Q: I am 45 years old. I went through a bypass surgery 2 years back. Recently, I did a lipid profile test and the findings were: cholesterol 317 mg/dl, triglyceride 231 mg/dl, LDL direct 260 mg/dl and HDL 42 mg/dl. The TMT was fine with 10.3 minutes spent and terminating with just fatigue and no other complaints. I cannot understand the reason for the surge in TC/Triglyceride etc., which I had before the bypass surgery. Can such a surge occur despite my regular medication and strict health control? Is there a risk of heart attack with a high cholesterol level? How come the TMT was so smooth and negative?

A:The TMT results show that the blood supply to the heart muscle is good and this is a positive sign. You however, need strict control on your cholesterol level, to prevent the heart problem form coming back. This is particularly important as you are very young. The best ways to control cholesterol levels are diet control, regular exercise and drugs, especially statins. If you think there has been a surge in the levels, please have the test repeated in a reliable lab. Also see that you give the sample after at least 12 hours of fasting. If the repeat test again shows high level. you may need a change in the dose of statins or the addition of another drug. Once again, it is extremely important for you to keep a strict control on your cholesterol levels.