Low Cholesterol?

[Guest sriddle78]

I'm having my blood work for celiac disease next Monday (in one week). I've read a couple different articles on the relationship between not only low blood cholesterol and celiac disease, but low cholesterol and cancer. Anyone know about this?

I'm becoming quite scared. My total cholesterol has dropped from 175 to 122 in about a year. It can't be from weight loss, because I've put on weight (even with the diarrhea and constipation flip flop) in the last year. My doctor said there's nothing to worry about because I'm 26 years old and it's normal to have low cholesterol. All the studies I've read say there's a correlation between cholesterol under 160 and cancer (which my mom was diagnosed with when she was 30 and died of when she was 36). It's not the fact that my cholesterol is now 122, but it's the fact that it's fallen from 175. I've had interim tests where it's been seemingly creeping down along the way (160, 145, etc.). It's just at a shocking level to me now. And my doctor seems to think nothing of it because of my age.

Anyone have any input?

Thank you,

Shannon

[lovegrov]

I don't know anything about this link but I think it's a safe bet you aren't going to suddenly get cancer from low cholesterol.

Or are you saying low cholesterol is a sign of cancer? Well, it's also a sign of possible celiac. My cholesterol has always been 125 to 130. I thought it was good genetics but it turned out it was one of the signals that I wasn't absorbing things (good and bad). Once I went gluten-free my cholesterol climbed up over 200, although it's back down to 180 since I started losing weight and exercising more.

The falling cholesterol is undoubtedly one of the reasons your doctor is testing you for celiac.

richard

[Deby]

I had exactly the same experience as Richard. Very low cholesterol then had it climb to 175 after going gluten-free. Is your doc checking you for cancer? Is you doc saying anything about cancer at all? Certainly if your mother had cancer, I would mention this to your doc, but I would try to be less stressed about the whole thing as added stress can cause its own problems.

[Guest sriddle78]

Thanks for the quick responses. One article in particular by Elaine N. Meilahn, MD contains the following quote: "...falling levels of cholesterol were linked to an excess risk of hepatic disease and cancer in particular, whereas low, but stable levels over time were not associated with excess risk." The reason I'm scared is because my levels have really fallen. In another article by Gabe Mirkin, MD, he says, "Researchers showed that cholesterols started to fall up to 8 years prior to a person dying of cancer, and those with the greatest fall in cholesterol in a 4 year period were those who were most likely to develop cancer."

Can you see why I'm scared?

I can't wait for my doctor appointment Monday. I called to see if I can get in earlier, but no luck.

Thanks again,

Shannon

[Deby]

People who have undiagnosed celiac disease get cancer, colon cancer and non hodgskins lyhmphoma (spelled right???) That may be a factor in those studies since a drop in cholesterol is a common sign of celiac disease.

[lovegrov]

But how high is the risk after the increase? People with untreated celiac have an increased risk for non-Hodgkins lymphoma, which always scares people to death, but even after the increase the risk is still fairly tiny.

richard