As you who have been reading here for some time are aware, I am concerned about my cholesterol numbers, and my doctor wants to put me on statins. I have heard bad reviews on statins and want to avoid them at all costs. So for the past 2 or 3 years I have been closely monitoring my numbers, comparing the most recent to the others, and trying to figure out...
WHAT THE HELL CAN I DO TO GET THESE NUMBERS IN "NORMAL" RANGE???
I am getting to the end of my rope as far as supplements, herbs, exercise, and nutrition. I just KNEW that I could do this myself, lose weight, get my cardio up, take garlic, Metamucil, fish oil, more veggies, more veggies, more veggies...and on and on. Well, so far it has not happened.
My most recent numbers as of this week:
Total cholesterol: 245
LDL: 135
HDL: 83
Triglycerides: 154
The good news: My LDL is down from 144 six months ago, and my HDL is up from 78 six months ago.
Again, I am open to suggestions as to what to try next. To my new readers, please chime in. To my long-time readers, please chime in, also, as you may have learned something new in the past few months that I have not tried.
I am ready to try something radical, or just bite the bullet and try the medication.
Does anyone know...Is it possible to try the medication for, say, three months, get the total number down, go off the medication, and keep the total down through nutrition and exercise?
Snake oil? Meditation? Green smoothie recipe? Bean sprouts?
8 comments:
Jo,
I'm curious to know why you are against statins. I used them for years with no problems at all. I am off them now since my weight loss. I think what you need to understand is that your cholesterol can be genetically high and have nothing to do with your diet. It is hereditary and if you have family members with high cholesterol then it is likely in your genes. I believe you have done everything possible and should now consider meds. Just my thoughts. :)
Karen, the reason I am against statins is their side effects - muscle pain and weakness, and gastrointestinal problems. I have gastro problems anyway. I do believe mine is hereditary and am just doing my due diligence one more time before surrendering to the meds. Thanks for your concern!
Better HDL and LDL is very related to increased exersize and fruits and veggies. Triglicerides go up with cakes pies pastas ice cream. and down with garlic. BUT it is also ver genetic!! Some people eat near perfect and still have high cholesterol. You can go off statins at any time if you feel side effects. Some people are on them for a long time and are fine. IF its genetic and you get them down with statins, they will slowly rise again once you go off.
My endo pushes statins. I push back. I refuse them. Period. Why? My HDL and Trigs are great (HDL almost 70 and Trigs in the 40s). It's my LDL that's high. So I asked her to do the profile to ACTUALLY COUNT and tell what kind of LDL. I have very low heart disease risk based on the result. My LDL is the good kind and the lipoprotein(a) is under 30. I'm gonna get the VAP test done by her in December for the full profile. The regular cholesterol test isn't much help sometimes to assess real risk. Have you read THE HEART SCAN BLOG? THE HEALTHY SKEPTIC blog?
Hubby's lip(aP) is under 10, which is outstanding. He eats steak cooked in butter or EVOO nearly every day, meat at every meal, including breakfast, and eats about 7 times a day. We cut out bread, pasta, gluten. Only eat potatoes/tubers and rice. Lots of veggies, fruit, nuts, and I cook in butter, coconut oil or EVOO.
You want those triglycerides down, then ditch grains and most starches, focus on fruits, veggies and protein. Use healthful oils to cook (ie, non-inflammatory oils, meaning beware omega 6 rich oils).
I mean, I used to have bad HDL and bad trigs, now those are great and the high number is my LDL, which is not the dangerous kind (small density). Course, I gotta keep eating right and exercising...
When you reduce carbs, trigs go down, and when you eat more saturated fat, HDL goes up. But familial/genetic issues may come into play.
Keep reading the studies. What's out there can be confusing, but it can be very eye-opening as well. The more recent review of studies from , er, the Netherlands or Denmark, I forget, which shows no correlation between saturated fat (which raises LDL and HDL) and heart disease, but there is a correlation between omega 3 and protective outcomes and omega-6 and coronary disease.
If the issue is preventing or minimizing heart disease....it's WHAT PART , what is going on with the cholesterol numbers. And you want the real story--VAP--not the conventional lipid panel, which is formulaic. (ie, they use a formula, it's not looking at the LDL size, actual count, etc).
Research and decide what to do. Eating well (real food) and moving soundly are always good for one's health. Statins can have serious muscle/liver side effects (they did on me) and make one really brain foggy (me they did)....and lowering the cholesterol isn't the main issue. Controlling inflammation and having a GOOD lipid profile are.
I'd love to get to the ideal profile as per Dr. Davis 60=60-60, but I'm still in the 'losing phase' and that affects numbers, too...
Best with making your decision.
In the book, The Smarter Science of Slim (I'm reading and Advanced copy for review), you need to look at the chart on page. 139. It shows (according to studies) the risks of heart disease on a grid using LDL and HDL as the variables. Your HDL is protectively high. (Trigs are high, too, which is not good, but, welel). You might want to add the info on that grid/chart to whatever else you research. Anyway, made me think of you when I hit that page. :D The Google books preview didn't have page 139,sadly.
Jo, I really cannot offer any advice since (praise God!) my numbers remain disgustingly perfect. They were even that way when I weighed significantly more than now. And yes, as you well know, so much of it is genetic. My parents, both in their 80s, take no meds for this. I am so incredibly blessed.
Having said that, I do have many friends who have taking the statins with no side effects. I am so with you on the resistance, but you may have to relent. And my concern now, is that you not wait too long.
I forgot to ask, are you eating grains--any grains--and starches. My triglycerides were over 100, and when I gave up starches/grains/gluten, they took a dive to the 40s.
If you (after research) in consultation with your doc decide to do statins, just remember to do the CoQ10 (which statins deplete) and watch carefully for symptoms of myopathy and have liver enzymes checked regularly.
You can always go OFF them if they cause issues.
What's your vitamin D level?
I think Princess pretty much covered it all. I have to cut out a few things to lower mine and just added more veggies, the raw kind. But mine has never been high, just border line. I'm working on lowering my some more but my mama's family and her has terrible problems so it's harder but you will get the combination figured out. I don't like meds either, just the two I have no choice to take.
Thanks for stopping by, take care and have a blessed afternoon.
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