From: Bob (gso26-156-109.triad.rr.com)
Subject: High Cholesterol
Date: January 19, 2002 at 10:12 pm PST

I'm a 52 year-old male who recently found out I have high cholesterol. I'm 5'8" and weight 160 lbs. I've never been too concerned about what I eat and I guess it caught up with me over the past year or so! I've eaten eggs and beef along with high fat content / high cholesterol foods daily. I also don't get enough exercise. But only over the past year. I have no family history of high Cholesterol or heart disease and both parents lived to be 90.

My doctor immediately put me on Lipitor 20MG along with a baby aspirin daily last week. I "think" my high Cholesterol has come about only over the past year or so of not eating healthy. I'll have to admit...I'm SCARED!

Here are my numbers:
Total Cholesterol - 305
HDL - 35mg/dL
LDL - 230mg/dL
Triglycerides - 199mg/dL

Blood Pressure - 128/78
Pulse - 68

Since I received the news of my high Cholesterol I've been eating only foods with no Cholesterol or very, very low Cholesterol and eating vegetables, fruit, etc. and exercising...doing all the right stuff! And I will continue these good habits. I'm hoping my new diet and the Lipitor will make my numbers normal "soon".

Here are my questions:

1) Will I always have to take medicine (like Lipitor) even after I reduce my numbers? (I'm convinced I can bring my numbers into a healthy range and do not want to take medicine, preferring to keep it low by myself.)

2) Once you have high Cholesterol, do you always have a higher risk even if you lower the numbers to a safe level and keep them there? In other words, must I always take a medicine to lower my Cholesterol even after I lower my numbers? Or is it like an alcoholic; once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic...

3) Also, I'm confused about whether I've permanently damaged myself just in one year of not eating and exercising properly.

Would someone please fill me in?

Thank you,
Bob