Cholesterol

[Arabesque 6,970]

Has anyone experienced an increase in their cholesterol levels? Before surgery, mine sat around 5 regardless of my weight (healthy, overweight or obese). In the first 3 years post surgery it was about 4. Then it went to 5 again. Okay I thought just where my body wants to be. But it’s 5.7 now. Like what??

My surgery follow up doctor suggested I speak to my GP about a coronary artery Calcium store test. My dad had a higher cholesterol level but not enough for meds. One brother’s is about what mine is now but he follows one of those fat is good diet (I swear he slathers his toast with butter like an inch thick). My mum, other brother, aunts, uncles, grandparents levels are/were ok.

Rest of my blood work was great.

[catwoman7 11,151]

mine dropped super low after my surgery (to around 130) and nine years out is back up to what it was prior to surgery, around 180-190, which is still fine. I'm not sure if the surgery caused the rebound or if it's just my body settling back in to its norm. In any event, in my case the increase wasn't anything to worry about, since it's still within range. I wonder if yours could be partially age-related and not necessarily surgery-related? Not sure. (I just noticed your numbers - the ones I noted on mine are total cholesterol. Are your numbers (4, 5, etc) just reflecting one part of that? Or maybe they use a different scale in Australia..)

[GreenTealael 25,096]

On 5/19/2024 at 11:35 PM, Arabesque said:

One brother’s is about what mine is now but he follows one of those fat is good diet (I swear he slathers his toast with butter like an inch thick)

Am I your brother? joking

My levels have remained the same (low-normal but I don’t have a lot of fat in my daily diet except 1-2 weeks per year)

I not sure of the metrics used to measure in Australia? Is 5.7 very elevated? What would be optimal?

[Arabesque 6,970]

It’s how we measure total cholesterol & is measured in millimoles per litre.

Healthy is considered 3.9 - 5.5. 5.5 - 6.5 is considered borderline. So I’m in the lower end of the borderline range now @GreenTealael.

When it first went back to 5 I thought the same thing @catwoman7, my body just settling back into its norm. But now… Thinking it maybe the dairy I eat now which is way more than I had before surgery (before 3 or 4 serves a week now 2 or 3 a day a day). meat is a little less. Butter is less. Cook more in air fryer or bake in the oven. May be I’m missing something,

Or it could be the creons I take to aid my absorption of Protein. They maybe changing my fat absorption??? Or it could be not having a gall bladder??? I seem to have more questions now.