prescribed statins for high cholesterol Posted: 02-16-08 20:49pm
My high cholesterol is genetic.
I have been prescribed statins for years
and not taken them because I was abusing
alcohol.
I was worried about damage to my kidneys
and liver...
Now I have quit drinking for 1 year, and
it's not a problem.
My last cholesterol test says:
Lipid panel triglycerides 106
Cholesterol total 196
HDL = 36 L
LDL = 139 H
My doctor acted as though these results
were terrible. He says my kidneys and
liver are fine, but I'm worried about
taking medicines that carry such side
effects.
Other than my past drinking problem (1
liter a day for 5 years) I am a healthy
person. I don't eat red meats and I eat
healthy, I take long walks 3 times a week.
I have normal blood pressure, and I have
never been overweight. Most people are not
as healthy as I am. And I don't smoke.
Should I take Statins?
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MandMs
Extremely EHEALTHy
Joined: 26 Jan 2007 Posts: 2016 Location: Strumica, Macedonia
Thanks: 32
Thanked:10
Posted: 02-19-08 06:24am
Having total cholesterol less than 200
mg/dl is desirable and puts you at
relatively low risk of coronary heart
disease if LDL, HDL and triglyceride
levels are also at desirable levels and
you have no other risk factors for heart
disease.
Triglycerides less than 150 mg/dL are
considered normal.
In the average man, HDL cholesterol levels
range from 40 to 50 mg/dL and levels less
than 40 mg/dl are low and puts you at
higher risk for heart disease.
LDL (Bad) Cholesterol Level is better
gauge of risk than total blood cholesterol
and in your case the numbers show that you
are in Borderline High category for LDL.
Don't take statins. There are some foods
that can be as effective as statins.
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bplotter
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 06 May 2008 Posts: 9
Thanks: 1
Thanked:0
Total cholesterol levels mean little Posted: 05-06-08 17:29pm
The model that "high cholesterol lead to
high risk of heart disease" is flawed. It
doesn't explain the fact that people with
high, low, and everything in-between
cholesterol levels die of heart disease.
A better model seems to be measuring the
size of the LDL/HDL. People with large LDL
seem to have lower risk of heart disease.
People with small LDL have higher risk of
heart disease. This model explains how
people with high cholesterol can end up
having low risk of heart disease, and vice
versa.
Further, it appears that high carb diet
leads to small LDL. Low carb diet to large
LDL. That suggests that a low carb diet is
heart healthy, though we just don't have
any long-term studies that have examined
that question.
