Dr. Martin:

My husband was recently diagnosed with high cholesterol and high liver enzymes.

Follow-up tests showed that his cholesterol is 235, HDL 39, and LDL 175.

His liver results showed that his liver is "mild to moderatley enlarged and is diffusely fatty replaced and measures 18.0 cm.

His gallbladder "contains some echogenic bile."

His doctor prescribed Lipitor to reduce his cholesterol (high cholesterol is a family genetic trait) and I am very concerned that Lipitor warning labels state that it should not be used if there are liver problem present.

My husband is only 35 and I am concerned for his present and future health. What options do we have for natural treatment?

What

I think you posted your question in the wrong place. There is a different link to send emails directly to Dr. Martin. I had heard several bad things about the cholesterol-lowering drugs, so when my doctor suggested that I use Lipitor, I told him that I wanted to try Cholox (made with plant stanols) before I resorted to the drug. The doctor was blown away by the results of my blood tests a month later. The test period was over the holidays and I made practically no attempt to control my diet during that time, though I did take the Cholox religiously before each meal. I have since found other similar products in health food stores and even Walmart (CholestOff). Please don't act on this without looking into it further in respect to your situation, but at least it is something to check out.

Dear John,

Thank you for trying to lend a helping hand to Korie regarding cholesterol.

I'd like to make a suggestion regarding a better answer to cholesterol management and it includes the following:

1.) CholestOff by NatureMade Products uses as it's main ingredients plant sterols and stanols. Plant sterols have been determined to be safe and effective for cholesterol management. However, in and of themselves they are limited in their ability to substantially maintain healthy cholesterol. Additionally, CholestOff by; Nature's Made contains an ingredient called; Polyethylene Glycol (PEG). PEG is a synthetic ingredient found in automobile anti-freeze. And, I for one don't recommend the ingestion of anti-freeze components...yuk~!

2.) Cholest-Care by; NaturalCare Products at www.enaturalcare.com or 1-800-475-9811 is a superior cholesterol management choice. Cholest-Care in addition to containing plant sterols also includes, COQ-10, Silymarin, Policosanol, and Red Yeast Rice. All of the aforementioned natural ingredients have been found to support heart health and maintain healthy cholesterol. BTW, Cholest-Care DOES NOT include any automobile anti-freeze ingredients.

All my best,

Dr. Bob Martin