Hello Denise,

While eating a low cholesterol diet can help improve your numbers some, the fact that your family has high cholesterol likely means that your numbers will not come down to normal levels with diet alone.

That being said, there are several things you should try to help your cholesterol along with your medication. 1)If you smoke, stop smoking. 2)If you don't exercise already, try to get at least 40 minutes of exercise 4 times a week. 3) Try to increase the amount of soluble fiber in your diet by eating more whole grains, vegetables, fruits, bean/legumes.  Also, increase the amount of fleshy fish like salmon in your diet, as the omega 3 fatty acids are good for cholesterol numbers (especially raising HDL and lowering triglyceride levels).

Be sure to discuss these lifestyle modifications and monitor your cholesterol with your doctor!

To your health,

Neil MD