Are you sure it's related to diet?  Those tests can vary quite a bit from
test to test, depending on how long you fasted, etc. so the variation you're
seeing may not be directly related to your diet.

Many people find that their cholesterol levels are resistant to changes in
diet and exercise...this just means that you drew the short straw in the
genetic lottery, and your liver is efficient at producing cholesterol.  I'm
51 too, work out regularly, and watch what I eat (at 6', 174, I'm not
overweight).  But, if I didn't take my daily dose of niacin, my total
cholesterol would be around 240 (with a low level of the good HDL).

However, if you know your levels go up when you eat crap, and go down when
you don't...well, don't eat crap!  FWIW, cookies and other baked products
often contain "trans-fats" which have been implicated in heart disease -
they're a "substance abuse issue" for me, so I limit my exposure to them as
much as possible (not easy this time of year!).

Chuck,

What are your individual levels?
LDL
HDL
VLDL
Triglycerides
Total Cholesterol - 221

Frankie

Hello Chuck,
                    I am afraid I can only sympathize with you rather than
provide any answers. I maintain a pretty strict diet, and exercise within my
limited capabilities ( chronic cardiac failure), and am not overweight.
Obviously I don't smoke, and only consume alcohol infrequently in small amounts.
Because of widespread atherosclerosis (involving renal and carotid arteries, and
others, I presume) it is important for me to lower my LDL and Triglycerides
(which were in the moderately high range) and raise my HDL which just scaped
into the normal (desirable) range. We use the mmol/L measurement scale here
(Australia) and it is difficult for me to translate the numbers into the
American measurements. I cannot take Statins or Fibrates having had serious
side-effects from both. After 12 months of serious diet attitude, and exercise
(limited as above), I only manged to bring my Total Cholesterol down a couple of
points, and was left in the moderately high level. Same with the Triglycerides,
and I did not improve my HDL. The Consultant was very reluctant about niacin for
me. I now take a plant sterols supplement which seems to have helped a bit, but
essentially I am where I was two years ago. Plant sterols apparently only retard
the absorption of cholesterol from the gut ,unlike statins which interfere with
the bio-synthesis of cholesterol in the liver. Most of the cholesterol in our
bodies is produced by the body, diet normally only playing a small part. You
compound the  problem by adding dietary cholesterol to the naturally produced
amount, but diet can only do so much when the genes are switched on to produce
an essential substance. We all know people who eat great quantities of saturated
fats, don't exercise etc and have low and very desirable levels of LDL.Clearly
genetic "disposition"is of great importance, but what is it about the gene (s)
that decides the production level - or maybe the body is responding to a need ?
In the case of Familial Hyperlipidaemia the role of genes is more certain, and I
assume a mutated gene or genes are involved. But I am not sure about this,and if
anybody knows if mutated gene(s) have been found that is (are) passed on from
generation to generation I would be interested. Does anyone know the action and
side effects of Ezetimibe, as this has been mentioned to me, but after my
problems with statins (including heart failure) I am hesitant about taking
medication. I have been told that Ezetimibe only retards absorption from the
gut, so I presume it is only relevant to consumption of cholesterol not
production. If anyone knows I would be grateful to learn. There are many
mysteries, at least to me, about this essential substance, and whether in fact
it does the damage claimed.
Chuck, my advice (unqualified) would be to maintain a strict diet, and your
exercise. Keep your weight right, and remember that walnuts, almonds and oat
bran can help to raise your HDL. As you have probably guessed, I place a greater
importance on the genetic aspects of the "problem". Good Luck.
Regards, Barry