whether your levels are chronically low (not broght to just under low cutoffs with medication).
PastorDan, I guess I didn't think to include an answer for if you don't know your values. I'll see if I can add one.
PastorDan, I guess I didn't think to include an answer for if you don't know your values. I'll see if I can add one.
Curious too. I'd complicate this by asking if you mean chronically high or low but controlled with drugs, or out of control, and if the proportion of us who don't know our cholesterol numbers would skew the results you're seeking.
I'm curious to know where you are heading with this one.... I'll stay tuned for your results. -Lu
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