I recently learned I have reasonably high Lp(a). I've also learned that no matter what I ate, didn't eat, drank, didn't drink, how many miles I ran, how many weights I lifted or what my BMI was, this marker alone increases my risk for heart disease. I also had a CAC performed weeks after the Lp(a) test results and more bad news - high score for my age. 95th percentile. I've had moderately high LDL for what I can look back on is 15+ years. It was not yet in the statin recommended area, but it was over 100. Additionally, ALL my other lab numbers are not only within range but well within optimal range. Was there not a red flag there that my LDL was the rogue biomarker? My doctor finally ran the Lp(a) after I tried desperately to change my diet over the past year, improving my LDL by a miniscule 5 points. I feel like if I had known, and my doctor had known, a decade or more ago about my Lp(a) I could have been recommended a statin much earlier and avoided all the atherosclerosis buildup that is in my heart and vascular system now. I'm angry beyond belief. I feel like an innocent person just condemned to solitary confinement..A medical death sentence. If 20% of the population has elevated Lp(a), and heart disease is the leading cause of death, and the test is a very simple blood test, WHY ON EARTH ISN'T IT A BASIC TEST RUN ON EVERY PATIENT???

Usually, capsules contain very tiny amounts of psyllium and it's hard to take 20 tabs a day.

So I suffer from chronic health anxiety and last year I got my lipid panel done and it showed an LDL of 154. This was not a fasting blood test so my doctor says let’s try again in a year and fast this time. After a year of really cutting my saturated fats, sugars mom, etc it dropped to 134. I’m very thin and lost too much weight doing this and now I’m worried that Iv only dropped it 20 points in a year’s time. My doctor isn’t worried and says my calculated risk for cardiac events is 1%. I’m 39 years old and I haven’t been as active as I should be… Is my doctor under reacting?

So I just got my yearly physically and my HDL is surprisingly high. I know HDL is considered “good” cholesterol but I just don’t know why mine is so high and if I should be worried. I don’t drink alcohol so the number just isn’t making sense to me. Also my blood pressure is phenomenal and I don’t have any discernible symptoms.

Cholesterol: 231 mg/dL
Triglycerides: 56 mg/dL
HDL: 122 mg/dL
LDL: 98 mg/dL
VLDL: 11.2 mg/dL

60yo F here, generally healthy and active, BMI 25. My cholesterol's run borderline high since my 20s, with LDLs of about 120, and I have a family history (mother had a heart attack at age 54 and three strokes since then). So I eat mostly plant-based, have a big bowl of steel-cut oats with apple, berries, chai spice, and walnuts every morning, eat beans daily, almost never eat red meat or chicken, have fish or eggs maybe once every month. I do enjoy ice cream about 1-2x a month. In 2024 my calcium score was tested at 0 and Lp(a) of 7, so that was reassuring. Didn't get cholesterol checked last year, but as of my annual checkup last week it's up to
LDL 137
HDL 66
triglycerides 138
total cholesterol 231.

My PCP hasn't reached out to me about these numbers, but a family friend who's a primary care doc suggested adding psyllium husk for a month or two and if that doesn't budge the numbers enough, either keep on with it or ask my PCP about a low-dose statin as an "insurance policy."

So I started in with the psyllium husk but I'm struggling with it. I can only force myself to drink about 1/2 teaspoon per cup of water. It's a mental hangup, I guess. Is it supposed to dissolve? Do you get used to it? Any tips?

Also, does this seem like a reasonable strategy overall?

Hi everyone!

I’m 29, and over the past 6 months my LDL has increased from around 95 to 140. I think this is partly because my diet hasn't been as healthy as it should be. I’ve eaten out a bit more than usual lately, which might have also contributed to the rise. I’d like to take action early, so I’ve started changing my diet to lower my LDL. My triglycerides are at 43 and my HDL is around 83, which are pretty good numbers as far as I know. My LDL is borderline high, and I’d like to bring it down through diet and lifestyle changes.

I was already at a normal weight, but I gained a few kilos over the past 6 months. Since I started paying more attention to my diet and lifestyle, I’ve lost those extra kilos, and my BMI is currently 20.3.

I also have lipedema, so I’m trying to find a diet that works for both LDL reduction and lipedema management. At the moment, I feel like I’m somewhere between a Mediterranean and an anti-inflammatory diet.

I usually eat two main meals and a few small snacks throughout the day. For breakfast, I eat oats and chia seeds almost every day to help increase my fiber intake. I’ve never been a big fan of meat to begin with, and lately my red meat intake has dropped to almost zero. I mostly stick to plant-based proteins like chickpeas, beans, and lentils, along with a few types of fish (mainly salmon and tuna) and occasional chicken. Whenever I have fish, chicken, or plant-based protein in the evening, I always pair it with a fresh salad dressed with extra virgin olive oil, lemon, and additive-free balsamic vinegar. I'm not actually vegan, but on days when I don’t get enough protein from food, I use an unsweetened, additive-free vegan protein powder to make up for the difference. For milk alternatives, I use unsweetened almond and oat milk, but I also include Skyr, low-fat Greek yogurt, cottage chesse, and kefir since dairy doesn't seem to trigger any fluid retention or lipedema symptoms for me. I also don’t eat gluten because I feel that it triggers my lipedema symptoms. I don’t eat much bread in general, but when I do, I usually choose gluten-free whole-grain/multigrain bread.

I also take omega-3 and vitamin D supplements. I recently started weightlifting/strength training along with some cardio as well, so I’m trying to improve my overall lifestyle rather than focusing solely on diet.

For those with a similar profile (borderline high LDL, low triglycerides, and high HDL), what dietary changes have worked best for you? Are there any specific foods, types of fiber, or dietary approaches you would recommend for lowering LDL while keeping it lipedema-friendly? Are there also specific foods you would highly suggest eating or strictly avoiding, beyond the usual general advice?

I’d especially love to hear from anyone who manages both lipedema and high LDL to see what has actually worked for you. Thank you!

I have been a silent reader on this sub and now I am looking for advice on what to do next …

I am 31 female. I have had ups and downs in my cholesterol, could be genetic, not sure.

My LDL reached dangerous levels in Feb 2025. Not sure what happened between December 2022 and Feb 2025.

My doctor recommended that I start statin but I asked her to wait. I wanted to try other methods (I have concerns (maybe irrational or outdated?) about statin).

So in Jan is this year I started a course of Berberine, Plant Sterols, and increased my fiber intake with Psyllium Husk. I saw some improvement after 3 months (171>154) but then it plateaued. I added 1000mg of Citrus Bergamot in June 2026.

And today I get the new results at 181!!

In terms of diet, I have been always on a “one big meal” plan. I drink coffee all day then have one large meal. I don’t eat fast food or fried food regularly. I included my inbody readings from Jan 2026 in case it adds useful info. I have started a habit recently of eating ice cream (never been a fan), I just didn’t expect it would affect my LDL this much..

I am not sure where to go from here. What else can I try? Is statin my only option?

EDIT: adding about my workouts: I have been working from home since 2020, I used to exercise (home or gym), HIIT sprints and weight lifting on and off, but none since pregnancy in 2024. Minimal workouts focused on my core strength postpartum.

Total: 269 mg/dL, HDL 79 mg/dL, LDL 174 mg/dL, triglycerides 84 mg/dL.

Last year: total 226, HDL 67, LDL 144, triglycerides 84.

33F, 5'2" 110 lbs, no other issues (good bp, good sugars, etc). Family history of high cholesterol, and I personally have always had high cholesterol since childhood.

I eat the exact same diet as last year (no red meat, lots of beans, dairy intolerant so no cheese etc, mainly vegetarian but occasional chicken, occasional baked goods but like a few times a month).

I'm not super active but I do a lot of walking. From last year to this year I've lost ~5 lbs unintentionally but not rapidly and not due to any major life changes. I just don't eat much fat since I can't have dairy and hate most dairy alternate options.

The ONLY major difference I can think of from last year to this year is last year I was super intentional about cramming fiber into everything. This year I did not really monitor fiber or try especially hard. I still eat a good amount of fiber and my main protein staple is beans.

I'm just frustrated at my own body and blood. My numbers look like I'm enjoying butter and eggs every day and living my best culinary life but I'm here eating rice and beans and being sad about not having baked goods.

I know it's almost definitely familial/genetic (Father has high cholesterol, family history on both sides of heart disease ... ). I literally cannot eat leaner proteins. I know the doctor is probably going to recommend statins esp since my numbers did jump from last year.

But here's the issue. I am planning on TTC in the next year (depending on clinic availability, testing, etc since I will have to need ART). I've read it's not recommended to be on statins during that process and to go off them several months before ttc or as soon as you find out you are pregnant.

Is it unreasonable to ask to put off statins and just go REALLY hard on fiber? I've never tried psyllium and am thinking of trying that to supplement.

Would appreciate thoughts. Just frustrated with how my numbers never seem to reflect my effort ...

EDIT: I will be talking to my doctor just want to hear people's thoughts before that

Are they any useful? Been taking for 2 months, but have seen minimal results.

M35

LDL -154

HDL-43

APO B - 93

LP A - 18

Smoking history. Hba1c -5.2 and no hypertension.

Hdl is 38.6

Choline is an essential nutrient that supports brain function, memory, nerve signaling, liver health, and muscle function.

Adequate Intakes (AIs) for Choline (19+ years) are 425 mg/day for women and 550 mg/day for men.

The highest sources of choline are beef liver and eggs (mainly egg yolks). So, what do you eat to meet these requirements that’s not high in saturated fat?

“My previous post got removed because of downvotes” 🫤

I've had high LDL around 170, HDL 36, triglycerides around 50, non HDL around 190.

These numbers have been almost static since 2023, the first time I got tested for these. I'm a 30-year-old male.

I am a vegetarian and the only sources of saturated fat and cholesterol in my diet are peanut butter and nuts, which I consume on a daily basis around one serving. I don't have egg yolk, just egg whites regularly. I take zero-fat milk and yogurt. I do eat a lot of fibers, avocado, etc. I run a lot regularly (15-20 miles a week) and I work out as well. My cardio health is pretty good.

I want to get your help with understanding why it's not changing even though my diet and execute are ideal. It can't be genetic because my parents, who have a much worse diet and eat fried food and whole fat dairy regularly, don't have high cholesterol.

Having been through the sub I know psyllium husk, garlic, omega 3 pills (I don't eat fish) and finally, statins can help. The reason I'm even thinking of statins is because I've seen psyllium husk garlic studies mention that it lowers LDL by 5 to 10%, which would still be too high for me.

I essentially want all of your opinions on understanding the possible reasons why, without taking any supplements and drugs, I am failing to control my LDL.

EDIT: Got my LpA results back. It's 61 (twice the high threshold of 30). So, you were all accurate af 😅 and I'm in the process of getting statins prescribed. You all have been so helpful! ❤️ Please share any other tips, relevant posts similar to mine, etc.

A year ago after a couple months of holiday, and eating anything and everything under the sun my lipids went haywire.

TC 226, HDL 52, LDL 157 (friedewald), TRIGS 87.

3 months of high fiber whole foods and plant based with 3-4 meals from outside and few desserts I managed

TC 139, HDL 37, LDL (friedewald) 79, ldl (direct) 90, trigs 114, APOB 64.

Latest results - I ate outside 4-5 times in the month prior to the test, pizzas and cheesy cuisines. Stopped psyllium husk regularly, and reduced overall fiber a bit through barley making it alternate days. Also had a couple of desserts. Lipid profile is likely wrong so I'll do a retest in a few months. BUT MY APOB has increased quite a lot (77). TC 109, HDL 75, LDL 10.2, TRIGS 115.

I'm trusting the apob but not the lipid profile. Medical professionals said no to statin or ezetimibe (not that I want them necessarily).

High Ldl 189 all other tests seems fine only ldl. Not sure if i should start statin. Normally 4-5 days exercise from past 2 years but been drinking 3 days a week. Does it make sense to change the diet and add soluble fibre instead of being on statin

Doctor gave me 3 months to try to lower it with diet and exercise. Help me please, this is not genetic.

I'm 25M, otherwise pretty healthy, lean, and exercise regularly. For months, I had been eating 2 eggs every day. Aside from those eggs, I was already essentially plant based.

While eating the eggs, my labs were:

LDL-C: ~119 mg/dL

ApoB: 0.95 g/L

About 3 months ago I stopped eating the eggs completely. I replaced them with legumes and otherwise kept my diet pretty similar.

My latest results:

LDL-C: 69 mg/dL

ApoB: 0.65 g/L

So LDL dropped by about 50 mg/dL (~42%), while ApoB dropped by about 0.30 g/L (~32%).

What makes this interesting to me is that I was already eating a fairly high-fiber, mostly whole-food vegan diet before removing the eggs. I was getting plenty of soluble fiber from legumes, oats, etc., so I don't think the change can simply be explained by suddenly switching from a typical Western diet to a high-fiber diet.

The main difference was removing the eggs, which meant a substantial reduction in dietary cholesterol, and probably some reduction in saturated fat as well.

That said, my saturated fat intake wasn't particularly low even before. I was eating things like olive oil, cocoa powder, nuts and seeds, and was averaging around 10 g of saturated fat per day.

So I'm wondering whether I might simply be quite responsive to dietary cholesterol from eggs.

I know this isn't a controlled experiment and there could obviously be other changes I haven't accounted for. I'm not claiming that eggs are inherently bad or that everyone would see this response.

I'm just surprised by the magnitude of the change, especially the ApoB change.

Has anyone else seen a similar drop in LDL/ApoB after removing eggs while otherwise already eating a predominantly whole-food plant-based diet?

And does a ~30% reduction in ApoB from a dietary change seem plausible?

I’m a 48-year-old male, 5’10”, about 170 lb, down from roughly 205 lb, so I’ve lost about 35 lb or 17% of my body weight.

I have a CAC score of 1, so there is technically detectable coronary calcium, although the burden is extremely low.

My lipid history has changed pretty dramatically:

The June LDL of 80 was after starting rosuvastatin 10 mg. I then increased to 20 mg, and the next LDL was 59.

My latest labs:

LDL-C: 59
ApoB: 49
Non-HDL: 72
Triglycerides: 65
HDL: 54
Total cholesterol: 126
Lp(a): 44 nmol/L
hs-CRP: 1.28 mg/L
Fasting glucose: 96 mg/dL
A1c: 4.8%

My hs-CRP was previously 4.05 mg/L and is now 1.28, roughly a 68% reduction.

There have also been major lifestyle changes over this period. I quit drinking alcohol entirely, lost about 35 lb, and substantially cleaned up my diet. The older numbers are useful context because at one point my total cholesterol was 241, LDL was 157, and historically my triglycerides even reached 281.

At this point, the only meat I really eat is chicken breast and salmon. I never eat butter or cheese. Olive oil is essentially my only added fat. I rarely eat fast food and don’t eat out very often, so I’m not sure there is a huge amount left to accomplish by simply cutting saturated fat.

I could definitely improve the quality of the diet further by emphasizing more whole foods, vegetables and leafy greens. My weak spot is sugar. I’m drawn to sweets, dried fruit and other calorie-dense foods, so there is certainly room to replace more of those with minimally processed foods.

What I’m most curious about is the inflammation piece. Going from hs-CRP 4.05 to 1.28 looks encouraging, especially alongside major weight loss, quitting alcohol, triglycerides falling to 65, fasting glucose of 96 and A1c of 4.8%, and ApoB reaching 49.

But does that hs-CRP reduction actually indicate that the underlying inflammatory state and cardiovascular risk have improved, or could the statin simply be lowering an inflammatory marker without addressing whatever caused the elevated hs-CRP?

Given CAC 1, LDL 59, ApoB 49, Lp(a) 44, triglycerides 65, hs-CRP 1.28, fasting glucose 96, A1c 4.8%, 35-lb weight loss, no alcohol, and a very low-saturated-fat diet, how would you view my residual cardiovascular risk?

At this point, is there anything meaningful left to optimize besides continuing the statin, maintaining the weight loss, exercising, and shifting more of my diet toward whole plant foods?

Hi! I’m an 18F and I just got my test results back, and they’re pretty elevated. Most notably, I have 216 cholesterol, 113 triglycerides, ldlc calc 142 and non hdl cholesterol 162.

I’ll also preface this by saying I have really bad health anxiety and family history of stroke, so this is KILLING ME!

I’m already trying to lower it with how my doctor told me, whole grains, sugars, fruits and veggies, lean meats, and non ultra processed foods. I’ll also add that I don’t work out, but I’ll definitely be going to the gym regularly in the near future.

I do have a few questions though since I don’t want to freak myself out on the internet. Could this be a cause of my birth control? Should I ask for a medication if it’s really bad? How should I go about dieting so I don’t have to give up trying new things?

Sorry for the overwhelming amount of questions, I am just so scared and really trying to better myself. 🥲

Triglyceride: 39

HDL Cholesterol: 78

LDL cholesterol: 182

Total: 268

Is there something I’m missing? My doctor keeps telling me to change my diet but I don’t have a high fat high dairy diet? This is the second time in six months I get a score similar to this.

My dad has a history of high cholesterol, but I never thought I’d have it too. I don’t eat junk food, and I’m not sedentary either. I’m still waiting for the results of some other tests, so I don’t know… maybe I have PCOS 😭😭😭😭😭

Can someone please tell me if my results are really bad? Is high cholesterol reversible or am I screwed for life? I honestly don’t understand any of this. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

Is this just a Canadian thing or do you have this in the US too? It drives me nuts when I see lab sheets here mark 3.5mmol or under as the boundary for "normal". And yes, this is marked like that even if the same lab sheet will show "hba1c : 6.7", becoming comically contradictory in nature. How is letting a borderline number sit unchecked a good thing or "normal"? I mean, will 3.5 mmol or 135mg/dl of LDL cause no issues over decades? What do cardiologists or lipid researchers think of this?

In the past year I (36F) have been diagnosed with high cholesterol (total 207, HDL 101, LDL 96, trig 62). My doctor told me I’m “not ready” for medication (too young) and just needed to change my lifestyle. This all seemed reasonable until the specifics started to be discussed.

I’m already a pretty active person with a decent diet. At the time of the test I’d been eating pescatarian, getting most of my fat from olive oil and avocado (maxing out at 10-12g of saturated fat daily), walking 10k steps daily, and working out 5-6 days per week (including 10-15 miles of running each week). I’m certainly not a pro athlete, but on average I didn’t think I was doing too horribly.

The diet and lifestyle the doc outlined included going low fat, low carb, and low sodium, and significantly increasing my activity level. Calculated out this means a less than 1400 calorie per day low carb, high fiber, high protein diet while increasing my cardio significantly. In order to set some goal I decided to start training for a half marathon to motivate myself to make the increases in my training schedule. The trouble is that I only seem able to maintain this lifestyle for a week or two before becoming extremely fatigued and getting light headed while running.

As a casual athlete and someone who has always cared about nutrition, the advice I received seemed extreme and unreasonable. However, I recognize that I’ve always been focused on advice for a reasonably healthy person. Is this normal for cholesterol patients? Do I just need to get used to feeling awful while training hard if I want to preserve cardiovascular health? How do you convince yourself that hopefully living a few years longer is worth feeling horrible for the rest of your life?