I found out that elevated LDL cholesterol runs in our family. Do I really need medication for this, or can I also lower my cholesterol with a healthy diet? I am a 60 year old woman.
Joris Bartstra, journalist with medical diploma
When someone has a hereditary form of too high LDL cholesterol (the ‘bad’ cholesterol), the protein that ‘captures’ LDL cholesterol from the blood is not genetically well constructed. The cholesterol in your blood is then much too high and precipitates in the walls of the blood vessels. Without treatment, you can get cardiovascular disease as early as 40 years of age. With a diet you can lower cholesterol, but usually no more than 10 percent, and that is really insufficient in your case. In the case of hereditary high cholesterol, LDL cholesterol is quickly twice as high as desirable. Then you can’t do without medicines. The most commonly used cholesterol-lowering drugs – the statins – can lower cholesterol by 30 to 50 percent.
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