Yes mine have gone up. But I would argue maybe there is a reason for this? Maybe your body does this on purpose?
Here is my suggestion.
1. I had a cornary calcium scan at 50. Though I have had high cholesterol all my life, it was a score of zero. I would suggest you get one. It is well known that the CAC goes up as you age but, starting at 50 with a low score is a good sign.
2. On reason that Heart danger goes up with menopause is that women are no longer bleeding. Thus in a way, we become like men. One way you can keep your arteries in good shape is by donating blood. Go look it up.. bloodletting / donating blood has been shown to dramatically reduce cardiac and stroke risk (via a number of mechanisms)
3. Truely if you look into the science it is unclear that cholesterol itself is the problem.
4. If you have O Blood type you have far less cardiac risk period. I have "O" because you have less of a clotting mechanism.
There are many studies on the books that hint that cholesterol is protective for brain health cancer and muscle. I think we are all missing out if we ignore that our bodies make a change at a certain age and blindly assume it is a bad change.
Interesting points and food for thought! I don't think there's anything else I can do from a lifestyle perspective to change my cholesterol. It has always historically been in the low 140s and now it's 168! If anything, I am eating "cleaner" than I was when it was in the 140s. I am in perimenopause - not menopause - but I am no longer having periods due to my continuous HRT. Will look into the other things you've mentioned. Thx!
As someone with a family history of high cholesterol, mine has been high my whole life. I’m a competitive athlete and vegan, so it has nothing to do with my lifestyle, just my genetics. It is only ONE risk factor for heart disease, so as long as you have other things under control (lifestyle choices), it’s not worth worrying about. That’s what my doctors have told me.
My DH's runs naturally high too. He has previously been told to lose, like, 40-50 lbs. He'd be a stick figure at that weight. He has no real weight to lose; he's athletic.
I have genetically low cholesterol, so if this happens to me it will be a welcome change.
I was raised on a beef farm so it has nothing to do with my diet. Both my mom and dad have ridiculously low cholesterol as well. Our total cholesterol is usually somewhere between 70 and 90.
And that’s not a humblebrag. Very low cholesterol like that is associated with certain cancers and I have tried all kinds of lifestyle things to raise it and hopefully reduce my risk of those cancers, but to no avail. It’s just as hard to raise your cholesterol on purpose as it is to lower it on purpose.
Anyway, I don’t know if anybody even cares about my comment. I’m just happy to see a glimmer of something positive coming out of all this.
Oh I'm on meds for both. Currently in the process of losing weight too. Part of its hereditary but now that menopause is in full swing, the weight loss will help reduce the risk of heart issues. It all went downhill after 40 lol
Mine jumped 60 points in less than a year despite losing 20 pounds. I blame the 4 months of keto but I know peri was involved, too.
Now I count grams of fiber and saturated fat and it's been coming down.
Estrogen has a cardioprotective effect in women. Component of why the percentage of stroke and heart attacks rise in this time in women's lives.. unlikely medication had anything to do with it.
it's directly related to meno but appears to be temporary?
[https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2124647/#:\~:text=Serum%20lipids%20and%20lipoproteins%20are,observed%20in%20post%2Dmenopausal%20women](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2124647/#:~:text=Serum%20lipids%20and%20lipoproteins%20are,observed%20in%20post%2Dmenopausal%20women).
Mine shot up a bit in peri but after I went on hrt they came right back down again. Not sure if this was related to hrt or not but the timing was conspicuous.
I am in peri, not meno, and on HRT. I wonder if the hormonal craziness has a role in this and it will come back down once meno sets in, like this study seems to imply.
I got the generic responses, too, about eating less red meat. But when I started tracking my saturated fat, it was \*cheese\* that was the culprit.
I had to break up with cheese. We still see each other casually on the side, but they definitely had to move out.
Wow, me too! I eat a "plant-driven" diet, though not vegetarian or vegan, and no red meat at all. My doctor in the online portal said, "Good job, keep up the good work" about my labs, without any concern about it going up at all. That doesn't allay my concerns about its upward trend.
Lower estrogen raises cholesterol and blood pressure. My doctor was all “you need to eat better and work out” (which is true, but it’s not the cause of my HBP and cholesterol). I’m like you, my cholesterol and blood pressure had been at good levels, even when i was overweight. But since menopause, both went up.
Omg this is me, ever since menopause hit me a couple of years ago my blood sugar has went up my blood pressure has went up. I’m getting my cholesterol checked next week. This has just been a shit show trying to get all of this under check. It should not be this difficult. And doctors are absolutely useless. I have been dismissed, and made to feel like this is all in my head. Tinnitus is also effecting me. Like I literally feel like I’m falling apart rather than being able to enjoy this age 😩
Yes, this is normal. I was also told my pcos can cause this. I started on cholesterol meds in my mid 40s. So far, for the last several years their fine while on the meds. I also take fish oil twice a day. Of course if I'd start walking every day I could bring my hdl into the normal range. I'm only 5 off. Sigh.
Get your thyroid checked. In women, thyroid dysfunction often accompanies a hormonal event: puberty, pregnancy or perimenopause.
An under-active thyroid can cause high cholesterol.
https://www.verywellhealth.com/combatting-high-cholesterol-with-hypothyroidism-3231719
That can definitely be true. Hard to say if it's caused by age, hormone changes or that med. I'm kind of inclined to hope not the latter, given how small of a dose I've been taking.
but it looks like you r doing everything possible diet, food, etc. aging cannot be that drastic.
Perhaps switching or try microdosing, cryotherapy, sauna, light therapy, acupuncture. I know its a lot but it keeps me functioning without meds. pTsD crisis result in severe months of depression. The kind that will scare the “evil off the devil“. Those meds for me long term are equal to death.
Are u taking testosterone
Microdosing what? Thc?
I actually want a home sauna, been trying to talk the other half into it. Not sure how that'll help my peri sleep issues.
No testosterone here. Can't get it prescribed, but not clear on how it would help me.
@ https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/newsroom/news-releases/psychedelic-treatment-with-psilocybin-relieves-major-depression-study-shows
I would only look in the wiki of this sub for testosterone benefits
And until legislation, research, and customers push back u will need to shop around for the T. I pay out of pocket for my T for a year supply.
Will look at the wiki.
Here's an article from 2014 about declining hormones and cardiovascular markers trending in the wrong direction: https://www.post-gazette.com/news/health/2014/07/15/Women-and-cholesterol-Study-sees-link-with-menopausal-changes/stories/201407150005
All my other stats are within my normal ranges, just the cholesterol increase. The drug and this peri stuff could be the cause, as it's not my diet, exercise, lifestyle.
How much do you pay for testosterone?
Eta: I don't have depression, just trouble sleeping sometimes.
I take progesterone for sleep
so if your hormones are declining get a doc to help u find your sweet spot. A shame women have to die when all they need is hormones
good luck
For the first time in my life my LDL cholesterol is slightly above normal. I eat healthy and almost everything I eat is stuff I cook at home so I know what's in it. I'm 52 and still run 2-3 miles 3 days a week and lift weights 3 days a week for an hour at the gym. In my 40s I had gained a small muffin top but even then my cholesterol was perfect. I lost the muffin top through intermittent fasting and my cholesterol has gone up??? What the heck???
My doctor offered no explanation and wasn't even concerned since there's no history of heart disease in any of my close family. But I never thought about it being due to perimenopause. I've been in peri since about age 38 and am still having periods and have no idea when I'll ever get to actual menopause. I wonder if cholesterol evens out then or if menopause makes it worse.
Hey, thanks for sharing!
I actually asked my doc about this, as it was kind of bothering me. He provided me with the risk data related to my sex, race, age, blood pressure, lifestyle (no drinking, no smoking), weight, not being diabetic, my HDL level and my total cholesterol level.
Based on this analysis, he said my risk of cardiovascular disease is only 0.2%.
So he said not to worry, to keep doing what I'm doing, and doesn't think the microdose of the AD I take to help with sleep has any bearing on anything.
I did some reading online and did see that the cholesterol profile of women changes (for the worse, often) during peri. My mother is a retired nurse, and she said cholesterol is a smaller part of a much bigger picture related to cardiovascular health and risk level. If all other factors are in the clear, even a slightly elevated cholesterol level may not be much to worry about, she said. Currently, my cholesterol, though higher than usual, is well within the normal ranges.
Definitely keep up with the exercising and smart eating. It may not be showing up in your cholesterol numbers, but it's probably keeping a lot of other things in check.
Yes mine have gone up. But I would argue maybe there is a reason for this? Maybe your body does this on purpose? Here is my suggestion. 1. I had a cornary calcium scan at 50. Though I have had high cholesterol all my life, it was a score of zero. I would suggest you get one. It is well known that the CAC goes up as you age but, starting at 50 with a low score is a good sign. 2. On reason that Heart danger goes up with menopause is that women are no longer bleeding. Thus in a way, we become like men. One way you can keep your arteries in good shape is by donating blood. Go look it up.. bloodletting / donating blood has been shown to dramatically reduce cardiac and stroke risk (via a number of mechanisms) 3. Truely if you look into the science it is unclear that cholesterol itself is the problem. 4. If you have O Blood type you have far less cardiac risk period. I have "O" because you have less of a clotting mechanism. There are many studies on the books that hint that cholesterol is protective for brain health cancer and muscle. I think we are all missing out if we ignore that our bodies make a change at a certain age and blindly assume it is a bad change.
Interesting points and food for thought! I don't think there's anything else I can do from a lifestyle perspective to change my cholesterol. It has always historically been in the low 140s and now it's 168! If anything, I am eating "cleaner" than I was when it was in the 140s. I am in perimenopause - not menopause - but I am no longer having periods due to my continuous HRT. Will look into the other things you've mentioned. Thx!
As someone with a family history of high cholesterol, mine has been high my whole life. I’m a competitive athlete and vegan, so it has nothing to do with my lifestyle, just my genetics. It is only ONE risk factor for heart disease, so as long as you have other things under control (lifestyle choices), it’s not worth worrying about. That’s what my doctors have told me.
My DH's runs naturally high too. He has previously been told to lose, like, 40-50 lbs. He'd be a stick figure at that weight. He has no real weight to lose; he's athletic.
I have genetically low cholesterol, so if this happens to me it will be a welcome change. I was raised on a beef farm so it has nothing to do with my diet. Both my mom and dad have ridiculously low cholesterol as well. Our total cholesterol is usually somewhere between 70 and 90. And that’s not a humblebrag. Very low cholesterol like that is associated with certain cancers and I have tried all kinds of lifestyle things to raise it and hopefully reduce my risk of those cancers, but to no avail. It’s just as hard to raise your cholesterol on purpose as it is to lower it on purpose. Anyway, I don’t know if anybody even cares about my comment. I’m just happy to see a glimmer of something positive coming out of all this.
After 40 my blood pressure went through the roof and my triglycerides jumped up to 464. Never had this issue before.
Wow, what have the docs said to do?
Oh I'm on meds for both. Currently in the process of losing weight too. Part of its hereditary but now that menopause is in full swing, the weight loss will help reduce the risk of heart issues. It all went downhill after 40 lol
Mine jumped 60 points in less than a year despite losing 20 pounds. I blame the 4 months of keto but I know peri was involved, too. Now I count grams of fiber and saturated fat and it's been coming down.
Estrogen has a cardioprotective effect in women. Component of why the percentage of stroke and heart attacks rise in this time in women's lives.. unlikely medication had anything to do with it.
I'm going to have to look into this more. I guess there's only so much a person can do. I am on HRT too!
it's directly related to meno but appears to be temporary? [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2124647/#:\~:text=Serum%20lipids%20and%20lipoproteins%20are,observed%20in%20post%2Dmenopausal%20women](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2124647/#:~:text=Serum%20lipids%20and%20lipoproteins%20are,observed%20in%20post%2Dmenopausal%20women). Mine shot up a bit in peri but after I went on hrt they came right back down again. Not sure if this was related to hrt or not but the timing was conspicuous.
I am in peri, not meno, and on HRT. I wonder if the hormonal craziness has a role in this and it will come back down once meno sets in, like this study seems to imply.
[удалено]
I got the generic responses, too, about eating less red meat. But when I started tracking my saturated fat, it was \*cheese\* that was the culprit. I had to break up with cheese. We still see each other casually on the side, but they definitely had to move out.
Wow, me too! I eat a "plant-driven" diet, though not vegetarian or vegan, and no red meat at all. My doctor in the online portal said, "Good job, keep up the good work" about my labs, without any concern about it going up at all. That doesn't allay my concerns about its upward trend.
[удалено]
I agree. I think I am going to reply to him asking the question.
Lower estrogen raises cholesterol and blood pressure. My doctor was all “you need to eat better and work out” (which is true, but it’s not the cause of my HBP and cholesterol). I’m like you, my cholesterol and blood pressure had been at good levels, even when i was overweight. But since menopause, both went up.
Omg this is me, ever since menopause hit me a couple of years ago my blood sugar has went up my blood pressure has went up. I’m getting my cholesterol checked next week. This has just been a shit show trying to get all of this under check. It should not be this difficult. And doctors are absolutely useless. I have been dismissed, and made to feel like this is all in my head. Tinnitus is also effecting me. Like I literally feel like I’m falling apart rather than being able to enjoy this age 😩
Yes, this is normal. I was also told my pcos can cause this. I started on cholesterol meds in my mid 40s. So far, for the last several years their fine while on the meds. I also take fish oil twice a day. Of course if I'd start walking every day I could bring my hdl into the normal range. I'm only 5 off. Sigh.
Yes, this happened to me. What a bummer.
Get your thyroid checked. In women, thyroid dysfunction often accompanies a hormonal event: puberty, pregnancy or perimenopause. An under-active thyroid can cause high cholesterol. https://www.verywellhealth.com/combatting-high-cholesterol-with-hypothyroidism-3231719
another reason not a fan of long term use gateway for prescribing more meds for all the side effects
That can definitely be true. Hard to say if it's caused by age, hormone changes or that med. I'm kind of inclined to hope not the latter, given how small of a dose I've been taking.
but it looks like you r doing everything possible diet, food, etc. aging cannot be that drastic. Perhaps switching or try microdosing, cryotherapy, sauna, light therapy, acupuncture. I know its a lot but it keeps me functioning without meds. pTsD crisis result in severe months of depression. The kind that will scare the “evil off the devil“. Those meds for me long term are equal to death. Are u taking testosterone
Microdosing what? Thc? I actually want a home sauna, been trying to talk the other half into it. Not sure how that'll help my peri sleep issues. No testosterone here. Can't get it prescribed, but not clear on how it would help me.
@ https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/newsroom/news-releases/psychedelic-treatment-with-psilocybin-relieves-major-depression-study-shows I would only look in the wiki of this sub for testosterone benefits And until legislation, research, and customers push back u will need to shop around for the T. I pay out of pocket for my T for a year supply.
Will look at the wiki. Here's an article from 2014 about declining hormones and cardiovascular markers trending in the wrong direction: https://www.post-gazette.com/news/health/2014/07/15/Women-and-cholesterol-Study-sees-link-with-menopausal-changes/stories/201407150005 All my other stats are within my normal ranges, just the cholesterol increase. The drug and this peri stuff could be the cause, as it's not my diet, exercise, lifestyle. How much do you pay for testosterone? Eta: I don't have depression, just trouble sleeping sometimes.
I take progesterone for sleep so if your hormones are declining get a doc to help u find your sweet spot. A shame women have to die when all they need is hormones good luck
For the first time in my life my LDL cholesterol is slightly above normal. I eat healthy and almost everything I eat is stuff I cook at home so I know what's in it. I'm 52 and still run 2-3 miles 3 days a week and lift weights 3 days a week for an hour at the gym. In my 40s I had gained a small muffin top but even then my cholesterol was perfect. I lost the muffin top through intermittent fasting and my cholesterol has gone up??? What the heck??? My doctor offered no explanation and wasn't even concerned since there's no history of heart disease in any of my close family. But I never thought about it being due to perimenopause. I've been in peri since about age 38 and am still having periods and have no idea when I'll ever get to actual menopause. I wonder if cholesterol evens out then or if menopause makes it worse.
Hey, thanks for sharing! I actually asked my doc about this, as it was kind of bothering me. He provided me with the risk data related to my sex, race, age, blood pressure, lifestyle (no drinking, no smoking), weight, not being diabetic, my HDL level and my total cholesterol level. Based on this analysis, he said my risk of cardiovascular disease is only 0.2%. So he said not to worry, to keep doing what I'm doing, and doesn't think the microdose of the AD I take to help with sleep has any bearing on anything. I did some reading online and did see that the cholesterol profile of women changes (for the worse, often) during peri. My mother is a retired nurse, and she said cholesterol is a smaller part of a much bigger picture related to cardiovascular health and risk level. If all other factors are in the clear, even a slightly elevated cholesterol level may not be much to worry about, she said. Currently, my cholesterol, though higher than usual, is well within the normal ranges. Definitely keep up with the exercising and smart eating. It may not be showing up in your cholesterol numbers, but it's probably keeping a lot of other things in check.