A cholesterol question

Excellent post from Bracwol.
Statins appear to be almost beyond criticism in many quarters but in my view the evidence of benefit, particularly in death rates from all causes, is very slim indeed.
Katie, your 6.8 isn't very meaningful without a breakdown into LDL, HDL, triglycerides etc. It could be poor, average, or even rather good depending on those numbers.
What I would say though is that 3.7 is probably a bit too low and if the statins have got you there then it might be worth some serious thought.

All the best,

fergus

When thinking about whether you should take statins for high cholesterol, ask yourself these questions:

1. Do I have other risk factors for cardiovascular disease ?

2. Am I willing and able to make lifestyle changes to improve my health ?

3. Am I concerned about taking a pill everyday, perhaps for the rest of my life ?

4. Am I concerned about statins' side effects or interactions with other drugs ?

It's important to take into account not only your medical reasons for a decision, but also your personal values and concerns. Talk to your doctor about your total risk of cardiovascular disease and discuss how your lifestyle and preferences play a role in your decision about taking medication for high cholesterol.

There is a strong campaign going that Statins are bad for you per se, there is also the opposite view that they are and can be beneficial, many of us take Statin's sometimes through choice, sometimes because we have to.

So it is best you look at both sides of the argument before making an informed decision rather than just listening to the vociferous anti Statin campaigners. Many people have no problems at all with many of the Statins available, but some do have side effects, as with any drug it is more down to the individual rather than EVERYBODY is going to feel bad on them. We are all different in how we process and react to different medications.

If you hadn't already guessed, I am in favour of Statins for some people, not however having them dished out like 'Smarties !'

I have to take Atorvastatin 40mg to keep my cholesterol under control due to my heart disease.

I was put on Simvastatin and eventually started getting lots of aches and pains I never had before taking it,I go so bad that I could hardly walk and had terrible back ache as well plus cramps in bed at night. I looked up the side effects and was shocked how many were saying the same things! I went back to the doctor and told him I had stopped taking them,I started to improve in my walking and then the cramps and back ache just vanished,the doctor said I was possibly allergic to them and said to leave them alone for 6 months. Later on they put me on another statin which I only took for a week I felt the same things happening again so I stopped taking them Then I went on to low carbing,just cutting out bread and flour based items,I lost some weight and my blood sugars dropped. My diabetes nurse did a blood test on me last week,my BS has dropped from 8.6 to 7.2 since November and my cholesterol has dropped from 6.4 to 5.5,she insists this is entirely due to me taking the new statin even though I only took it for a week in November ! My blood pressure has also come down as well so as far as I am concerned it is my low carbing that has achieved all this,I wont be taking any more statins ever !

On diagnosis my GP prescribed me statins which i declined - my total trigycerides were 6.6 after 6 weeks on a low fat diet the figure dropped to 6.3 - I have given myself until Easter to see how diet, exercise and my body "working better" effect the levels - I will then consider the statin question again ....Is it possible to reduce the levels by this process?

Hi Beeorchid,
My personal experience of reducing triglycerides was to refuse statins on the grounds that I have neuropathy and did not want to risk making it worse. My intensive reading as a highly motivated diabetic, indicated that for a woman, with no heart disease and BGs well controlled with diet, statins could not promise me anything useful.
I ended three decades of low fat living and embarked on a low carb/ increased fat diet, my tris keep getting lower, my HDLs increased and my LDLs have fallen. I pay particular attention to including Omega 3s to assist achieving a healthy balance and at the last consult in early January 2010 was told I did not need the statins I had refused.
It is my belief that it is the carbs that ruin my cholesterol not the fats I eat.

Folks,
my Trigs on diagnosis were 7.7!!
Once I changed to a lo-carb diet they began to plummet, last reading was 0.9!!....
No statins and now no Metformin - just diet and exercise.

Steve.

Wow, that’s impressive Steve, well done.

I was prescribed statins but couldn’t handle them because of the leg pains.

My husband has been taking them for over 20 years and needs them to keep his cholesterol down. He came off them under medical supervision and tried diet only but had to go back on them and he is quite happy with that.

Given the number of women I know who have had problems on statins I think that they may be more suitable for men than women.