HBA1C & Cholesterol

[DavidSilvaOlè]

I posted about my HBA1C test and results in the last couple of days being 59 in August and now coming back at 46 yesterday.

However, my cholesterol has come back at 5.6 from being 4.4 and the Dr wants to discuss putting me on statins.

I’ve heard there can be some unpleasant side affects with statins.

I’ve been eating LCHF diet since August and have lost 18lb but now only to see my cholesterol shoot up which is really disappointing.

I think that I’m going to cut out all the fats and eggs for the next 3 months and see if it reverses back to 4.4 or thereabouts.

I have to be honest with myself and admit since pre diagnosis and after my diagnosis I’ve have suffered a bit with anxiety over things that would never really have bothered me in the past. In particular relationship anxiety and some of the side affects that come with diabetes. Is this normal ?

I’ve considered taking CBD oil for the anxiety and inconsistent sleep. I would appreciate any advice.

I’m back at the Dr’s tomorrow morning.

Thank you.

 

[ziggy_w]

I posted about my HBA1C test and results in the last couple of days being 59 in August and now coming back at 46 yesterday.

However, my cholesterol has come back at 5.6 from being 4.4 and the Dr wants to discuss putting me on statins.

I’ve heard there can be some unpleasant side affects with statins.

I’ve been eating LCHF diet since August and have lost 18lb but now only to see my cholesterol shoot up which is really disappointing.

I think that I’m going to cut out all the fats and eggs for the next 3 months and see if it reverses back to 4.4 or thereabouts.

I have to be honest with myself and admit since pre diagnosis and after my diagnosis I’ve have suffered a bit with anxiety over things that would never really have bothered me in the past. In particular relationship anxiety and some of the side affects that come with diabetes. Is this normal ?

I’ve considered taking CBD oil for the anxiety and inconsistent sleep. I would appreciate any advice.

I’m back at the Dr’s tomorrow morning.

Thank you.

Hi @DavidSilvaOlè,

Your increase in cholesterol could have been due to the weight loss. Once your weight stabilizes, it will most likely return to normal. Some people also seem to be able to lower their cholesterol levels by including more plant-based fats (such as olive oil or avocado oil).

This being said, I personally don't worry about a slightly elevated cholesterol levels. My levels always seem to be around 5.5 (and I am probably fortunate that my GP doesn't worry about this either). More important than overall cholesterol is the breakdown. Did you also get results for HDL, LDL and triglycerides?

 

[bulkbiker]

I posted about my HBA1C test and results in the last couple of days being 59 in August and now coming back at 46 yesterday.

However, my cholesterol has come back at 5.6 from being 4.4 and the Dr wants to discuss putting me on statins.

I’ve heard there can be some unpleasant side affects with statins.

I’ve been eating LCHF diet since August and have lost 18lb but now only to see my cholesterol shoot up which is really disappointing.

I think that I’m going to cut out all the fats and eggs for the next 3 months and see if it reverses back to 4.4 or thereabouts.

I have to be honest with myself and admit since pre diagnosis and after my diagnosis I’ve have suffered a bit with anxiety over things that would never really have bothered me in the past. In particular relationship anxiety and some of the side affects that come with diabetes. Is this normal ?

I’ve considered taking CBD oil for the anxiety and inconsistent sleep. I would appreciate any advice.

I’m back at the Dr’s tomorrow morning.

Thank you.

Why are you worried about slightly elevated cholesterol?
Do you have a breakdown of your lipid panel?

Maybe have a read of this thread

https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/cholesterol-and-statins.156985/

 

[JoKalsbeek]

I posted about my HBA1C test and results in the last couple of days being 59 in August and now coming back at 46 yesterday.

However, my cholesterol has come back at 5.6 from being 4.4 and the Dr wants to discuss putting me on statins.

I’ve heard there can be some unpleasant side affects with statins.

I’ve been eating LCHF diet since August and have lost 18lb but now only to see my cholesterol shoot up which is really disappointing.

I think that I’m going to cut out all the fats and eggs for the next 3 months and see if it reverses back to 4.4 or thereabouts.

I have to be honest with myself and admit since pre diagnosis and after my diagnosis I’ve have suffered a bit with anxiety over things that would never really have bothered me in the past. In particular relationship anxiety and some of the side affects that come with diabetes. Is this normal ?

I’ve considered taking CBD oil for the anxiety and inconsistent sleep. I would appreciate any advice.

I’m back at the Dr’s tomorrow morning.

Thank you.

You've only just started LCHF, and as you lose weight, what was previously stored ends up in your bloodstream on the way out. So your cholesterol isn't likely to stay up for long periods of time. (Even then, it's not as bad as previously thought. Recent studies though, so not widely known yet.) When I first started Keto my numbers went up, but they've come back down again once my weight stayed put. With heartdisease running in my family I was quite scared of cholesterol, but my ratio's are excellent and therefor, I'm fine. (You really want the breakdown of your cholesterol, as there's HDL, LDL, etc... You need those individual numbers, as total cholesterol doesn't really mean all that much. It's the ratio's that tell you whether it's all good or no.). Even so... When you know statins can be a cause of T2, and can increase insulin-resistance... Honestly, your numbers so far don't seem much to worry about. I've seen, and had, higher. As for what you eat: 80% of cholesterol is made in the body, by the body, so it doesn't all come from diet. You're fine with the eggs and fats. Of course, I'm not a medical professional, but still... You know, if you're still concerned, milkthistle and garlic tablets could lower cholesterol too, to some extent. And they don't have the not-ideal-for-t2's side-effects statins do. Just a thought. Hope this helps!

 

[DavidSilvaOlè]

You've only just started LCHF, and as you lose weight, what was previously stored ends up in your bloodstream on the way out. So your cholesterol isn't likely to stay up for long periods of time. (Even then, it's not as bad as previously thought. Recent studies though, so not widely known yet.) When I first started Keto my numbers went up, but they've come back down again once my weight stayed put. With heartdisease running in my family I was quite scared of cholesterol, but my ratio's are excellent and therefor, I'm fine. (You really want the breakdown of your cholesterol, as there's HDL, LDL, etc... You need those individual numbers, as total cholesterol doesn't really mean all that much. It's the ratio's that tell you whether it's all good or no.). Even so... When you know statins can be a cause of T2, and can increase insulin-resistance... Honestly, your numbers so far don't seem much to worry about. I've seen, and had, higher. As for what you eat: 80% of cholesterol is made in the body, by the body, so it doesn't all come from diet. You're fine with the eggs and fats. Of course, I'm not a medical professional, but still... You know, if you're still concerned, milkthistle and garlic tablets could lower cholesterol too, to some extent. And they don't have the not-ideal-for-t2's side-effects statins do. Just a thought. Hope this helps!

Thank you for your support and advice. I’ll discuss it with the Dr in the morning especially the breakdown of my cholesterol etc.

 

[bulkbiker]

Thank you for your support and advice. I’ll discuss it with the Dr in the morning especially the breakdown of my cholesterol etc.

Please be aware that if you hadn't fasted for 10-14 hours before the blood draw for the test then even with the breakdown you won't have an accurate picture.

 

[DavidSilvaOlè]

Why are you worried about slightly elevated cholesterol?
Do you have a breakdown of your lipid panel?

Maybe have a read of this thread

https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/cholesterol-and-statins.156985/

Thank you. I will take time to look at the links. I’m sure there is a lot of advice that will be really helpful.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

I posted about my HBA1C test and results in the last couple of days being 59 in August and now coming back at 46 yesterday.

However, my cholesterol has come back at 5.6 from being 4.4 and the Dr wants to discuss putting me on statins.

I’ve heard there can be some unpleasant side affects with statins.

I’ve been eating LCHF diet since August and have lost 18lb but now only to see my cholesterol shoot up which is really disappointing.

I think that I’m going to cut out all the fats and eggs for the next 3 months and see if it reverses back to 4.4 or thereabouts.

I have to be honest with myself and admit since pre diagnosis and after my diagnosis I’ve have suffered a bit with anxiety over things that would never really have bothered me in the past. In particular relationship anxiety and some of the side affects that come with diabetes. Is this normal ?

I’ve considered taking CBD oil for the anxiety and inconsistent sleep. I would appreciate any advice.

I’m back at the Dr’s tomorrow morning.

Thank you.

Oh, I'm sorry, I skipped over the anxiety! Yes, that IS completely normal after diagnosis. Anxiety gets worse when your bloodsugars are high (or fluctuate), add a diagnosis on top of that and you're bound to have some issues. (For me it was magnified anxiety, insomnia and worsened depression: I felt like I had one foot in the grave, and knowing what widowhood is like, I didn't wish it early on my husband. He's my carer already and I didn't want to become a bigger burden than I already am. Motivation to go with LCHF. ). Getting numbers under control really helped, especially since he was with me every step of the way, going with me to all appointments, going over testresults, really being part of this and between the two of us, both of us making an effort to beat this together. Like any other disease, you don't have it alone: family has it right along with you, and having him involved really helped. He knows I've got better numbers than the average non-diabetic, which puts us both at ease, and he knows I know what I'm doing, diet-wise.

Oh, one more thing about the fats: If you cut out carbs *and* fats, all you've got left is protein... You're quite likely to become deficit in vitamins and minerals if you cut fats as well. Might want to reconsider that, anyway.

As for CBD oil... That's what kick-started proper sleep for me. I've been an insomniac for as long as I can remember (Since I still had a bed/cot with little red bars, about 3 or 4 years old), and once I started CBD I could finally sleep the night through. It also helps with anxiety to quite some extent, so I can recommend it. Lowered my bloodsugars a whole mmol/l too.

 

[Daibell]

Hi. Make sure the blood test was a fasting one as any food eaten shortly before the test will make it largely invalid. You need a full cholesterol breakdown so you can look at the various ratios. Do challenge the GP if you don't have the right information or he/she tries to make you take them 'because you have diabetes'

 

[DavidSilvaOlè]

Oh, I'm sorry, I skipped over the anxiety! Yes, that IS completely normal after diagnosis. Anxiety gets worse when your bloodsugars are high (or fluctuate), add a diagnosis on top of that and you're bound to have some issues. (For me it was magnified anxiety, insomnia and worsened depression: I felt like I had one foot in the grave, and knowing what widowhood is like, I didn't wish it early on my husband. He's my carer already and I didn't want to become a bigger burden than I already am. Motivation to go with LCHF. ). Getting numbers under control really helped, especially since he was with me every step of the way, going with me to all appointments, going over testresults, really being part of this and between the two of us, both of us making an effort to beat this together. Like any other disease, you don't have it alone: family has it right along with you, and having him involved really helped. He knows I've got better numbers than the average non-diabetic, which puts us both at ease, and he knows I know what I'm doing, diet-wise.

Oh, one more thing about the fats: If you cut out carbs *and* fats, all you've got left is protein... You're quite likely to become deficit in vitamins and minerals if you cut fats as well. Might want to reconsider that, anyway.

As for CBD oil... That's what kick-started proper sleep for me. I've been an insomniac for as long as I can remember (Since I still had a bed/cot with little red bars, about 3 or 4 years old), and once I started CBD I could finally sleep the night through. It also helps with anxiety to quite some extent, so I can recommend it. Lowered my bloodsugars a whole mmol/l too.

What percentage dose of CBD oil are you taking ? What numbers were you getting on your blood sugar and what was the reduction after you started taking the oil ?

I’m hearing so many good things about it regarding how it helps with anxiety.

Thank you.

 

[Resurgam]

Cholesterol is part of the fat transport system, so when shifting fat, you actually need more cholesterol - plus the Metformin/statin treatment I took for just five weeks was dreadful, and the effects - particularly the memory loss, was frightening.
I have heard of two cases where stopping statins 'reversed' symptoms of dementia.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

What percentage dose of CBD oil are you taking ? What numbers were you getting on your blood sugar and what was the reduction after you started taking the oil ?

I’m hearing so many good things about it regarding how it helps with anxiety.

Thank you.

I started with 2,75%, and went up to 15 drops a day. I tried stronger stuff (amounting to about the same dosage), but CBD paste gave me migraines, so I stuck with the oil. When I began, it dropped my bloodsugar an average of one mmol/l, so if I was 7 normally, I'd drop to 6. On keto I'm relatively low as it is, hovering between 4 and 6, but it doesn't seem to push me lower than I should be, so that's good. No hypo's because of it. I haven't needed it as much as before I started keto, as low bloodsugars help with anxiety/depression too. So I haven't been taking it daily for about half a year anymore, (I did for about 18 months though, it really helped get some equilibrium going) but if I have to face large crowds (panic attack-causes), when I need help sleeping, or my rheumatism flares up, I still take it. I have two huge bottles in the bathroom, and just knowing they're there makes me feel better, haha.

 

[T2#Me]

I started with 2,75%, and went up to 15 drops a day. I tried stronger stuff (amounting to about the same dosage), but CBD paste gave me migraines, so I stuck with the oil. When I began, it dropped my bloodsugar an average of one mmol/l, so if I was 7 normally, I'd drop to 6. On keto I'm relatively low as it is, hovering between 4 and 6, but it doesn't seem to push me lower than I should be, so that's good. No hypo's because of it. I haven't needed it as much as before I started keto, as low bloodsugars help with anxiety/depression too. So I haven't been taking it daily for about half a year anymore, (I did for about 18 months though, it really helped get some equilibrium going) but if I have to face large crowds (panic attack-causes), when I need help sleeping, or my rheumatism flares up, I still take it. I have two huge bottles in the bathroom, and just knowing they're there makes me feel better, haha.

I also recommend CBD oil ... my wife was diagnosed recently with PMR, and was racked with pain and also anxiety about being put on steroids ... she discovered CBD oil and her doctor was happy for her to try it ... she found it immensely helpful and has been able to reduce the steroids dosage, much to her relief ... she uses the medium strength oil with 5 drops 2 or more times a day, this seems to keep things stable (also improves her humour quite a bit ). Great stuff.

 

[torchman2]

I posted about my HBA1C test and results in the last couple of days being 59 in August and now coming back at 46 yesterday.

However, my cholesterol has come back at 5.6 from being 4.4 and the Dr wants to discuss putting me on statins.

Cholesterol breaks down into pregnenoline, DHEA, and progesterone via thyroid hormone. I would suggest looking at thyroid function to the cause of raised cholesterol. You could test your DHEA and pregnenolone blood levels.

Further, you probably want to examine whether reduced cholesterol actually has a benefit, especially if artificially driven through statins use, rather than through good thyroid function leading to cholesterol breaking down into downstream hormones as above:

Lancet. 2001 Aug 4;358(9279):351-5.
Cholesterol and all-cause mortality in elderly people from the Honolulu Heart Program: a cohort study.
Schatz IJ, Masaki K, Yano K, Chen R, Rodriguez BL, Curb JD.
BACKGROUND:
A generally held belief is that cholesterol concentrations should be kept low to lessen the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, studies of the relation between serum cholesterol and all-cause mortality in elderly people have shown contrasting results. To investigate these discrepancies, we did a longitudinal assessment of changes in both lipid and serum cholesterol concentrations over 20 years, and compared them with mortality.
METHODS:
Lipid and serum cholesterol concentrations were measured in 3572 Japanese/American men (aged 71-93 years) as part of the Honolulu Heart Program. We compared changes in these concentrations over 20 years with all-cause mortality using three different Cox proportional hazards models.
FINDINGS:
Mean cholesterol fell significantly with increasing age. Age-adjusted mortality rates were 68.3, 48.9, 41.1, and 43.3 for the first to fourth quartiles of cholesterol concentrations, respectively. Relative risks for mortality were 0.72 (95% CI 0.60-0.87), 0.60 (0.49-0.74), and 0.65 (0.53-0.80), in the second, third, and fourth quartiles, respectively, with quartile 1 as reference. A Cox proportional hazard model assessed changes in cholesterol concentrations between examinations three and four. Only the group with low cholesterol concentration at both examinations had a significant association with mortality (risk ratio 1.64, 95% CI 1.13-2.36).
INTERPRETATION:
We have been unable to explain our results. These data cast doubt on the scientific justification for lowering cholesterol to very low concentrations (<4.65 mmol/L) in elderly people.

BMJ. 1990 Aug 11;301(6747):309-14.
Lowering cholesterol concentrations and mortality: a quantitative review of primary prevention trials.
Muldoon MF, Manuck SB, Matthews KA.
OBJECTIVE:
To determine the effects of lowering cholesterol concentrations on total and cause specific mortality in randomised primary prevention trials.
DESIGN:
Qualitative (meta-analytic) evaluation of total mortality from coronary heart disease, cancer, and causes not related to illness in six primary prevention trials of cholesterol reduction (mean duration of treatment 4.8 years).
PATIENTS:
24,847 Male participants; mean age 47.5 years.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:
Total and cause specific mortalities.
RESULTS:
Follow up periods totalled 119,000 person years, during which 1147 deaths occurred. Mortality from coronary heart disease tended to be lower in men receiving interventions to reduce cholesterol concentrations compared with mortality in control subjects (p = 0.06), although total mortality was not affected by treatment. No consistent relation was found between reduction of cholesterol concentrations and mortality from cancer, but there was a significant increase in deaths not related to illness (deaths from accidents, suicide, or violence) in groups receiving treatment to lower cholesterol concentrations relative to controls (p = 0.004). When drug trials were analysed separately the treatment was found to reduce mortality from coronary heart disease significantly (p = 0.04).
CONCLUSIONS:
The association between reduction of cholesterol concentrations and deaths not related to illness warrants further investigation. Additionally, the failure of cholesterol lowering to affect overall survival justifies a more cautious appraisal of the probable benefits of reducing cholesterol concentrations in the general population.

 

[bulkbiker]

Cholesterol breaks down into pregnenoline, DHEA, and progesterone via thyroid hormone. I would suggest looking at thyroid function to the cause of raised cholesterol. You could test your DHEA and pregnenolone blood levels.

Further, you probably want to examine whether reduced cholesterol actually has a benefit, especially if artificially driven through statins use, rather than through good thyroid function leading to cholesterol breaking down into downstream hormones as above:

Lancet. 2001 Aug 4;358(9279):351-5.
Cholesterol and all-cause mortality in elderly people from the Honolulu Heart Program: a cohort study.
Schatz IJ, Masaki K, Yano K, Chen R, Rodriguez BL, Curb JD.
BACKGROUND:
A generally held belief is that cholesterol concentrations should be kept low to lessen the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, studies of the relation between serum cholesterol and all-cause mortality in elderly people have shown contrasting results. To investigate these discrepancies, we did a longitudinal assessment of changes in both lipid and serum cholesterol concentrations over 20 years, and compared them with mortality.
METHODS:
Lipid and serum cholesterol concentrations were measured in 3572 Japanese/American men (aged 71-93 years) as part of the Honolulu Heart Program. We compared changes in these concentrations over 20 years with all-cause mortality using three different Cox proportional hazards models.
FINDINGS:
Mean cholesterol fell significantly with increasing age. Age-adjusted mortality rates were 68.3, 48.9, 41.1, and 43.3 for the first to fourth quartiles of cholesterol concentrations, respectively. Relative risks for mortality were 0.72 (95% CI 0.60-0.87), 0.60 (0.49-0.74), and 0.65 (0.53-0.80), in the second, third, and fourth quartiles, respectively, with quartile 1 as reference. A Cox proportional hazard model assessed changes in cholesterol concentrations between examinations three and four. Only the group with low cholesterol concentration at both examinations had a significant association with mortality (risk ratio 1.64, 95% CI 1.13-2.36).
INTERPRETATION:
We have been unable to explain our results. These data cast doubt on the scientific justification for lowering cholesterol to very low concentrations (<4.65 mmol/L) in elderly people.

BMJ. 1990 Aug 11;301(6747):309-14.
Lowering cholesterol concentrations and mortality: a quantitative review of primary prevention trials.
Muldoon MF, Manuck SB, Matthews KA.
OBJECTIVE:
To determine the effects of lowering cholesterol concentrations on total and cause specific mortality in randomised primary prevention trials.
DESIGN:
Qualitative (meta-analytic) evaluation of total mortality from coronary heart disease, cancer, and causes not related to illness in six primary prevention trials of cholesterol reduction (mean duration of treatment 4.8 years).
PATIENTS:
24,847 Male participants; mean age 47.5 years.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:
Total and cause specific mortalities.
RESULTS:
Follow up periods totalled 119,000 person years, during which 1147 deaths occurred. Mortality from coronary heart disease tended to be lower in men receiving interventions to reduce cholesterol concentrations compared with mortality in control subjects (p = 0.06), although total mortality was not affected by treatment. No consistent relation was found between reduction of cholesterol concentrations and mortality from cancer, but there was a significant increase in deaths not related to illness (deaths from accidents, suicide, or violence) in groups receiving treatment to lower cholesterol concentrations relative to controls (p = 0.004). When drug trials were analysed separately the treatment was found to reduce mortality from coronary heart disease significantly (p = 0.04).
CONCLUSIONS:
The association between reduction of cholesterol concentrations and deaths not related to illness warrants further investigation. Additionally, the failure of cholesterol lowering to affect overall survival justifies a more cautious appraisal of the probable benefits of reducing cholesterol concentrations in the general population.

Have a read of this slightly more recent collection of thoughts on cholesterol

https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/cholesterol-and-statins.156985/

 

[Koalajane]

I also recommend CBD oil ... my wife was diagnosed recently with PMR, and was racked with pain and also anxiety about being put on steroids ... she discovered CBD oil and her doctor was happy for her to try it ... she found it immensely helpful and has been able to reduce the steroids dosage, much to her relief ... she uses the medium strength oil with 5 drops 2 or more times a day, this seems to keep things stable (also improves her humour quite a bit ). Great stuff.

I have PMR so this interested me. Where do you get the CBD oil from please

 

[Sirmione]

Eggs were mentioned by the OP at the start of the thread as I understand it they contain cholesterol but curent wisdom is don't raise cholesterol in humans.