Anyone been automatically put onto statins after type 1for 50 years?

dancer

Well-Known Member
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1,360
Type of diabetes
Type 1
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Pump
I was put on statins when I was around 40. For years jokes were made about my poor memory, then I read in a magazine that statins may affect the memory. Months later there were a couple of occasions when I forgot important things, so I stopped taking the statins. My cholesterol went up to 5.7, so I stopped eating high fat cheese. My cholesterol then reduced to 4.7 which was acceptable. My memory improved greatly and months later the EU said that memory problems must be added to the list of possible side effects of statins.

In recent years my consultant stopped checking my cholesterol at my annual review. When I asked why, he said studies had shown that the use of statins in Type 1 diabetics made no difference to the incidence of heart problems.
 

JC Durant

Active Member
Messages
25
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Satins have saved my life and luckily I have no side effects at all. My cholesterol fell from 6 to 2 and I feel great. Take em but if you have side effects change them or stop.
 

KK123

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Messages
3,967
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I'm not against statins in certain circumstances, I just don't like this 'take them just because you have diabetes or just in case'. I don't think that it is a question of the lower the better either, in fact the consensus is that too low cholesterol can also be bad for you. For me, it's not a fear of the side effects, (all drugs have them), it's the dislike of being told to take a strong drug whether I need it or not and there is nothing other than diabetes that is 'wrong' with me, I'll rely on my body to do its thing cholesterol wise in the absence of any trauma. My level is around 7, (HDL 2.4, trigs 0.5, LDL around 4. That's good enough for me. @JC Durant, do you know what your ratios are at all?
 

ert

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Messages
2,588
Type of diabetes
Type 1
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Insulin
Dislikes
diabetes
fasting
I was told the new total cholesterol levels NICE required for diabetics had changed to 4 mmol/l. I don't make that cut off but argued with my specialist and GP that since my HbA1c was normal, a total of 5 mmol/l was okay and I didn't need statins.
 
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KK123

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,967
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I was told the new total cholesterol levels NICE required for diabetics had changed to 4 mmol/l. I don't make that cut off but argued with my specialist and GP that since my HbA1c was normal, a total of 5 mmol/l was okay and I didn't need statins.

I do accept that NICE would need to decide what is 'normal' overall but the figures they come up with are based on the average cholesterol levels of everyone, I don't think any allowances are made for the individual relative to DNA or ethnicity (sometimes included) or a difference in physiology. Why is '4' the magic number I wonder, my HDL alone takes up 2.4 of that! I think GPs etc are at least discussing the subject when you challenge them and they know they can't force you anyway, but why record the ratios (a much better way of deciding) if there is this blank policy of 'You must take them anyway'.
 
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