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High cholesterol levels can be controlled
Toni Gundling doesn't skip her workouts and she considers herself healthy. She did not want to go on cholesterol medication.
FOX 2 - How's your cholesterol? If the LDL - or bad cholesterol level is high, you might need help with medication. But doctors say most people don't know how many options they have.
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Toni Gundling doesn't skip her workouts and she considers herself healthy. She did not want to go on cholesterol medication.
She tried eating better, exercising more, but it wasn't enough to lower her high level of LDL or bad cholesterol.
"You can't run from genetics," she said.
Her genetics are to blame for the high cholesterol - it runs in Toni's family. Her dad had the first of two quadruple bypass surgeries when he was in his 40s. He died at the age of 70.
As Toni gets close to 70 she wants to know how to control her risk.
"I need to know I was doing everything I could without having to take medication," she said.
The first line of defense is statins and it continues to be statins," said Dr. Laxmi Mehta, Ohio State Wexner Medical Center cardiologist.
Statins work by blocking a liver enzyme, reducing cholesterol production. But for some who have side effects like muscles aches, digestive problems and mental fuzziness, there are other medications.
"Or if they have intolerance to statins then getting them on these non-statin therapies to help lower their cholesterol is important," Dr. Mehta said.
Doctors say 61 percent of americans don't know there are other medications to help bring down cholesterol.
Now Toni is tackling her high cholesterol with a statin and another medication trying to balance benefits and risks.
And Toni keeps controlling what she can with the diet and exercise.
"We have patients who are doing everything possible," Dr. Mehta said. "Eating a heart healthy diet and exercising like Toni has been doing. It's not really doing enough."
"The medication is helping reduce what I can't do," Toni said. "I want to live past 70, I want to live longer."
The bottom line, know your cholesterol - it's a simple blood test. And know that diet and exercise might not be enough to control it - and know that you have a lot of options out there."