Doc says my cholesterol is high. LDL is 186, HDL is 71.

I don’t eat real bad, as an avid outdoorsman I believe in eating what you kill. So my diet contains a lot of red meat. Mostly lean red meat. No fast food, drink lots of water and try to have a vegetable with my dinner. 35 years old, 165 lbs 6’2” . Pretty active, always on the move don’t like sitting still.

Don’t necessarily want to use a statin, don’t like the idea of relying on medicine. Doc suggested red yeast rice supplement.

Looking for input from other outdoorsman with diets containing lots of red meat. I know trapperman ain’t a health forum lol but I respect you guys input as I’ve been on here a long time.

Red rice yeast contains lovastatin. HDL is the good cholesterol and that being high is good. Sounds like your pretty healthy, do you have family history of heart disease or other risk factors? If not I wouldn’t be too concerned about it. Disclaimer: Of course if you’re concerned or Dr is, consult with them. I’m just giving my opinion, not medical advice.

The CDC is a joke they lie and there the ones that force doctors to treat you the way they say. When they set the standards for high cholesterol they couldn't even decide where to set them. Red meat animal fats lard butter eggs should be 60 -80 percent of a humans diet.

I've been on a statin since I was around 34 or so, I'm 45 now. I totally revamped my diet, was walking 3-4 miles a day, cut out anything processed, took fish oil, flax seed, etc.... I dropped my cholesterol levels about 10 points. I still watch what I eat pretty closely, just don't walk as much as I used to. Sometimes no matter what you do, you just can't fight/fix your DNA. Heart disease and high cholesterol run in my family. Lost my dad when he was 52 to his second heart attack.

When the Dr. first told me mine was high considering the family history, I changed my eating habits and cut out most of the high impact foods. After 6 months and losing about 10 lbs which I did not try to lose or need to loose, my overall number went down 3 points. Conclusion, heredity, not food was the main driver. Been on Statins for years which lowered the numbers but still had a blockage that was caught and stented before it caused a problem. After that, they upped my dosage to the max and check me annually for all the possible side effects. They also do not care what my total cholesterol numbers are now, they just want it as low as possible. Taking statins is not the end of the world if you can not get it down with diet/lifestyle. I have been on them over 30 years.

6’2” and 165? You’re a beanpole! Must be hereditary. Try 54, 5’7” and 198 and great cholesterol, lol.

Had high cholesterol and blood pressure since my late 20s got it from my dad, both were high even when I was in the Army and in very good shape. I'm sure my diet doesn't help now but change is hard

Keep eating what you are eating,but add 3 or 4 cans of sardines every week.
The smoked kippered snacks are delicious.

It will knock back that bad cholesterol big time in a couple months.

High cholesterol is a scam don't worry about it ,your own body produces cholesterol . I would change doctors if he is trying to put a stent in you. Most doctors are not nutritionist and were lied to about the food pyramid just like the rest of us and they dont know any better.

The same scam that salt is bad for you, they just needed something to blame all the heart attacks and strokes from high carb diet, and the food industry lobby squelched it.

Eat plenty of eggs and salt your food don't worry about cholesterol if your not eating a high carb diet.

And yes Boco Sardines are a near perfect food eat them alot.

98 % genetic, good luck with trying foods to beat it. I tried eating salmon and halibut also trout grilled with salad for close to a year also very little fats, mine went up and up. Been on Statin drugs since 90, I think no side effect LDL is down also blood pressure and I eat corn fed beef, pork, butter also wild game. Science believe it or not. They will test your liver function as some folks have issues with that but there are different drugs now.

After my heart attack and emergency bypass surgery, doctor's throw the kitchen sink at me, low salt diet, stains, diabetes drugs, heart meds, sleep apnea, etc. I was following my dad's and uncle's cardiac history year for year (family history). Took the drugs for years following doctors recommendations before doing my own analysis and asking the doc pointed questions. She knew the jig was up, seems they had me on diabetes meds to compensate for the effects that the statins were going to cause. Stations to lower cholesterol, heart meds to lower blood pressure even though they have completely replumbed me; as my heart surgeon said, " you now have the plumbing of a 20 year old" at 50. I told my doc at that time, I was done with all the meds. They had not change any numbers significantly. She reluctantly said ok, but continue to take the Aspirin which I have.

I had major surgery years later. While at the hospital, they force adjusted my blood sugar with diet and insulin to be a constant 140 ( thought to be the opt # for rapid cell regeneration they said). Sent me home with metformin to keep the number near the 140 number. Three months of outpatient would care. Since then, numbers range 90 - 160 depending on what I eat. A1c is between 5.5 and 6.2. I'm currently looking at natural methods to lower those numbers a bit.

Having retired, blood pressure has risen a bit ... get less exercise than when I was working > I'll have to work more on that lol.

Last check up, my bad cholesterol number was 1 point above the accepted range, my new doc was already talking about satins. I said absolutely not.

I believe doctors do have our best interest at heart; but, the models they were taught are not all that individualized. What's normal for one person is not the same for everyone else. You need to do your own research and advocate for yourself ... No one else will do it for you, just my experience.

Cut mine in half by not eating sweets like chocolate, less milk and no sugars. I don’t think wild meat is the cause unless your deep frying it in lard. Lots of rotisserie chicken for me no skin on it.

The test shows conclusively that lowering your cholesterol does not lower the death rate in humans from heart attack and stroke.

Lowering your carb intake will.

Eat plenty of animal fats,incuding chicken (with skin), bacon ,eggs cooked in lard and butter and bacon grease, and rotisserie chicken is health food eat more of it. Its our natural diet.

Less/ better yet, no... grains, bread, rice ,potatoes, pasta, beer sugar drinks of any type. You will get off all drugs and lower your BP and blood sugar and inflammation. No heart attack, no stroke, no stents, no diabetes.

Your HDL is good, your LDL isn't that bad.
Mine was about same as yours two years ago. Dr. wanted to put me on statins, I said I'll pass. A year later everything is good. Dr. was surprised, asked what I was doing different. Told him I don't eat bacon for breakfast every morning like I used to, and switched from cheap beer to real beer; IPA's. He laughed and said keep doing whatever you're doing. Still eat plenty of red meat (mostly venison) eggs every morning, real butter, whole milk, and not too many carbs.

Thanks for the replies guys. I’ll continue to do research but it sounds like this is more hereditary than my diet. I’ll go to one more visit after 3 months of adjusting my diet, then make a decision.

Had mine tested Monday.

Total cholesterol = 160
HDL = 49
LDL = 87
Triglycerides = 122

Doctors make recommendations according to standards of the AMA. When your test numbers are out of normal any at all, like yours, they will make recommendations and if you refuse it will be noted in your records. This is done to protect them in case of lawsuits of which there are many.

Don't be too harsh on your Dr. because they have to protect themselves as well as treat you.

That’s what I did I said I would eat better and come back in 3 months rather then using my poor eating habits as a base to start with. You will find any food worth eating will have sugar, fat or sodium just eat wisely.

There are a lot worse ways to check out than instant death from a massive heart attack.