Statins?

[Sobeit]

Oh dear

 

[Bluetit1802]

Clearly the decision on statins is up to you, but with your levels, if it were me, I would take them for the time being. You could then always come off them at your next test. Sometimes levels will improve if you seriously reduce the carbs. (Mine did, although mine were never as high as yours)

 

[Sobeit]

Thanks guys and yes Bluetit its unfortunately correct ..Im in Ireland Im assuming the readings would be the same? Im going to diabetic clinic in the morning so hopfully I`ll get some help and answers .Cant believe it .Pain in d butt !!!

 

[DeejayR]

Neil Desperandum. Good bloke in a crisis
Needn't stop you getting to grips with your BS levels with a change in diet, though.

 

[AndBreathe]

Here goes:
Cholesterol total 7.9
Triglycerides 4.22
LDL cholesterol 4.63
CHOL/HDL 17.1
T.chol/HDL Ratio 5.85
C reactive protein 6

Is the 17.1 correct or a typo?

Unfortunately, the make up of your big number is far from ideal. If you can get your diet and maybe moving around a bit more sorted, you could make a difference to those. My GP at diagnosis pooh-hoo'd the potential for that, but unfortunately he has now retired, or he'd be eating his words, but it can be done.

If you can concentrate on getting your blood sugars reined in, that should impact the cholesterol breakdown.

Bottom line is you have a very steep learning curve ahead of you. I would usually urge you to do lots of reading on this, but to be honest your first priority has to be getting your sugars into line. If you have any weight you could drop that would also be a great step forward.

Good luck with it all.

 

[Sobeit]

OK those do look high to me. These are the recommended levels:

Total 3 to 5 (under 4 for diabetics)
Trigs 0 to 1.7
HDL 1.2 to 3.5
LDL 0 to 3
TC/HDL ratio under 4
Non HDL under 3.4 (Total minus HDL)
Trig/HDL ratio under 1.3

 

[noblehead]

Hi @Sobeit,

If you type 'Statins' into the Search Facility you'll find dozens of threads discussing statins and the feedback from members who have taken them, but like all drugs some people do suffer side-effects as where others don't so I think your wise to discuss your options tomorrow with your diabetes team.

However these are the target cholesterol levels that they want people with diabetes to be aiming for:

Blood fats (lipids)
Lipids are the cholesterol and triglycerides in your blood. Cholesterol is a type of fat found in all of us. You may be familiar with the term blood cholesterol, but what you may not know is that not all cholesterol is bad. Some of it, HDL (high density lipoprotein), can actually protect against heart disease. Low levels of this protective HDL cholesterol increase your risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, LDL (low density lipoprotein) cholesterol is the bad form of cholesterol in the blood. It is high levels of this type that are linked with an increased risk of heart disease. Triglycerides are another type of fat in the blood. If you have raised cholesterol and raised triglycerides you have an increased risk of CVD.

• Your total cholesterol level should be below 4.0mmol/l.
• LDL levels should be less than 2.0mmol/l.
• HDL levels should be 1.0mmol/l or above in men and 1.2mmol/l or above in women.
• Triglyceride levels should be 1.7mmol/l or less.

If you do not know your lipid levels, ask your healthcare team to arrange a simple blood test for you.

https://www.diabetes.org.uk/Guide-to-diabetes/Monitoring/Testing/

 

[novorapidboi26]

can you think of a reason why its got that high?

definitely change some things in the diet maybe.....

in the spirit of sharing, heres my last test result in April of this year:

Total: 4.5
Trigs: 2.0 - overweight.....
HDL: 1.46
LDL: 2.1

so a little more of the bad stuff than I would like....

 

[Avocado Sevenfold]

Thanku Enclave and Azure .Im not sure what a Lchf diet is ? Is it low carb high fibre?Yes I am if thats what it stands for..Trying my best at least to keep carbs down.I have been a vegetarian since I was 6! I think its a bit more difficult when meat,fish eggs are a no go. Getting this diagnosis has been such a shock ..I have been very tearful and down but am trying to be positive now and think im getting a handle on the diet..I do ha= a breakdown of the blood results but hav no idea what they mean ...Im glad to be on here. Lots of helpful reading !!

I can't comment on the statins, but just saying hello. There are a few low carb vegetarians on the forum with good control so shout if you need anything

 

[Sobeit]

I hope it is a typo .That was from the bloods the doc took.They also took bloods at the hosp/clinic so I will see tmrw.Im the youngest of 10 and although they all very healthy and good eaters,no real weight issues etc there is a common thread of high cholesterol unfortunately

 

[Enclave]

Hi, sorry I have taken a while to get back to you ... I am also vegetarian ..with heart problems .. so can understand your worry about cholesterol .. Your numbers are a little high, so it may be wise to accept the statin in the short term ..

LCHF = low carb high fat .. now it sounds scary the high fat part but I just throw out all the low fat foods (they are full of sugar to make them palatable) and changed to full fat products .. it works .. my cholesterol had reduced so far I no longer take statins .. my blood sugars are so far in the normal range (so no meds) I am in remission from my diabetes .. eating more fats in my diet I lost 5st in 18 months.

The gov guide lines for healthy eating are not healthy .. I was a vegetarian healthy eater .. but my weight increased and my health declined every time I followed my Drs advice on eating more carbs and fruit ..

I think that the LCHF way of eating is easer for vegetarians as we don't go overboard on protein, like most meat eaters can do.
Carbs turn to sugars when they are eaten .. so reduce the carbs to about 30g a day and you need to get your energy foods from somewhere .. this is where the full fat comes in .. so full cream, cheese, olive oil & coconut oil are easy ways to fill up on the fat side of things. If you get the balance right you will feel better and stronger than you do from getting energy from carbs. I do have pet hens so eat eggs .. do you eat eggs ?

 

[ButtterflyLady]

I should add I don't know what the levels for C reactive protein should be as I've never had that.
Have you got the right figure for CHOL/HDL?

https://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/crp/tab/test/

A CRP of 6 is usually considered fine as it's only very slightly above normal. It's a test that is often done along with the usual complete blood count etc. With an acute infection it can go up to the hundreds.

 

[Sally66]

I have also been diagnosed with high cholesterol (8.1) at the time my prediabetes was diagnosed. I was reluctant to take statins due to the fact that they increase your risk of diabetes. I could not see the point of taking something that was going to make me T2 not help prevent it and yet the first Dr I saw immediately wrote out a prescription. When I finally saw my usual GP she openly disagreed with her colleague saying I should take at least 6 months of diet and exercise to bring it all under control and if and only if my cholesterol had not reduced to start on statins but at half the dose previously prescribed and on alternate days!!

It just doesn't help to get so much conflicting advice does it? From what I have read and what a previous post said - there is very little scientific evidence ( for women especially) that statins reduce your risk of CVD. So why take them if the side effects are crippling? There is also increasing evidence that statins may contribute to your risk of dementia.

It is a personal choice in the end. But if you are newly diagnosed see what you can do with diet and exercise. Review your situation in a few months time. Best of luck.

 

[Viv0147]

After being on statins the pain in my legs became unbearable I could hardly walk after I did some research I could see there were loads of people suffering because of the statins. I told my Doctor and he was aware some people had problems so he took me off them and I was given alternative medication I will never take statins again

 

[hels]

I'm awaiting the results of my latest blood test. I am very much hoping that my cholesterol levels have improved so I don't get hassled by my GP about taking statins.

There are a number of factors that I reckon could significantly affect my cholesterol levels then and still now. My last test was taken about 7/8 weeks after I'd given birth. Even though I hadn't put much weight in in pregnancy (I could still wear low slung size 8 jeans to the end) i had probably lost quite a lot that week as my OH had just gone away and my toddler ended up in hospital with gastroenteritis so was quite a stressful week!

I asked the doc how breastfeeding affects the levels since breastmilk has high cholesterol - is that manufactured in the liver then transported in the blood? I am still breastfeeding him at 5 months and intend to do so until at least a year (which means I can't take statins during that time anyway).

Usually I am fit and active, going to the gym / swimming several times a week. I kept it up throughout pregnancy but have not since the birth - although I have just signed up and raring to go again!

I'll keep you posted with my imminent results and what the docs have to say!

 

[Sobeit]

I was actually asked if I would like to go on them at my last appointment last week, which I suppose was nice of my consultant to do..............


as well as reducing cholesterol he said it does have a micro vascular complication reducing effects, so the eyes and kidneys........

i have some minor issues with my eyes, so I suppose it might be wise a few years from now..........

my cholesterol is 4.7, so no concern yet............I think a 7.9 is still high enough though, regardless of the HDL/LDL ratio......

I would consider is maybe, if it does cause bad pain then you can come off........

Thankyou Nov9 for your input !

 

[Sobeit]

After being on statins the pain in my legs became unbearable I could hardly walk after I did some research I could see there were loads of people suffering because of the statins. I told my Doctor and he was aware some people had problems so he took me off them and I was given alternative medication I will never take statins again

Thanks Viv .What is the name of the alternative treatment u were put on? I didnt know there was one...

 

[Sobeit]

I should add I don't know what the levels for C reactive protein should be as I've never had that.
Have you got the right figure for CHOL/HDL?

Was told at clinic it must be 1.7 ..They forgot the decimal it seems

 

[Sobeit]

OK those do look high to me. These are the recommended levels:

Total 3 to 5 (under 4 for diabetics)
Trigs 0 to 1.7
HDL 1.2 to 3.5
LDL 0 to 3
TC/HDL ratio under 4
Non HDL under 3.4 (Total minus HDL)
Trig/HDL ratio under 1.3

Thanks Bluetit !

 

[Sobeit]

I can't comment on the statins, but just saying hello. There are a few low carb vegetarians on the forum with good control so shout if you need anything

Many thanks an a big hello !