I am a 64 year old male who had a triple bypass in 2015. At the age of 40 I started a concerted effort to be as healthy as I could. My cholesterol at 40 years of age was 6.1 / trig 2.3 / hdl 1.0 ldl 4.1. I commenced a low fat diet plant based with lean meat and fish no sugar . I could not reach the desired level my gp wanted so commenced a 10mg statin which kept my cholesterol down to 4.0 ldl 2.7 hdl 0.9 trig 1.3.. At 50 years of age I orchestrated my own Calcium scan and had a reading of 383 which gave me concern. I tweaked the diet and remained on the statin. M y weight has always been at the 64kg range for the last 30 years due to diet and exercise. Fast forward 10 years organized another Calcium score which showed almost 900. Angiogram showed 3x blockages 95% and two at 75%. which resulted in bypass. The question here is did the statin help me keep the calcium at bay ,I would have to answer No, I believe it interfered with the good nutrients I was putting in my body and I have read that the statin promotes calcium build up although the society of Pharm doctors maintain the calcium build up shows the statin is addressing the problem . Well it seems to me if im right it is like being akin to having some leaks in your drain as the plumber says hey we can stop that leak , oh great but how will you do that .well we just take these 3 bags of cement and pour it into it, but wont that block my drain err well yes but it will stop your leak . I ditched my statins just one week ago which was not easy as I have had to wrestled with 20 years or more of brainwashing and it is only through sites like this and reading similar circumstances that has lead me to do this . Now I know there will be plenty of people in the medical profession who will say without the statins your plight would have been a lot worse . I totally disagree with this. If you are on a statin I urge you to have your calcium score checked annually and if there is a significant increase in that score then it may be time to take another avenue regarding your health.
Acceleration of build up in arteries d... - Cholesterol Support
Acceleration of build up in arteries due to Statins.
That is so interesting, Johnally. I'm sorry you've had decades doing what you thought was the best possible things for your health, only to discover the blockages and going through a major operation. I have had high cholesterol for some years varying between 6.4 and currently 8.5. I've always resisted being prescribed statins but had a very difficult conversation with my doctor, after the latest blood test, as she made me feel I am going to keel over with a heart attack or stroke any minute. (It was particularly difficult, as I live in Spain and I'm not very good at arguing in Spanish!). I joined this forum a week or so ago and have been reading avidly. Your post in particular confirms my instincts are right..... What I'm doing is upping my exercise, eating more fibre and taking apple cider vinegar. I'll have another blood test in a few weeks, see if my cholesterol is going in the right direction. Also, I would like hdl and ldl tests, which weren't done - my triglycerides are good, though. I'm not sure whether or not not to have a calcium score test....... for one thing, I'd probably have to go to a private clinic, i can't see my Spanish doctor agreeing to me having one (although it might be worth asking). Also, even if it's high, would there be any point in taking statins, I wonder. But it would show up blockages, if I've got any. So - I'm still reading and cogitating and very much appreciate you sharing your experiences.
Hi Firinne thank you for your reply and kind words. I would most certainly have the Calcium scan as cholesterol numbers are not a true indicator of cardio vascular disease. What the test will do is give you a very good indication if you have any calcium deposits in the artery and to what degree those deposits are. I would rather know so I could take action if needed as I say again do not rely on a cholesterol score . My wife and I have almost identical score of cholesterol 6.5 each . Just last week she had a angiogram of the arteries you cannot get a better test than this and her arteries were almost completly clear compared to mine 2 years ago which were 95% blocked lad and 75% in the other two arteries. Regards John
Interesting read Jonally, are there any differences between your wifes cholesterol breakdown, for example what is her HDL and LDL score compared to yours ?. Have you tried Niacin to lower LDL and perhaps more importantly boost HDL. Would you say you handle stress differently to your wife or does your life involve more stress than your wife eg through work
Mark160 My wife's readings are slightly different Total chol is slightly higher at 6.8 trig 0.8 hdl.1.8 ldl 4.6 and I would have to say that she handles stress better than me but it was stress that lead her to hospital ,8 weeks ago her sister passed away suddenly on hearing the news she instantly had a heart attack in the form of Takotasumbo which is a wakening of the left ventricle Broken heart syndrome. Tests revealed arteries clear. If you had to have a cardiac event then this with the absence of CVD would be the one. I also had my daughter checked 3 months prior 40 years of age same lipid ratio as me except slightly higher HDL but does not handle stress well and her arteries were as clear as a bell thank god. This Cvd has so many tangents but to pin it down to exact causation is a mystery as there is so many conflicting theory's and cures.
Thanks Johnally, I am not saying its the sole cause but interesting to find out that you wifes Trigs are lower and her HDL higher. Her Total/HDL ratio is better than yours as is her HDL/Trig ratio. These are two well touted markers both superior in prediction than LDL alone.
Very interesting. Me too in Spain and Spanish dr only concered with agressively lowering cholesterol whrn i cannot take statins for muscular pain. I have tried to argue that cholesterol is not an illness but a symptom of inflammation. Fix one, fixes other. Would be interested in your experiences of Spanish Health system because mine have been very poor. I have been so disappointed by the attitude of many, as if to say, foreigner, worthless. And that is speaking Spanish! Would hate to imagine what it would be like NOT to be able to communicate.
Best of luck!
Hi Patricia - the experiences of my husband and I in Spain have been very different. I have come to the conclusion the Spanish health system is very good in an emergency (my husband's experience) but pretty uncaring otherwise, at least to us foreigners. For instance, I have been waiting 7 months for an appointment to see a specialist about my gallbladder problems. They were quick off the mark with a scan and blood tests (which my doctor admits are cause for concern) but no hospital appointment with a specialist to discuss.....I would have expected to get at least an appointment, even if it was for a year's time! I asked my doctor if I've been forgotten and she assures me not so but..... As for my cholesterol, the least she should have done is check my LDL and HDL levels before trying to frighten me with dire warnings about what would happen to me if I don't take statins. Also, I am hypothyroid and from what I gather, I should be having much more extensive blood tests with a TSH of 4.5. So, no - for myself - not impressed.
Ive had exactly the same experience! Its awful the way we're (not) treated!! I had a stress test 2 weeks ago and cannot get an appointment for the results! May be 2 months at earliest!
Had rudest possible kidney specialist who said there was nothing wrong with me when ive got kidney failure stage 4b!!
My list could go on and on and on! But lucky we can go private for gp or some tests otherwise we'd be dead!
Never thought it could be so bad but it is!!
Wishing you all the best!
I wish you the best, too, Patricia.
I questioned my cardiologist last year about the true benefits of statins. He admitted that some patients do not benefit from statins but since we don’t know who benefits and who doesn’t, they keep all patients on them. Maybe the calcium score you mentioned would be that determinant. After my stent, my sister’s doctor ordered a calcium test. Hers was 0. I have never had a calcium test. I’m going to ask my cardiologist about it at my next appointment.
Hi, Statin is medication is used as primary and secondary.
Primary is prevention and secondary is to help with blood follow and blood velocity after a stent.
Questions for you next appointment.
My you can ask you cardiologist for an explanation on this?
There are many new tests available to check the heart, again ask you cardiologist for a CT scan or other imaging of your heart?
Good decision to come off of statins.
I had a triple bypass in March of 2015, at the time I was 52 years of age.
Here's what has happened since:
healthunlocked.com/choleste...
I have read extensively about CVD. Here's what I've learned:
Plaque accumulation is a function of an inflammatory diet and lifestyle and endothelial damaged caused by mechanical stress at the point where arteries bend and fork off. The body's first reaction is to repair the damage with collagen - however enough collagen is not readily available because it requires a large amount of Vitamin C for its synthesis. Most people ingest only a small amount daily.
In place of collagen, the body sends 'athero' a waxy, sticky substance to patch the damaged area of the endothelium. Lp(a) is the principle component of this substance and is part of the LDL particle. Here's the current scientific understanding of Lp (a).
health.clevelandclinic.org/...
The late double-Nobel Laureate, chemist, Dr. Linus Pauling conducted extensive research on Vitamin C. Humans, primates and the guinea pig are the only animal species that do not naturally synthesize Vitamin C internally. It must be ingested.
He concluded that the optimal amounts of Vitamin C for humans, based on studying animals that synthesize it naturally, is somewhere between 4,000 and 20,000 mg per day - well above the RDA of 60 mg. Vitamin C has no known toxicity other than causing loose bowel movements at a certain point.
He recommended for those with diagnosed CVD to ingest 6,000 mg daily along with 6,000 mg of the amino acid supplement, Lysine.
He stated that Lysine attaches itself to the Lp(a) particles which are the most atherogenic components of LDL, and allows the body to eliminate these.
Prior to my blood test in October 2017, for 3 weeks I took 3,000 mg per day of both Vitamin C and Lysine. The result was a 17% reduction in my LDL, 15% reduction in my triglycerides and 15% reduction in my Lp (a). The reduction in Lp (a) is remarkable because as noted, current medical dogma is that Lp(a) is genetically pre-determined and cannnot be significantly modified through diet, exercise or medications.
I have another scheduled blood test in January, and I am trying to gradually increase my Vitamin C dosage to his recommended quantity.
I have never had a calcium score, but I do have an endothelium function test using a device called Angiodefender on a regular basis. This test measures something called FMD% score - Flow Mediated Dilation percentage score, of your brachial artery after a 5 minute occlusion.
Based on this measure my endothelium function has been steadily improving, implying that my arteries are more elastic - due to less plaque and likely, less calcium accumulation.
Message me directly if you want to discuss further.
If interested, all of my prior posts can be found here:
healthunlocked.com/user/sos007
Good luck.
sos 007 thank you for the information it really makes interesting reading . I have heard the connection of vitamin C and your results seem to bare this out. Do you still take a statin ?
No I stopped all medications in October 2016 after changing my diet and lifestyle and dropping 40 lbs to my natural body weight of 155 lbs.
I strongly recommend that you watch this video:
This was so interesting I watched it twice.Dr. Matthias certainly puts forward a good case, It beggars belief why we haven't seen this in main street media, yet we seem to get forever regular updates on the wonder of statins not only for arterial disease but for a multitude of other diseases it may cure. What is the best Vitamin C and Lysine to buy .
I live in Canada and cannot provide guidance for products in U.K. That said, these are commodities - as long as you trust the source and are pure, they'll be good.
Good luck.
sos 007 I just found your older posts and the figures are very impressive. I too follow very much the same diet as Dr Esseltyn but I do have some lean meat twice a week I would imagine it would have been a big step for you to cease all medications, was this because of adverse effects to the medication or just educating yourself to a better way of reducing the LDl . I note Dr Hazen of Cleveland Medical advises a statin. Often I find myself being swayed the way of conventional meds but this time I have ditched the statins as I believe they do more harm than good.
My bypass surgery was March 2015 - by December 2015 I had extreme pain in my left rotator cuff to the point that I could no longer sleep. That's when I began educating myself about statins and lifestyle requirements to lose weight.
Statins and other meds like beta blockers also caused anxiety, and forgetfulness among other things.
I gradually began to learn about the benefits of certain vitamins which appear to be helping with my lipid measures among other blood metrics.
I strongly encourage you to read Dr. Linus Pauling's 1986 book: 'How to Live Longer and Feel Better'.
I've been to NHS Choices and on MedWeb and can find no evidence of any correlation or causation of calcium build-up as a result of taking statins use. The extensive insert in my statins package makes no mention of it. I asked my doctor about it and he has decided to have a look through recent papers on statins use to see if there is any sign of a link. He currently knows of no link. I will remain vigilant for any real science behind this hyptohesis but I haven't found any yet: nhs.uk/conditions/statins/s...
NHS has its guide lines and the staff will not go out of the box. OK, there are new developments, it can take years before we see in it HS guide lines.
Some medicine are good and help some people but not all, people do suffer side effects.
One life just enjoy it. Why do people in the video clips write books, to make money. The books they write they are not giving it free or free download!!!!
Please go to side effects of Lipitor forum on Facebook and post your story there
RELUCTANT TO TAKE STATINS 
High Cholesterol
LDL paradox
