I have been resisting taking statins for several years, preferring to lower my numbers with lifestyle changes. After a summer with lots of barbecued meat, restaurant meals and very little moderate cardio activity, my results were up again.
There was recently a great article Cholesterol risk for female retirees is far lower than for men, but lifestyle changes still make a difference in the Globe and Mail taking a hard look at statistics for women with high cholesterol and the 10 year risk of heart attack, stroke, angina if they chose to do nothing, take a statin, or manage through diet and exercise. Hard evidence that changing your lifetsyle is more effective in reducing cholesterol related risks than relying soly on statins. (I've copied the full aricle below)
There was recently a great article Cholesterol risk for female retirees is far lower than for men, but lifestyle changes still make a difference in the Globe and Mail taking a hard look at statistics for women with high cholesterol and the 10 year risk of heart attack, stroke, angina if they chose to do nothing, take a statin, or manage through diet and exercise. Hard evidence that changing your lifetsyle is more effective in reducing cholesterol related risks than relying soly on statins. (I've copied the full aricle below)
So I brought in a bottle of Metamucil, prepared to counter any suggestion of statins by proposing fibre therapy instead. I was also going to ask my doctor for advice about the Mediterranean or Dash diet, but she countered with something far more interesting. The Portfolio Diet - The Portfolio Diet was developed by Dr. David Jenkins, a professor at the University of Toronto. His research led to the creation of this therapeutic diet in the early 2000s, which combines four main cholesterol-lowering foods: nuts, plant-based proteins, soluble fiber, and sterols.
St. Michael's Hospital, U of T and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society worked together to create a fantastic infographic. It illustrates that by including healthy food choices, you can reduce 'bad' cholesterol by as much as 30%. My diet is probably more than halfway there, but could be tweaked. Its not about one big change, it's not all or nothing. You start by introducing one component to your diet and then work from there.
Hamilton Health Services has developed a deeper dive, along with menu choices. I'm excited to start exploring and learning more so have ordered the 30 day guide.
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Cholesterol risk for female retirees is far lower than for men, but lifestyle changes still make a difference
Our previous chart showed the risk for men with elevated cholesterol levels. This week we are looking at the implications for retirement-age women.
As before, I show the risk over a 10-year period if no steps are taken to improve cholesterol levels (i.e., “do nothing”) and, once again, I have relied on the widely accepted Framingham Risk Score.
I then look at how the risk drops if someone adopts both a regular exercise routine and a Mediterranean diet – or makes no changes other than taking a low dose of statins. This was prompted by the many readers who were skeptical about the efficacy of statins or the willingness of Canadians to change their exercise and diet routines.
Besides age, your risk level depends on how healthy you are and what steps you are prepared to take to improve your health. The women in the chart below have somewhat elevated cholesterol (total of 6.6 mmol/L), slightly elevated blood pressure (systolic of 130) and are non-smokers with no history of diabetes. (Readers who want to access their own risk can enter their personal numbers into this tool: decisionaid.ca/cvd.)
Unsurprisingly, the higher the starting age, the greater the 10-year risk, although I would have expected the risk to rise more steeply with age than it does. It was also not a surprise that the risk levels for women are significantly lower than for men – barely half. (This can be seen by comparing this chart with the previous chart.)
The bigger insight is that changing your lifestyle is more effective in reducing cholesterol-related risks than relying solely on statins. While women could reduce the risk further by both taking statins and making lifestyle changes, the additional gain is rather marginal.
I can see how these results might discourage some people from taking statins, but the better course is to consult with a doctor before coming to that conclusion.
Frederick Vettese is a former chief actuary of Morneau Shepell and the author of the PERC retirement calculator (perc-pro.ca)
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Cholesterol risk for female retirees is far lower than for men, but lifestyle changes still make a difference
FREDERICK VETTESE
SPECIAL TO THE GLOBE AND MAILPUBLISHED AUGUST 19, 2025
SPECIAL TO THE GLOBE AND MAILPUBLISHED AUGUST 19, 2025
Our previous chart showed the risk for men with elevated cholesterol levels. This week we are looking at the implications for retirement-age women.As before, I show the risk over a 10-year period if no steps are taken to improve cholesterol levels (i.e., “do nothing”) and, once again, I have relied on the widely accepted Framingham Risk Score.
I then look at how the risk drops if someone adopts both a regular exercise routine and a Mediterranean diet – or makes no changes other than taking a low dose of statins. This was prompted by the many readers who were skeptical about the efficacy of statins or the willingness of Canadians to change their exercise and diet routines.
Besides age, your risk level depends on how healthy you are and what steps you are prepared to take to improve your health. The women in the chart below have somewhat elevated cholesterol (total of 6.6 mmol/L), slightly elevated blood pressure (systolic of 130) and are non-smokers with no history of diabetes. (Readers who want to access their own risk can enter their personal numbers into this tool: decisionaid.ca/cvd.)
Unsurprisingly, the higher the starting age, the greater the 10-year risk, although I would have expected the risk to rise more steeply with age than it does. It was also not a surprise that the risk levels for women are significantly lower than for men – barely half. (This can be seen by comparing this chart with the previous chart.)
The bigger insight is that changing your lifestyle is more effective in reducing cholesterol-related risks than relying solely on statins. While women could reduce the risk further by both taking statins and making lifestyle changes, the additional gain is rather marginal.
I can see how these results might discourage some people from taking statins, but the better course is to consult with a doctor before coming to that conclusion.
Frederick Vettese is a former chief actuary of Morneau Shepell and the author of the PERC retirement calculator (perc-pro.ca)
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