Following up: Jaype Bester

By MARTIN JOHNSTON

The man who baffled doctors with an extremely high spike in his cholesterol level is still without a medical explanation of how it might have happened.

But that suits Jaype Bester, a 50-year-old Auckland church pastor, just fine.

"God is good and I'm fine," said Mr Bester.

"We're faith people and we're Christians. We know that the person who did the job did a good job and that's it."

Tests a year ago at two laboratories led doctors to describe him as a "walking timebomb", at serious risk of a heart attack or stroke.

The blood tests had revealed a total cholesterol level of 43 millimoles per litre of blood. The normal level is 5.2.

But when he was retested in January, Mr Bester was down to 5. He had reduced his weight by more than 10kg, to 92kg, and cut fatty foods such as butter from his diet. He was already a non-drinker.

He took a test course of cholesterol-lowering drugs, but by the time he was given his first full-strength prescription, his cholesterol had nose-dived.

The latest tests put his level at 5.2.

Auckland heart experts said they had never heard of a cholesterol level of 43 and were puzzled how it could have come down so fast.

One thought it must have been a rare metabolic disturbance that had resolved to some extent.

Mr Bester was diagnosed with diabetes and continues to take drugs for that and has kept up his exercise and healthy diet.

"I keep off your precious New Zealand products, like your lovely cheese and ice-cream," said Mr Bester, who shifted from South Africa with his family in January 2001.

Professor Russell Scott of Christchurch Hospital - who was not involved in Mr Bester's treatment - said several genetic disorders could cause excessive levels of the fatty substances cholesterol and triglyceride.

"With simple dietary change, cholesterol can change very dramatically."

Mr Bester found out about his high cholesterol only when he sought life insurance and was asked to go for a health check.

The insurers "wouldn't touch me with a piece of barbed wire", he said a year ago.

They told him to wait a year, so now he has reapplied. He hopes that this time there will be no hitches.

Herald feature: Health