A Woman with High Cholesterol

[Aliwally]

I have just come across this blog

docsopinion.com/2012/07/13/...

It's rather long, but just about sums everything up. The woman could be me, apart from the fact that my brother hasn't had a heart attack . However, he is on statins for his high cholesterol.

There is no right or wrong answer to this.

[DakCB-UK]

"According to currently used algorithms your risk of having a heart attack in the next ten years is less than five percent." - Don't those algorithms produce misleading results if the patient has Familial Hypercholesterolaemia, because some of the underlying assumptions don't hold? So genetic testing should be the next step, in the hope that it might show one of the known genetic causes of FH. (I tried to leave this comment on that site and it did not appear...)

[DakCB-UK in reply to DakCB-UK]

Oh and I think I remember that Aliwally has had such testing... her doctors are clueful in that regard

[Aliwally]

Hi Dak,

Yes I did but....!

Without boring fellow bloggers, my first lipid clinic told me they had run out of money for genetic testing after giving me a (wrong) diagnosis of "possible FH".

After a year of anxiety I "found" three compassionate doctors on the internet (not something I usually do!) which led me to a second lipid clinic who carried out the genetic testing .

I would love to name them all but I won't.

This is why accurate diagnosis of FH is just so vital.

Over to you......!

[Aliwally]

Actually, yes they could have added another option. I am going to refer you to a lipid clinic for an accurate diagnosis of FH ( good luck to her, if she lives in England!)

[Aliwally]

Well done Dak. Your comment has made it to " Doc's opinion" and doc himself has replied. We may not always agree, but sharing information is so important.

I am going on holiday for two weeks now, so will miss you all.

[2squirrels]

I have serious illnesses all my life and some dreadful experiences caused my mistakes by 2 surgeons but until I was 60 I was size 8/12 but in the last five years I have lost over inches in height but doubled in weight and of course size. I was put on statins about 7 years again but my cholestrol count was never very high. I saw a different Doctor today as I have had a persistent cough for over 6 months and have regular nose bleeds, he started to talk about some other tablets but I asked him if once on statins you had to stay on them and he said not if you are asking my advice. He said he is loathe to start people on statins unless their cholestrol is dangerously high he pefers to try diet first and then if possible to try coming off them. I have to stop taking them for a week to see if it stops my cough and he is ringing me next Friday and if not he will make me an appointment for an ent specialist. I shall let you all know what happen as this to me this is a new approach.

[MumwithFH]

A great article - thank you for posting

[maggiemoo]

Hi I'm Maggie and 44 years young, I have 8.6 cholesterol it was 8.2 two years ago, apparently!! unknowns to me, so ive been put on Simvastatin 20mg I'm fairly active as I walk dogs, but there is a history of heart attacks in my family, Do I start biting my nails now?