I weaned off of a 30 mg dosage of Crestor between February and October of 2016. My last dose of Crestor was 5 mg in mid-October, 2016.
I just had my blood test yesterday. I do a blood test every 6 weeks to monitor my lipid values and see the impact of adjusting vitamin supplementation and dietary changes.
16 days ago I introduced a 500 mg daily dosage of Niacin.
Over the last 6 weeks I have also been drinking 2 cups of decaf Green tea and 1 cup of ginger tea daily, along with eating a bowl of blueberries, blackberries and raspberries.
I continue with my mostly vegetarian diet which allows for fish twice per week and low-fat dairy in the form of Greek yogurt, and full-fat goat milk for tea and cereal. I ensure my diet includes a high level of fiber which directly contributes to the lowering of cholesterol. I get this fiber from legumes - lentils, chick peas, and beans, as well as fruit such as apples and oranges.
I also am continuing with my rigorous exercise regimen which includes at least 30 minutes of daily exercise and 15,000 steps. 4 days per week my exercise involves resistance training with weights and a high-intensity cardio workout.
My lipid values improved significantly from 6 weeks ago but are still not as low as when I was last on Crestor in October.
Total Cholesterol: 5.09 mmol/l
Triglycerides: 0.51 mmol/l
Non-HDL cholesterol: 2.96 mmol/l
HDL: 2.13 mmol/l
LDL: 2.73 mmol/l (Friedewald formula); 1.99 mmol/l (Iranian Formula); 2.6 mmol/l Hattori formula;
Cholesterol/HDL ratio: 2.4
TG/HDL ratio: 0.24
VLDL: 0.10 mmol/l
Apo B: 0.97 g/l
ApoA-1: 1.77 g/l
ApoB/ApoA-1 ratio: 0.55
CRP: <0.3 mg/l
Homocysteine: 8.8 umol/l
Fibrinogen: 2.63 g/l
All of these values would be perfect for a 'normal' person without any risk factors of heart disease. As a triple bypass patient, these values are still not optimal although they are very close to optimal. The ratios though, ARE in the optimal range even for a high risk patient. This is especially true for the ApoB/ApoA-1 ratio which my research, based on the reading of medical studies focused on optimal lipid treatment markers, is the most important measure of ischemic risk and further deterioration in cardio-vascular disease.
Other than the fact that I had triple bypass surgery, my lifestyle changes have eliminated all other risk-factors for heart disease, except for age. Poor exercise and dietary habits contribute to the lifetime accumulation of arterial plaque - it then becomes a function of 'time' before the accumulation triggers health risks. Those who have had a healthy lifestyle from childhood will have much slower plaque progression and may never reach the point where it triggers angina or an ischemic attack. Most people experience heart-disease in their 7th or 8th decade of life. Those with poor dietary and exercise habits or those with a genetic pre-disposition, can experience heart disease in their 5th, or 6th decade of life, or even earlier.
Heart disease and its' causes is a very complicated subject and there are no magic bullets or simple solutions relating to the initiation or cessation of drugs such as statin drugs.
In having spoken with medical researchers on the subject and having read dozens of medical studies, I have concluded that there is still much to learn and medical science still does not have all of the answers. Furthermore, the lifestyle choices of each person will significantly contribute to, or detract from, their success in dealing with cardio-vascular disease.
Nobody in this forum is a medical doctor and so I caution all readers to not accept information and people's recommendations at face value.
Everybody should take the time to do their own research and to speak to a trusted medical professional while modifying their lifestyle.
Good luck to everybody.
Statin Dilemma
