Just for some context:
Last March, "Serum LDL cholesterol level 5.51 mmol/L - Serum LDL cholesterol level, (AMS327) - pn Dr CS, Consider the possibility of FH (familial, hypercholesterolaemia), especially if there is, personal/family history of premature CHD (MI <60 in, first degree relative or <50 in second-degree, relative). All with FH should be offered a referral to, the Lipid Clinic for confirmation of diagnosis and, initiation of cascade testing. NICE guideline 71."
Followed by a strong recommendation to go on statins. With an awareness that I had already been on different statins twice and stopped both because of adverse side effects.
Last two lipid profiles:
Type......................................Oct 2017.......................................March 2017
Total Cholesterol..................6.62................................................7.95
LDL.........................................4.1..................................................5.51
Cholesterol/HDL...................3.62...............................................4.47
HDL........................................1.83................................................1.78
Triglycerides..........................1.51................................................1.44
As you can see, there is not a massive difference but my latest results were met with smiles and congratulations. The only warning note on the test results was that the total cholesterol was high, but all the individual results were Good or Satisfactory. Noting that there doesn't seem to be an upper limit for LDL on the surgery computer system, and my HDL is above normal range. Triglycerides are well within normal range.
Looking at the list, I had reduced my LDL a bit, increased my HDL a little bit. The drop in LDL made a big difference to the Total Cholesterol/HDL ratio.
As far as I am aware I made no major changes to my diet between the two tests, although I have been much stricter over LCHF since January 2017.
I know that many people say that LCHF brings cholesterol right down. I think the operative word here is "sometimes".
So in my very personal case I seem to be managing O.K. although my total cholesterol is way above the 4 which is supposed to be a target for T2s over 40 (I am both, by the way).
There is less and less convincing evidence that a high level of cholesterol in the blood is bad for you, and more and more evidence that in many cases it may in fact be good for you, especially in older women.
One "truism" is that if you take statins you will probably die around the same time as you would if you didn't. The only difference is likely to be what is on your death certificate.
My view on side effects is that I suspect that they are much higher than reported (one example further up thread) but that people accept things such as muscle pain and poor memory as a consequence of getting older and having diabetes, not realising that they are down to the medication. My side effects were extreme tiredness (Simvastatin) and extreme grumpiness (Pravastatin) both of which went away (more or less he said a bit grumpily) when I stopped the medication.
Pro tip: it does no harm in the long run for the average statin user (not including those with severe CVD) to take a holiday from the pills now and then just in case there is a sudden lack of symptoms you didn't realise that you had. In the case of Pravastatin I went pill free for 6 months (including Metformin) just to try and separate out the effects of the pills from the effects of diet and exercise and was gently informed that my mood had improved enormously.
Edit: as a footnote, and as nobody has mentioned it yet in this thread, isn't it interesting that one of the possible side effects of statins is the increased risk of developing diabetes. So once you have diabetes they give you statins. Go figure.