Saturated fat intake

[Heartmum56]

Hi, has anyone any wisdom on the saturated fat intake we hearties should be aiming for? I think the general recommendation for women is 20g per day but we should eat less than that? I have been aiming for 12 g but with lots of healthy fats too, but I am consistently losing weight to the extent that I am now trying to put it on. I am reluctant to up the carbs level because of rising HbA1c levels due to statins and reluctant to up protein levels due to proteinuria. Not sure what to do! Any wisdom or experience appreciated. Thanks.

[BlueDays24]

No wisdom here, but exactly the same. I’d read that saturated fats should contribute 7% of calories, so about 15g for total 2000 calories/day, and I’ve cut mine to somewhere in the region of 10-15g ish. I’ve also cut out added sugar. And I’m mostly vegetarian anyway as my son is a veggie.

I have been losing weight steadily in the 5 months since MI - the first few pounds were OK, brining my BMI back into healthy range, but 2 stone later, I’m now the lightest I’ve ever been as an adult, and getting a bit concerned. I also had a recent pre-diabetic blood sugar level, and was worried I’d be told to cut down on complex carbs too, but the diabetic nurse agreed it’s probably the effect of statins rather than diet and exercise. I’m seeing the GP next week, and hoping she’ll agree to reduce statin dose, but I’ll also tell her (again) about my continuing weight loss.

It is difficult to know what to eat, I don’t really enjoy food much at the moment, thinking too much about saturated fat, or sugar, or salt, or portions of veg and fruit, or carbs, or whatever. I asked for a referral to a dietitian months ago, to help figure out what had been ‘wrong’ with my diet after a heart attack with relatively low cholesterol, and I’m still waiting. People around me are stuck in the mindset that I’m somehow lucky to be losing weight so it feels odd to be getting worried about it.

Thank you for your post - I’m not alone!

[Heartmum56 in reply to BlueDays24]

Such a relief to read this and find it's not just me! I am struggling to stay above 8 stones. Did the nurse somehow say the raised HbA1c didn't matter if it was statin induced? I've managed to get my statin reduced once and it dropped 1 point. Have reduced it again so hoping that helps and gives me more confidence to eat carbs as long as it doesn't affect cholesterol ( which was not high to start with but now rock bottom!)

[BlueDays24 in reply to Heartmum56]

The diabetic nurse basically said I shouldn’t change anything I’m doing in terms of diet and exercise, that the HbA1c increase was most likely due to the 80mg Atorvastatin (I showed her the statin leaflet stating ‘common side effect…increases in blood sugar levels’), and she made me the appointment with the GP to request a reduction in statin prescription.

[Lowerfield_no_more]

It seems to me there is a lot of conflicting information about what we should be and should not be eating. For example a few years ago butter was a definite no no but now apparently it is not. However we are all different and will react differently to what we eat. In our house we eat a varied diet, mostly food prepared from scratch, plenty of fruit and veg, we eat red meat and fish, and we don't go out of our way to minimise saturated fat but will eat it in moderation including butter and cheese but not those awful low fat spreads which probably do more harm than good. But one thing we do avoid are take -aways. So don't let food selection become a chore, just choose good food wisely, go as varied as you can, and above all enjoy what you eat.

[Pundit999]

I am in the same boat as I have lost 15 lbs after the procedure and I am eating strictly only whole plants now

Yeah reducing the statin dose will help. In fact for me , the doctor already reduced the dose to 20 from 40 Lipitor . I will ask them if it can be reduced further when I see them in a few weeks.

For reducing a1c I suggest you get fitted with a continuous glucose monitor for a few weeks and monitor how your glucose goes up and down

I found that eating the final meal by 7 pm and going for short walks after meals helps . Also not eating root veggies in large quantities

[BlueDouble007]

Try Guinness Zero, no alcohol, but Guinness goodness.

[TasteLessFood4Life]

I am a bit in the same boat. I am on statins and strictly healthy diet with the occassional treat and exercise. Have lost more than 12kg, bmi is now around 19-20. Whilst LDL has dropped like a brick to around 1, however my hba1c has increased to pre-diabetic range. I have noticed that since having the low fat diet with lots of fresh fruit and veggies and complex carbs - it has caused wild swings in my blood glucose. I dont think there is any harm if you have it in moderation to counter the effect of naked carbs. Everyone is different with regards to medication and diet,

[Pundit999 in reply to TasteLessFood4Life]

Statins unfortunately are a risk factor for diabetes. That might be the reason and not the healthier diet .

Don’t know if there are good alternatives to statins

I am in the same boat and will be asking the cardiologist when I see them next

[Heartmum56]

Thank you for your reply. Yes this is my constant question, does our LDL need to be that low at the expense of rising HbA1c? Is it even good for us to be that low? Not getting any answers from GP and cardiologists only care about your heart and not the rest of it. Just glad to know it's not just me.

[BlueDays24]

I have been reading more about statin-induced diabetes, and found a review paper in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences. Apparently Atorvastatin is one of the statins with most impact on blood sugar - I’m thinking of asking to switch rather than reducing. Those of you also with higher HbA1c: are you on Atorvastatin too, or a different statin?

[Heartmum56 in reply to BlueDays24]

Yes but have gone from 80 to 40 and now 20 so waiting to see what difference that makes. I also did a lot of research in this area and ended up deciding it was swings and roundabouts when you also take into account effect on liver enzymes and kidneys which are also a struggle for me. Will be interested to see where you get to and might have another look myself if I get no improvement.

[Pundit999 in reply to BlueDays24]

I am atorvastatin 20 mg for the last 2 months . Was on 5mg for more than 10 years before that

Have been struggling with prediabetes and borderline line diabetes

[BlueDays24]

I had the GP appointment today to talk about the prediabetic HbA1c, and I took my ‘evidence’ of statin treatment-inducing the development of type 2 diabetes. She listened, agreed with my conclusion, and was going to change the statin…but it wasn’t listed on her flow-chart for secondary prevention (that was all Atorvastatin). She was then going to refer me back to the cardiologist, but instead, is referring me to the lipid consultant. And in the meantime, she has said I should stop taking the Atorvastatin.

It was good to be heard. Even to be thanked by the GP for bringing this to her attention (I don’t think she was aware of the statin/elevated blood sugar side-effect). And I hope the lipid consultant can recommend medication to minimise my LDL while preserving insulin secretion and sensitivity.

[Heartmum56 in reply to BlueDays24]

Thank you so much for reporting back. My GP was also unaware. Seems amazing to me when there is so much online and even in the info leaflet. That's why she's allowed me to reduce but would like to know what alternative you end up with. Which one were you hoping for?

[BlueDays24 in reply to Heartmum56]

Pravastatin - from what I’ve read, it has the least effect on HbA1c and possibly even increases insulin sensitivity. But it’s not on NHS list for post-MI secondary prevention.