DR ELLIE CANNON: Why can’t I lower my high cholesterol level even though my diet is fine? And how can I reduce it without medication?

I have high cholesterol and don’t want to take medication so I’m doing everything lifestyle-related to help it: losing weight, increasing exercise. I’m a healthy weight and eating very well and yet the cholesterol isn’t coming down. It can’t be genetic because no one in my immediate family has the same problem. What can I do?

High cholesterol is a very common problem that can be caused by diet or being overweight but there is also a genetic element.

Though it can run in families, if genetics are involved it doesn’t mean everyone in the family will be affected. Sometimes, it might only be one relative who has the problem.

Some people simply make more cholesterol than others – and there’s little you can do about that. Usually, we only offer treatment for high cholesterol if someone has a higher than average risk of heart disease or stroke. Doctors use something called a QRisk score to work out how likely you are to develop heart disease.

If you are a non-smoker, not overweight and do not have high blood pressure you may not be given treatment.

Today’s reader is asking how they can reduce their cholesterol without taking medication (stock photo)

But it’s still important to take measures to reduce cholesterol. If you’re trying to bring it down without medication, there are specific diets you can try. Losing weight can help but adding in particular foods can be very effective. Examples include oats, soya products, nuts and cholesterol-lowering drinks called plant sterols or stanols.

These are all shown to lower cholesterol and are recommended by the charity Heart UK.

I am 55 and healthy but keep getting weird shakes in my hands. They tend to happen randomly and are not triggered by nerves. What could it be?

Shaking is an important symptom which should be discussed with your GP.

The medical term for shaking is tremor – and there are several different types.

For some people who shake, there is in fact no cause at all. We call this essential tremor, which sometimes runs in families.

Tremors happen at different times which vary between people.

For some, the shaking happens only when the hands are resting. For others, it’s triggered by trying to hold something, such as a cup. Sometimes, a particular movement or position can trigger a random tremor.

Coffee and stress can make the problem worse – and the shaking sometimes gets better with alcohol. It is worth keeping a diary to track any triggers.

More from Dr Ellie Cannon for The Mail on Sunday…

A doctor will likely want to conduct some tests to check for underlying conditions that could be causing the tremor. Common ones include Parkinson’s disease, thyroid problems, excessive alcohol intake or anxiety.

Shaking is also a known side effect of some medicines including certain antidepressants and asthma medication.

A GP would take a detailed history of the tremor as well as blood tests. If no cause is found, it may be an essential tremor.

This type usually happens when resting and affects both hands, after starting in one.

If it is interfering with activities like eating and writing, you can use medication to control it.

This might be something such as a beta blocker, which can be taken as and when you want relief.

A few weeks ago I fell badly on my right side. It triggered sciatica down my right leg, which cleared up, but it’s left me with substantial pain in just my right hip. Also, my right foot is curling upwards and inwards and I have no feeling on the top of my foot.

I was sent for an MRI scan which showed that my L5 nerve is displaced – the doctor recommended surgery on it. Will my foot return to normal after the operation?

This is what’s known as ‘foot drop’, which can happen as a consequence of an injury, when there’s damage to the nerve controlling the muscles in the foot.

This is often due to relatively common problems such as a sports injury, a slipped disc or as a consequence of hip surgery. Nerve damage in the foot can also be caused by diseases such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis or even a stroke.

If the nerve is damaged the muscles malfunction and struggle to hold the foot in place or move it.

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There are treatments for foot drop that do not involve surgery. Some patients will have electrical nerve stimulation, which involves having a small device implanted into the body. This device sends electrical signals to stimulate the nerves and correct the position of the foot.

One of the main problems with foot drop is the effect on walking – so some patients will opt for a splint or brace to hold the foot in position so they can get around.

The surgery for this type of foot drop could involve spinal surgery to repair the L5 nerve, which will be damaged or squashed. Releasing this nerve could allow it to function normally, fixing the problem.

There are no guarantees with this procedure – but generally speaking, a surgeon will not offer an operation without a high chance of success.

You are entitled to ask about how likely it is that the treatment will be successful before agreeing to the operation.

Please don’t trust Kim’s medical advice

Kim Kardashian shared a selfie next to an MRI scanner to her 363 million Instagram followers. The caption described the scanner, called Prenuvo, as ‘life-saving’

I wish celebrities would stop giving useless health advice.

We’ve had fad diets and weight loss lollies, but now it seems reality TV stars are recommending private medical scans. This week, Kim Kardashian shared a selfie next to an MRI scanner to her 363 million Instagram followers. The caption described the scanner, called Prenuvo, as ‘life-saving’.

‘The scan has the ability to detect cancer and diseases such as aneurysms in its earliest stages, before symptoms arise,’ she wrote in the post, which two million people liked.

Firstly, this scanner costs around £2,000 per go. And for that, you likely won’t get any benefits. Instead, you’ll be worried about a harmless irregularity – or falsely reassured.

Tellingly, Kim isn’t even sure how an MRI scanner works. She appears to claim that it involves radiation, which it does not.

These stars are increasingly influential. When will they start thinking about the consequences of what they share?

You don’t need to freeze eggs at 20

This week I was invited to appear on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour to discuss something I see a lot in my young, female patients: fertility anxiety.

There’s been a surge in women in their 20s and early 30s coming to see me to ask for tests that will tell them if they can have children. I’ve even heard of women asking to freeze their eggs in their early 20s, just in case.

There’s no doubt that social media is to blame here. Stories of fertility problems are more accessible than ever. This can make others feel less alone but it seems to also spark anxiety in youngsters. I’ve even noticed adverts for fertility tests everywhere, which doesn’t help.

I tell my patients what I said on Woman’s Hour: The majority of women will get pregnant without help up to the age of 35. Even at 40, around 40 per cent of couples will get pregnant within a year.

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