FH and elevated lp(a)

[Time_2_get_serious]

Hey all. I'm sorry this is a blast from the past but i am now armed with alot more info which i wanted to share with you all especially the members who have heaps of knowledge. Hopefully you can advise/guide me 🙂

So first i will start with my blood results which i will copy and paste from my notes app:

Mar 2016/Dec 2016/May 2017/Aug 2017

7.0 total / 7.3 total /7.5 total / 7.8 total

1.15 hdl / 1.06 hdl / 1.03 hdl / 1.46 hdl

5.07 ldl / 5.01 ldl / 5.79 ldl / 5.75 ldl

No info / 2.7 t / 1.7 t / 1.3 t

Along with my recent results, i was informed i have elevated LP(a) at 128 and normal is 30 or below! 😱

It has been suggested that the lp(a) levels are down to genetics so environmental factors, dietary changes, etc will not reduce the levels. In fact, as it is a relatively new area, they dont really have any confirmed studies whereby a treatment has been identified.

In between may 2017 and aug 2017, i started niacin, dosage was 500mg starting beginning june then i upped it by 500mg every week up to 2000mg. You can see that hdl increased but i also stopped smoking a month prior to the august results too so that probably also played a part (used to smoke around 5 a day)

So diagnosis is: familial hypercholesterolemia and elevated lp(a)

As mentioned in previous posts, i really dont want to take statins but after finding niacin didnt really improve overall cholesterol, i had to face defeat and agreed to 20mg atorvastatin. But in light of elevated lp(a), the consultant added 75mg aspirin. I was told that in "some" studies, aspirin was found to reduce lp(a) levels.

I have the prescriptions since this morning but have still not got the medicines as i am certain i can avoid pharmaceutical meds and have been exploring vitamins.

I am considering the following for the next 3 months before my next appt and wanted some advice on whether you think it is the best approach:

Vit k2

Vit d

Coq10

Vit c

Niacin

Omega 3 fish oils

Does anyone think the above is too much?

I do feel all these will definitely help based on the googling i have done (and the results of some studies out there) specifically relating to arterial plaque as this is my biggest concern especially in light of my elevated lp(a) levels. I have a exercise stress test in a couple of weeks and will see what the results indicate.

So there you have it! Sorry for the loooong post but i have tried to put EVERYTHING down but if there is anything else that anyone needs to know, please feel free to ask!

I hope my post helps others out there too, mainly if, like me, you want to avoid big pharma and stick to natural healing.

Sorry i need to add that i think im in peri-menopause (i am 37!) as i keep suffering significant hot flashes day and night, sleep disturbances and no period for 2 months. I have read that declining levels of estrogen contribute to cardiovascular issues so cant help but think the two are linked but I could be wrong. I am adding vitabiotics menopace night supplements to the above too.

Thank you 😊

[Time_2_get_serious]

Hi, thank you so much for replying and i shall watch the videos you mention. In terms of the results you ask above, i only have results for triglycerides at 1.3, none of the others.

I also wanted to ask if i am within my rights to refuse big pharma meds and take alternatives instead and whether this decision would impact on the level of service they provide? In other words, can they discharge me from their clinic if i dont take their advice? I plan to refuse statins for the second time while i explore other options and then see the results in 3 months time.

But i havent purchased the above vitamins i listed as i wanted opinions as to whether it is a good regime to follow before i decide.

Thanks again 😊

[CDreamer in reply to Time_2_get_serious]

You can refuse any treatment but you cannot demand treatment.

I just wanted to say that my cholesterol has been climbing - went to 7.9 the. 8.2 and because of an autoimmune disease I refused statins. I then saw a nutritionist who did a full GI test with some interesting results. She then suggested a list of supplements, including some already mentioned + a plant sterol in capsule form taken with every meal which acts very similarly to a statin.

Along with small changes in diet such as radically reducing carbs, increasing protein and fat content seems to have reduced my cholesterol down to 6.2 since May 2017.

Hope you find that useful.

[Time_2_get_serious in reply to CDreamer]

Thank you for your response and I'm glad you are getting your numbers down. I do believe inflammation can play a part in high cholesterol but still reading up on it to better understand if there is a link.

[Markl60]

Get your Homocyteine levels checked, if they are fine then you wont need to take B12 and Folate. With regard to the Lp(a) I would suggest combining Vit C with Lysine. Also up your dietary intake of Vit C, my regime is a grapefruit every morning and Kiwi and berries on my prorridge as well as a vit C supp

[Time_2_get_serious in reply to Markl60]

Ok thanks mark, i will ask at my next appt

[cb67]

Your post was really helpful, thank you. I want to address your menopause. I'm 67, when I went thru that I also did a lot of research and decided to never put traditional prescription hormones in my body. I have a local pharmacy that makes bioidentical and compounded prescription medications. They provided a sputum test that showed the levels for dozens of hormones. Then they make a prescription just for you according to your results and needs. It's like they look at test results and fill in the holes to bring everything into a normal range. I am a retired physical therapist and over my 25 year practice saw many women who suffered with traditional hormones and decided those would never go in my body. Good luck on your journey. It can be a good one.

[Time_2_get_serious in reply to cb67]

Thank you 😊

[sos007 Ambassador]

Congratulations on quitting smoking! That's the best thing you have done to begin addressing your medical issues.

Your biometrics are like a red 'check engine' light on your car's dashboard. Not only are the absolute values poor, but the trend, except for HDL, is also in the wrong direction.

They are telling you that your body is damaged and will stop working if a change in behaviour doesn't occur immediately. In short, the implications are that a lifestyle change is in order.

Solutions to medical issues cannot be found in pharmaceuticals due to their side-effects. Pharmaceuticals are band-aids - they don't solve the underlying problem, they simply mask it.

Only a permanent lifestyle change can permanently solve medical issues (for most non-genetic conditions or acute circumstances).

I did it and so can you. I had a triple bypass in March of 2015 - and given a cocktail of drugs afterward. Tons of side-effects - including anxiety. I resolved to get off the drugs through a lifestyle change and I succeeded - it took me 10 months once I resolved to make the lifestyle change.

I lost 40 lbs, brought my BMI into the normal range, reduced blood pressure to the optimal range, and have near optimal blood biometrics - all without taking prescription medicine. I take one 81 mg tablet of aspirin per day as a blood thinner. I have 5 stents as well.

Your can read about my journey through all of my posts here:

healthunlocked.com/user/sos007

You can find an optimal dietary guideline here:

pritikin.com/healthiest-die...

Vitamin supplements are all good as well. The ones you listed are all desirable. I take virtually all of the ones you listed, plus:

Vitamin E

Vitamin B6 & B12

Vitmain B9 - a.k.a. - Folate

Vitamin C - 3000 mg per day (one 1,000 mg tablet with each meal); I haven't had any side-effects;

Lysine - an amino acid that may in fact lower your Lp (a) - 3 x 1,000 mg tablet, one with each meal.

Turmeric (curcumin) is also known to help lower Lp (a) - I take 450 mg, 3 x per day - one with each meal.

---------------------------------

Exercise is the other half of a lifestyle modification. Exercise is not a 'luxury' that should be done when possible. It is mandatory for good health, otherwise you should expect a medical condition to debilitate you at some point.

Optimally, you should engage in an activity that elevates your heart-rate (to over 120 bpm) on a sustained basis for at least 20 minutes, 2-3 times per day so you get to 60 minutes of total exercise. This can be as simple as walking.

You should also try and engage in resistance training. You don't need a gym. Push-ups are an example of an exercise that can be done with your own body weight. 3 sets of at least 12 repetitions (12 push-ups for example) is optimal for resistance training of any kind. You may not be able to do that many right away, but you can build up to it.

A simple tip for bringing your cholesterol levels into the optimal range is to radically reduce sugar consumption. Not just simple sugars like the white powder, honey and maple syrup, but the simple carbohydrates found in alcoholic beverages, fruit juices, soft-drinks, and white-flour products like pasta, and bread, as well as white rice and white potatoes.

Avoid all packaged goods at the supermarket that come in a bag or box. They contain hidden sugars and sodium as well as dangerous forms of oils.

You can have one glass of red wine per day, if so desired, as it contains resveratrol which is an anti-oxidant that fights heart-disease and cancer.

Good luck.

[Time_2_get_serious in reply to sos007]

Hi and thank you because you are right. I need to make changes and make them fast especially as i discovered my genes are not on my side either with the massively elevated lp(a). Will implement many of the suggestions you make 👍