Hope you enjoyed your rest day yesterday
So hot here, did a bit of weeding & sunbathing then had to go in as too hot
Had a letter from consultant yesterday recommending statins & a low lipid diet, trigs 1.1 & ratio 2.5, already has discussion with nurse who said she didn’t think I needed them but could have them if I wanted, I don’t
Raining here & forecast for all day, think it’ll be the treadmill later
Enjoy your weekend
Hey there, those figures don't sound too bad.
Did he take those bloods while you were in a fasted state?
Ask for your full results .
They say that Triglyceride/HDL ratio is perhaps the best indicator of CV risk .
A ratio of under 2 is ideal, over 4 is of concern. This is using the USA units that measure in mg/dL.
to convert from mmol/L use this claulator:
https://www.omnicalculator.com/health/cholesterol-ratio
Though some think a ratio of around 1 is perhaps better.
If just your LDL level is very high then that is also good indicator of CV risk too even if the Total Cholesterol/HDL ratio is good and the Triglyceride/HDL ratio is good.
Same if your Total Cholesterol is very high, then good ratios don't mean you risk is low
Same if your Triglycerides level is very high, then good ratios don't mean your risk is low
Ask for your full test results if you don't have them, so that you can see all the figures and calculate the various ratios and make a more nuanced choice.
Sadly we don't get tests that show us if we already have arterial plaques or the state of it so we have to make guesses.
Statins aren't fun if you are in the 10% that get bad side effects, especially for people like you and me who like to get lots of exercise.
Take a look at the calculator and workout your levels and ratios.
Ted Naiman summarises triglycerides and cholesterol nicely here:
Also check out this guys channel for info on statins.
https://www.youtube.com/c/FordBrewerMDMPH/videos
He prescribes statins but also stresses the importance of avoiding them unless really necessary based on certain markers and symptoms. It is a nuanced subject. I am loathe to take them due to side effects, but I do not think everyone who is offered them should say no to them either.
If you like me you have familial hypercholesterolaemia or familial hyperlipidaemia like I do and have probably had insulin resistance for a protracted period, and therefore probably have arterial plaque - take them to stabilise the plaque and reduce inflammation. Sadly too expensive to routinely test for arterial plaque until symptoms or events show you have a problem LOL. but some things give you a big indicator that your risks are high.
He also has some info on diet which is well researched regarding raising HDL and lowering Trigs. Lowering your fat intake might be fine, but not if you have to increase the carbs to compensate as this actually tends to cause triglycerides to go up in people with insulin resistance or who don't produce enough insulin. You can go higher protein and lower energy ( i.e. lowering both fats and carbs) up to a point but eventually you'll hit a spot where you're just tired all the time and feeling lousy and unable to train and enjoy life.
You could try increasing you HDL with diet/supplements, and you already exercise plenty which is the other way to increase HDL.
Your Trigs aren't high at all though so I wouldn't stress about it. In your place I'd probably not take the statins, but have a look at all the info and science and see what you think mate. I think your consultant is perhaps looking at limiting risk given that he might not have a long history of A1C and Blood Lipid test results to look at. But given that your diet and exercise has been constantly good, I cannot imagine your Trigs will have been significantly higher for any protracted period of time. You can discuss it with him/her.
Sorry if that was a bit too much of an info dump there LOL!
Also good on lipids and cholesterol: