HomeAnswersCardiologycholesterolAre medicines necessary for elevated LDL levels?

Do I need to take medicine for high levels of LDL?

Share

The following is an actual conversation between an iCliniq user and a doctor that has been reviewed and published as a Premium Q&A.

Medically reviewed by

Dr. K. Shobana

Published At April 4, 2016
Reviewed AtJune 1, 2023

Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

I am 43 years old. I do not smoke or drink, but my food habits are not very good. Recently, I got my blood checked for Apo B/Apo A and the ratio was really bad at 1.6. The triglyceride is around 474 mg/dL and this rose from 270 mg/dL around three months back. My HDL is 26 mg/dL, LDL 116 mg/dL and TC 237 cells/mm3. Let me explain that my last 60 days diet which was really high on rice and oil. I also had a lot of cashew nuts in the last 30 days before this checkup. Fasting sugar is 114 mg/dL and postprandial 170 mg/dL. May I know whether I need to start taking any medication or this can be taken care of by exercise? My last three years blood report has been showing elevated reports of LDL around 180 mg/dL and my TC has been around 270 cells/mm3. I have always maintained my blood glucose level within the normal range, but this time it has overshot (114). My BP has always been bang on 120/80 mmHg. Please advice.

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

We are here to help you. You definitely need treatment for high cholesterol along with dietary modifications. You need to be started on a combination of Atorvastatin and Fenofibrate. Start regular exercise and avoid oil, rice and potatoes. For blood sugars, you can wait for some time and try to control it with lifestyle changes only. After one month, you should get a repeat lipid profile as well as a test known as HbA1c (glycated hemoglobin), which will give you an average of three months blood sugar value.

Patient's Query

Hi doctor,

My HbA1c is 6 %as per the last blood test. But, I remember having eaten a lot of sweets in that period and it is only reflective of that. Otherwise it was always hovering around 5.6 %. Are there any harmful effects of the drugs you have mentioned? Please confirm.

Hi,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

Every medicine has its side effects, but it is not essential that everyone gets that. We need to compare the harmful effects of the disease versus the drug. In your case, the disease is going to harm you more. Commonly seen side effects of the medicine discussed above are myalgia, myopathy and liver dysfunction.

Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!

Dr. Anshul Varshney
Dr. Anshul Varshney

Internal Medicine

Community Banner Mobile
By subscribing, I agree to iCliniq's Terms & Privacy Policy.

Ask your health query to a doctor online

Cardiology

*guaranteed answer within 4 hours

Disclaimer: No content published on this website is intended to be a substitute for professional medical diagnosis, advice or treatment by a trained physician. Seek advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare providers with questions you may have regarding your symptoms and medical condition for a complete medical diagnosis. Do not delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice because of something you have read on this website. Read our Editorial Process to know how we create content for health articles and queries.

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. iCliniq privacy policy