Q: I am 56 years old and a BP patient for the past five years. It started when I was entering into menopause. I go for regular check-up and I am on medication. I regularly check my pressure in the night on an electronic BP machine and it is always between 125 - 140 by 83 - 86. The medication I take is in the morning Tenorim 25mg, Amlogard 5mg and one BCosules and in the night I take Capotril 12.5 and one aspirin. This is the medication prescribed to me by my Health Centre Doctor. Recently I did a regular check-up, i.e. ECG and complete blood check-up. The ECG was okay. The blood report showed that my Cholestorol is 6.7, all the other things such as fasting sugar, Triglycerides, Creatinine, Urea and Uric Acid all normal. I had done my blood check one year back and the Cholestorol was same at that time also, i.e. 250 and my doctor did not give me any medication saying that it is little above the normal and can be controlled with diet and exercise. From that time onwards I have stopped taking most of the fatty things. I cook my food with only olive oil. Doctor could you please advise me what I should do? Should I start taking medicine for the cholestorol, if so, what should I take?

A:Your BP control seems to be adequate. Keep it below 140/85 mms Hg. In view of your age,weight and post menopausal status I think you need to keep yourcholesterol levels much lower. The total cholesterol should be preferablyless than 150 mgs and the LDL cholesterol less than 100 mgs in persons withmore than two risk factors which you have. I think you should be on statingroup of drugs which are very safe and very effective and reduce adverseevents by 30 to 40%.Your treating physician should start it. May be atorvastatin 10 mgs. Meanwhile continue all the other good things like a low fat diet andexercise etc.