Help with Cholesterol Levels
Hi. Doc has given me Atorvastatin and I am worried about taking them.
My cholesterol is 6
HDL 1.2
LDL 3.5
Triglycerides 3.2
I am in blood pressure tabs my readings are 159/67
Any advice would be so appreciated. I’ve heard so much negativity about statins
Thank you
Hello Bev, I don't understand why your doctor hasn't advised you on your diet instead of putting you on statins, if it is because of your diet that you have high cholesterol or whether, like me, heart disease runs in your family. It seems a very low level to be put on statins. A few years ago my cholesterol level was 7.1 and the doctor told me to go on a low fat diet, even though, I am not at all overweight. A couple of years later I got it down to 4.5 through eating cholesterol lowering foodstuffs. If I don't keep on a very restrictive diet it goes up, it is now 6.1, so I've got to start really watching what I eat all the time as, like you, I do not want to go on statins.
Thanks for reply. No no heart dresser in family. I do have high blood pressure. He said my risk was 19% What foods lower cholesterol if you wouldn’t mind telling me. I definitely don’t want these statins.
No one can advise you whether to take statins or not, we can only speak from personal experience. I have taken several different statins and they didn't agree with me, weight gain, sleep disturbance etc. But you have to try them because we're all different and not everybody gets the same side effects. If statins don't agree with you there are alternatives but the final decision has to be yours after you have taken onboard advice from doctors and done some research.
Hi Bev, I agree you should consider trying them, as everyone is different in how they react to statins. I tried them all but was unable to tolerate any of them due to the side effect of crippling muscle pain. However, my husband takes Simvastatin with no issues. My consultant was happy for me to stop taking them and said that, as a woman, they probably would not have been of benefit to me in any case. My cholesterol levels were around 6.3 but I had a high level of HDL which helped. I started taking B vitamins, B complex and additional B12 as some research shows that B3, B6, B9 and B12 can affect cholesterol levels. My total cholesterol reduced within 6 months to an acceptable level so this may be something you might wish to try if you find that statins don't suit you.
I would have thought that most people do know that.
Your stat's are something I can only aspire to. For over 20 years I lived with 9.8 cholesterol levels and in latter years my BP has remained slightly higher than yours despite medical intervention. I react to most meds so don't medicate.
Don't for a minute think I'm telling you not to be medicated.
What I will say is consider your diet.
I have change my diet in the last year or so because of other health issues I have, coincidentally my cholesterol levels have dropped. My Dr tells me they are high but as I have been at 9.8 for so many years they are actually low for me at 6.4. Lower than I have ever been, medicated or not. Some of us can live with high levels and others cannot. It's a lottery.
I dropped the man made rubbish and substitutes in preference for natural and fresh. I eat little red meat and stick with chicken and fish instead. I have cut my salt and sugar intake but I don't know if that is relevant or not, I have no option there. It will be interesting what my next test results will be.
Hi Bev
Please read 'The Great Cholesterol Con' and 'Statin Nation' by Dr Malcolm Kendrick. Your body regulates your cholesterol naturally and it needs fats. I have a cholesterol of 6.5, with a HDL of 4. I do walk about 40 miles a week, and do other exercise. Statins make billions for the pharmaceutical industry and the pharmaceutical industry basically sponsors and controls all medical research and training so no conflict of interest there, then, eh! The other thing I would say, that I have done is change from the so called healthy 'high carb low fat diet to a 'low carb high fat diet. Reason for this is that carbs are loaded with sugar, which in turn lead to weight gain and higher LDL. This goes against mainstream medical advice, but if you do your own research on this it will open your eyes, hence my book recommendations. One last thing, in research in Scandinavia and the US lowering cholesterol to or below the NHS recommendations of 5 actually increases your risk of getting cancer, and the levels of 'acceptable' coholesterol have been dropping for 30 years or so, which coincides with increasing and massive profits from statins for the pharmaceutical companies, some of which makes it's way to your GP for putting you on the very dangerous statin drugs, with their horrendous side effects. I dont trust my own GP as when I questioned him whether he gets a financial incentive for putting patients on statins he didnt answer, saying that's confidential, but he was pushing to put me on statins, I said no chance, and then read up on everything I could get my hands on regarding how cholesterol works, and it opened my eyes firmly wide open. Hope this helps.
Very interesting. My cholesterol is 6. something. I only eat fish ( organic salmon) tuna, avocadoes, bananas and a yoghurt for breakfast. I don't eat pasta or bread. I don't drink or smoke or eat beef, pork or lamb (gave up 32 years ago.) Don't drink anything with caffeine or teine. My BMI is 24. I walk a lot and ride twice a week. So hard to know what I can change in my lifestyle to lower cholesterol. My cardiologist is quite cool about it saying it was a little high but then shrugged and didn't seem bothered by me not wishing to take statins. I believe that the accepted levels change with age ( I'm 65) . As long as my Dr is ok ( I see him every six months) then I won't change anything. But obviously we are all different and must follow our Dr's advice if they feel it is needed.
Hi. All I will say to that is have a read of 'How to Live Longer by Dr Vernon Coleman'. We all have choices, but no one 'must', should blindly follow any advice they are given, without question, why would you do that? I prefer to self educate and then make my own informed choices, not just accept what I'm told by my doctor, as doctors are very frequently wrong, and at best are general practitioners ie a jack of all trades, master of none. Would you trust a plumber to rewire your house!
Indeed. If my cardiologist is not pushing for statins I feel comfortable in my decision not to take them.
Point taken.
What is your view on cholesterol?
Again what is your view on cholesterol medication?
Hi Sandy. Cholesterol is needed by the body, and is created naturally by it. The NHS in the UK recommends a normal total score of 5 or less. Studies have shown across the world that this level or a low cholesterol level actually increases your chances of getting cancer. Furthermore, and significant in discussing LDL and low fat diets to achieve a lower total score, is a 4 year study in the US that has shown that following a low fat diet involving approximately 10 thousand subjects, actually showed an increase in mortality rates and cardiovascular events, despite a low fat diet seeing a 13 percent reduction in total cholesterol. Considering statins are used to lower your cholesterol score, specifically LDL, this study suggests there is no point, but this study has been dismissed by the medical establishment as it doesnt fit their narrative of the total promotion of statins. There is so much science based research and evidence to suggest that lowering your total cholesterol score is detrimental to overall health.
I read the books, 'The great Cholesterol Con', 'Statin Nation' by Dr Malcolm Kendrick, How to Live Longer by Dr Vernon Coleman, and ' Fat and Cholesterol Dont Cause Heart Attacks, And Statins Are Not The Solution' by Paul J. Rosch MD to start my self education on this subject. I got my cholesterol down from 7.4 to 6.5 and my dr wanted to put me on statins, but having heard some horror stories about statins I decided to self educate. The above books quote many many worldwide studies about why we dont need to worry about our cholesterol levels, and out of all this research I found that Dr's get a financial incentive to prescribe statins, from the controlling pharmaceutical companies, who have made billions out of their most profitable drug ie statins, a major conflict of interest. I even asked my doctor about this financial interest and he refused to answer saying it was confidential.
In brief my view on statins is they are dangerous in that they are designed to lower your cholesterol, which isn't the answer and is actually detrimental to overall health, not to mention the side effects. Statins are pushed very hard by the pharmaceutical industry an industry, who I have found out have zero interest in a healthy population as that makes them no profits
Another finding I have made in thoroughly researching this is to make the change to a high fat low carb diet, which goes against most medical advice. Briefly carbs are loaded with sugar that actually contribute to increased triglycerides, and weight gain. Studies have shown that people who change to high fat low carbs actually lose weight where nothing else worked for them in trying to losing weight.
Hope all this is useful for you, I could go on for ages as the subject is huge, but I no longer worry about my cholesterol score, I do a lot of exercise, I try and follow, not by any means, strictly, though, a high fat low carb diet. I am 23 on the BMI, never smoked, drink occasionally, aged 54. I've got wrist ache now so must close but feel free to read any of the above books and I guarantee it will lead you on a journey, and it will open your eyes.
Hope any of this helps...
I’d strongly advise you to listen to your health professional. Don’t go down the rabbit hole of Googling everything - it just makes you worry.
I’ve been on 80mg of atarvostatin since February with absolutely no side effects. My total cholesterol has dropped from 6.9 to 2.35. Quite a drop.
I’m eating better and not drinking (like we can anyway with this lockdown) and I feel much better within myself.
Whatever you decide - good luck.
indicated i will/may need to start statins and after reading about them i really don't want to, i...
taking atorvastatin about 5 weeks ago. I've just received my blood test results
Total cholesterol...
they posted me, I parked about as far away as you can get and so my blood pressure was up again...
smoker non alcohol drinker female with cholesterol 6.7 and LDL 4.9 I'm overweight I weigh 94 kilos...
My cholesterol level is 6 with
Triglycerides at 1.96
HDL at 1.27
LDL at 3.8
Serum cholesterol/HDL...
Hi,
Please ask your doctor for a risk analysis and for full explanation and the reason for medication.
Watch your hidden and free sugar in food and drinks.
Take care.
He said my risk was 19 %. I’ve been onto nhs website and it says I’m 13% at risk. Xxx
Thank you.
Please look at life style change, this is what I did 8 years ago as I did not want any medication for high cholesterol and blood glucose. There are many medical people in my family and I went against all the advice given. I am enjoying life, waiting for my second vaccine.
Cholesterol calculations are man made. I did some work with a GP to Internet testing for JBS 2 and now it is JBS3. QRISK is there was well for rick calculation. Eight years ago my reading were so bad the calculator did not give any numbers.
In your case 19 people or 13 people in 100 is not bad.
Human body produces 80% of cholesterol on demand for body to function. the other 20% is from food and drinks intake. Watching out for hidden and free sugar in food and drinks and regular exercise can help towards a healthy life. My wife is now 70 has Blood pressure, blood glucose and high cholesterol. Trying to manage all the three with life style change.
Please relax and enjoy one life.
Take care.
Thank you. What is JBS? And QRISK? Xxx
"Joint British Societies' consensus recommendations for the prevention of cardiovascular disease (JBS3)."
"QRISK3 (the most recent version of QRISK) is a prediction algorithm for cardiovascular disease (CVD) that uses traditional risk factors (age, systolic blood pressure, smoking status and ratio of total serum cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) together with body mass index, ethnicity, measures of deprivation, family history, chronic kidney disease, rheumatoid arthritis, atrial fibrillation, diabetes mellitus, and antihypertensive treatment.[1]"
"A QRISK over 10 (10% risk of CVD event over the next ten years) indicates that primary prevention with lipid lowering therapy (such as statins) should be considered.[2] In the UK, current National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines recommend using QRISK (as opposed to the Framingham Risk Score).[2]"
I’ve just been to QRISK calculation and it came up with 10% risk of CVD in next 20 years. ???? Xxx