6 Months Low carb and cholesterol has shot up.

jopar said:

But with LDL's dismissing them as completely harmless, on the pretext that it's not the number of them, it's there physical size is a dangerous thing, when you don't know what physical size they are only a number, and it needs to be remembered that there's going to be a point it doesn't matter if the blighter's are small or not, there will be enough to block an artery or two!

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That's an excellent point Jo. The problem being that the NHS won't fund the type of tests that tell you about the size and quality of lipo-protein particles.

Judging the amount of lipids in your blood using the LDL-C (and HDL-C) tests we get access to through the NHS, is a bit like trying to determine the number of people transported along a certain amount of motorway by only knowing the average number of passengers per car. To do it properly, you need to know the number of cars too, and LDL-C and HDL-C don't give you that.

Ask your Doc about an LDL-P test, and watch the blank expression on his or her face.

As often happens on forums where opposing views are discussed, people are getting a bit too hung up on the qualifications of the proponents of those views.

When meta-analyses are published in scientific journals the qualifications of the original study authors are never used to support a or refute a view point. What you actually need is high quality scientific data.

Giverny said:

I'd just like to point out that you should always, always, always consult your GP or diabetes nurse regarding these kinds of things. You probably don't need me to tell you that, but it's just a friendly reminder :thumbup:

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And if you happen to live in Macclesfield, you may have this chap as your G.P. I hear he has a special interest in cardiology.

http://drmalcolmkendrick.org/about/ :wink:

Seriously though, you have to accept that whilst forum members have differing views on cholesterol and statins, you have to make an informed choice. Not all G.P.'s will insist that statins are the way forward for everyone. Quality of life has to be a deciding factor for people who suffer side effects.

I had a heart attack in 2003, tried various statins and fibrates but all to no avail, the side effects crippled me.

My cholesterol levels are now 5.8 with the right ratios of LDL, HDL and triglycerides. My G.P., who I saw with the results of my blood tests yesterday, is quite happy with these results and accepts that post menopausal woman have higher HDL bringing the total cholesterol higher than some HCP's find acceptable. He is more worried about me not taking NSAIDs for pain relief and has been since I recovered from the heart attack. He feels these supposedly innocent pain killers should be avoided if you have/have had heart problems. He does not think people with high blood pressure should take them either and must have done quite a bit of research on the subject.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/250126.php

I am sure if I could have tolerated statins in the first place that I would have taken them but it was not to be. I have relied on cholesterol lowering foods, plenty of vegetables and some fruits and walking, housework, gardening and cycling as exercise. Looking after my toddler grandson 3 days a week is also a form of exercise. :thumbup: He will be 2 in November and keeps me very active.

I would not like to tell anyone what they should or should not be doing and none of us are an authoritative voice on the subject. Even the professionals cannot agree and for everyone who has a definite view, for or against statins, there are plenty more who are undecided.

He is more worried about me not taking NSAIDs for pain relief and has been since I recovered from the heart attack. He feels these supposedly innocent pain killers should be avoided if you have/have had heart problems. He does not think people with high blood pressure should take them either and must have done quite a bit of research on the subject.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/250126.php

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my GP warned me off Ibuprofen as well as I suffer from high BP (I used to chomp down on them like sweeties sometimes for my headaches as I was terrified of paracetamol poisoning)... The NHS dental surgeons who performed my extraction the other week though actually prescribed them for me along with paracetamol for post extraction pain relief as they understood the risks and also knew that my BP was better under control, but I was told to stop taking them as soon as the pain was under control with just paracetamol.

jopoar wrote
But with LDL's dismissing them as completely harmless ... is a dangerous thing

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Must have missed that post.
Can you tell me who said that ?

Geoff