Given we hear lots of discussion on this forum regarding the multiple benefits of a low carb diet for people taking Pred - many may find this Lancet journal article (from the HU 'Healthy Eating' forum) of interest:
thelancet.com/journals/lanc...
Best wishes to all
Rimmy
Thank you! I'd heard of the study and its conclusions but hadn't seen the original stuff yet - which I find is always a good idea as the media have about as much idea of how to read conclusions as the neighbour's cat...
Now you're being unkind to cats.........
Sorry 
One of mine cannot read but is a better communicator than many people I know
I DID say my neighbour's cat! Not cat's in general...
~Lovely pic of you Dorset Lady~
Thank you for the link Rimmy. Very interesting, agree with PMRpro re the media enough to make the cat laugh. 😹
I noticed in the papers today they are saying cheeses, cream, butter .... is fine. Don't things change? It is eggs all over again. Having become a nutrition nerd it does seem that carbs are not so good while saturated fats are fine and are actually better than polyunsaturated fats.
Rheumy took me off statins when with PMR diagnosis. She said low fat, low carb diet. I was doing that but changed to more full fat. Haven't had cholesterol tested for 6 weeks. Am I hurting myself?
Your thoughts please.
I am no dietary expert but I have pretty generally stuck to a low carb diet since my diagnosis - especially as had to take high steroid doses and wanted to avoid weight gain. Lost 12kg in 6 months and stable - and have eaten full fat simultaneously - but not in HUGE quantities. I have always had slightly elevated cholesterol - but as has been discussed on this forum taking statins may not be a great idea anyway (PMR is cited as a possible 'side effect') and I have decided not to do that as there is also quite a lot of evidence to suggest diet does not actually impact cholesterol levels in the major way we have been led to believe. But I am no guru in this area so others may have more useful and in-depth info for you.
Best wishes
Hi Sandy, I think we will see changes in attitude to low fat in the future. Apparently polyunsaturates are a no no, although monounsaturates are OK along with saturated fats. I am reading a fascinating book at the moment with lots of research links which really does seem to say that new research is relooking at reducing cholestoral etc. I think there is a lot of money in medicines and supplements which may skew things.
One of the listed side effects of some statins is developing PMR. A low carb diet is often a good way of reducing cholesterol levels. And your body requires some fat - don't go mad with fat but using proper cheese instead of low fat cheese for example is unlikely to do a lot of harm.
Having cholesterol too low is just risky as too high - and most of the cholesterol in your blood is manufactured by your liver, not obtained from diet.
You say "genetically predisposed to high cholesterol" - how high?
There is a very interesting book on just this subject. 'Trick or Treat. How healthy eating is making you ill' by Barry Groves and someone else. Lots of research papers mentioned, so it's not just anecdotal guff. Says eat meat, fat butter cheese, and very few carbs. Since polyunsaturated fats have become the golden boys heart attacks and stroke incidence has rocketed.
I suppose it depends how you define "healthy eating"
I've lost nearly 2 stones cutting out bread ,biscuits and other nice treats.My GP is now concerned about this but I feel better for losing weight.I'm the 'correct' weight for my height but she's weighing me each time I see her.I'm on 2mg Pred now and she wants me off it.I've always gone by how I feel and have been reducing very slowly.
Symptoms of PMR similar to some with Parkinsons ?
Disease stratification in GCA and PMR: state of the art and future perspectives, published on 12th June 2023 in Nature Reviews, rheumatology
3rd Vaccine BBC 
Results of our GCA and Tocilizumab Survey Published
on holiday and a hard lesson learned with this disease.
