My DH has sky high cholesterol and diet change and lots of whole cut oatmeal did nothing to touch it. He has to take the meds as it's prevalent in both sides of his family. Even the his numbers are on the high end of normal. His triglycerides are on the lower end, so his doc isn't concerned.

I've not heard of dr's holding off on people taking it-even women, since women tend to be underdiagnosed with heart disease.

I am a sweets fan myself, but my cholesterol is less than 180. (And my blood glucose is normal too) My typical diet does contain eggs, cheese and lean meats-so I don't know that there is a big food connection unless you're predisposed to high cholesterol anyway.

I was taking fish oil (Omega 3) to see if it would help with my joint problems-but wasn't taking it consistently so I stopped. But I've been thinking of taking it again as the purported health benefits seem to be worth it. I'm menopausal and not on HRT, so I want to do what I can to protect my heart health.

For years I've had issues with joint pain and stiffness, and "gelling" especially after I've been sitting for a period of time....I was to many doctors including 2 rheumatologists...no diagnosis and only dangerous drugs like steroids seemed to help. (Celebrex in combo with my thyroid meds put me into kidney failure! Thank you very much!)

So the only thing I've found that helps me is High Lignan Flax Seed Oil .... I get Barlean's. It must be bought and kept refrigerated. DH and I each take 1 Tbls per day and it really helps. The Lignan is the brown stuff in the bottle that has to be stirred up...if I don't get that, it doesn't help. If I skip it for a few days, the aches and stiffness start to return. There are "essential fatty acids" needed in the diet...essential in that our bodies can't make them from anything and they must be consumed. Flax oil and fish oil contain different kinds of fatty acids and both are important. So for best health, take both. For best health, get a balance of fats including saturated fats. Problem is, the typical American diet is very high in saturated fats and low in the others, so out of balance.

I've not heard of taking omega-3 to lower cholesterol. Rather my understanding is to replace saturated fats with poly and mono unsaturated fats including omega-3s may help lower bad cholesterol as you are reducing the total intake of saturated fats. But to just add it to the same diet won't be helpful.

My total cholesterol is high, but it's because my HDL is high. My triglycerides are low. All good. But my LDL is also high. But I don't know what that means as there are good LDL and bad LDL and the basic blood test doesn't separate between them. I talked to Doc about it and the next lipid panel I get will be separating those out for me so we have a better understanding of how bad my LDL really is.

There are a group of blood tests that some believe are better predictors of heart disease than measuring HDL, LDL, and triglycerides. One of them is a high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) assay. However, unless you know to ask for these tests, your blood won't be tested for them.

Here is a link that might be useful: hs-CRP

I take Lipitor (for more than 10 years now) and it solved my cholesterol issues-I am on the thin side (not as much as when I was in my 40s and younger sadly), but seem to have inherited the issue. Have had it since I was first tested around age 30. I think some of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids are fish like salmon at least once a week and walnuts. I grab a handful of walnuts at least once a day as a snack.

I inherited high cholesterol from one side of the family and high triglycerides from the other. I deal with the triglycerides by keeping my carb intake down. As for the cholesterol, my dad set a great example for me.

In his forties, his arteries were so affected that he couldn't walk up a subway ramp without taking nitroglycerine. He hadn't been able to play tennis, which he loved, in years. Back then (late 1940s, early 1950s) no one knew the word cholesterol, but he found a doctor who was ahead of his time. He told my dad to stop smoking and to be strict about saturated fats. No more cheese, no more ice cream, sausage, butter, fatty steaks, etc. It turned his health, and his life, around. He eventually played tennis again, got a bicycle when he retired, and lived to be 90. He did need bypass surgery, but by then he was 86.

That's the way I've eaten for years. Even so, my cholesterol count was not always the best. Then I read a mention of a research study that showed walnuts can be effective in clearing fats from the arteries. I love walnuts, and was happy to start eating them. Walnuts are an excellent source of omega-3s. Between the walnuts and oat bran, which I enjoy eating every day, and my low-saturated fat diet, of course, my cholesterol is good. Fingers crossed. :-)