I'm 62 a year old male, about 5'-9" 144 lbs. I was about 156 lbs. until a few months ago when I wanted an exercise program to improve my overall fitness and my shouIders (both had surgery to repair rotator cuff). As a result of my questions to my doctor, I was sent to a cardiologist who gave many tests which appeared normal but eventually a calcium Xray suggested that I had heart disease and the apparently the subsequent Berkley test indicated the same thing.

They gave me a dietary regime and put me on drugs for reducing cholesterol (although my numbers appeared to be quite normal to me). I got pretty sick with stomach problems after begining the diet and drugs so I stopped the meds. I continued with the diet and lost about 10 pounds and my lipid panel test improved somewhat. I'm pretty confused about these numbers and what they really mean.

Last month I was in FL visiting and I took a free screening at the CVS drugstore where the lady tested my blood and came back with some really alarming numbers. When I returned home, I went to a test lab and had a lipid panel done and my results are:

tryglicerides: 72
total cholesterol: 164
HDL: 37
LDL: 113

Next to the HDL and LDL there is a (L) and (H) respectively. What gives? I realize that the HDL is a bit under 40, but the LDL of 113 is high?

I was looking around old papers and found some old lipid panel results of 8 years ago and my HDL was about the same although my total was about 200. I remember at that time my doctor suggested I change my diet which I did and reduced my weight from about 165 pounds to the 150's.

I was an avid bicyclist and later a runner from my late 30's to early 50's. I got sedentary and gained some weight later but it did not seem so bad.. I have not smoked or drank alcohol in more than 20 years and lately my diet consists of fresh veggies, little meat, hardly any sugar or white flour and generally no processed foods. Do I really need to take cholesterol lowering drugs?

Thanks