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Cholesterol 101 Needed

xfieldok

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,182
Location
Lancashire
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
@bulkbiker can you help?

I am trying to figure out what to eat in respect lowering cholesterol. I don't trust the information on the internet.

So far all I have found is don't cook with olive oil, don't use vegetable oil and don't use seed oil, such as rapeseed.

Is there a trusted resource somewhere please?
 
First question.. what is your cholesterol level (hopefully full lipid panel)?
Secondly why do you think lowering it might be a good thing?
I have gained a lot of insight from

Dr Malcolm Kendrick
https://drmalcolmkendrick.org

Ivor Cummings
https://www.thefatemperor.com

Dave Feldman
http://cholesterolcode.com

Plus reading quite a bit about the PURE study
Zoe Harcombe
Dr David Diamond
and quite a few others whose names I can't remember...

I'll warn you .. a bit like blood glucose and LCHF once you have dived in it can be quite a journey.. but probably worth it for your health.. or you can just say

"Cholesterol is necessary for life, is not a good indicator of heart disease so I'll ignore it whatever the doctor might say and no I don't want statins thanks".
 
I suspect it is high, although the total is down 0.3 from the last one.

Last week I had an appointment for HbA1c and I phoned to request the full lipid panel. Turned up for the appointment to find out it had been cancelled. They gave me the blood test an hour later.

DN phoned me with HbA1c, I asked for the cholesterol breakdown but they only sent the total through. going for another test on the 7 the.

Having a review on the 16th so want to be forearmed.
 
If you can get the full lipid panel than that would be great. Anyone who prescribes statins while only looking at a total cholesterol number deserves to be struck off.. Have a read of some of the references I have linked to Dr Kendrick is probably the most irreverent and accessible.
 
I will do, thanks.
 
Hi. I would also suggest getting access to your full blood test and other results on your surgery's IT system. It helps to be able to know the results as your surgery sees them before any appointment. Yes, you need a full lipids panel and not just the total
 
They don't put them on line.
 
bulkbiker said:
Are you in England? I kind of thought they were obliged to and to give you access..
Click to expand...
Unfortunately it is up to the practice what information you can see on line. I can only make appointments and order repeat medication at the moment however the NHS is trialling ‘Diabetes My Way’ in Somerset (only previously available in Scotland) and I am waiting for my login so it will be interesting what information I can see.
 
Ring your practice, explain that you would like to fully research your lipid results before your consultation and ask when you can go and collect the printout. If the Practice manager (or who ever) says it’s not normal policy, ask them to forward your request to your doctor, for approval. Our practice does not yet have all test results on line but it is now marked in my notes that I can have print outs of all results. I think it depends if they bought into the EMIS system. My practice was ahead of the game with IT, but I don’t think they bought the system that ‘talks to’ the main NHS system.

I find keeping a full set of all my tests / notes invaluable! And loads of people on here will tell you the detail of what those numbers actually mean.
 

Each bit of the cholesterol requires a different dietary approach. Until you know what your breakdown is, it is impossible to answer your question realistically. You need to fight your corner to get a full test done. Failing that, private on-line tests are relatively cheap. You may have nothing to worry about!
 
Having another test on 7th and a "review" with someone unknown on 16th. I want to be prepared to argue against statins.
 
xfieldok said:
Having another test on 7th and a "review" with someone unknown on 16th. I want to be prepared to argue against statins.
Click to expand...

Make sure you get the results as soon as possible after the test and before the review. Insist on them, and ask for a print out. You are entitled to a print out. Not easy going in blind. Your total has dropped, and as long as this isn't the HDL then something has improved. If it is the HDL then plenty of omega 3 is needed!
 
FINALLY!
Third time lucky. Nurse phoned with the results this morning.

Total cholesterol 6.5 (high risk)
HDL 2.09
LDL 3.34
Trigs 2.13
Ratio 3.1
 
xfieldok said:
FINALLY!
Third time lucky. Nurse phoned with the results this morning.

Total cholesterol 6.5 (high risk)
HDL 2.09
LDL 3.34
Trigs 2.13
Ratio 3.1
Click to expand...
Was this a fasted test?
If not then.... but if it was its not bad.. your triglyceride /HDL ratio is slightly higher than perfect but not too much at 1.02 I believe that below 0.87 would be better but nothing too awful there. I wouldn't be worried in the slightest by those results.
But more importantly are you?
 
It was fasting. The nurse said they were quite good. I would like to bring the total down to 3 or 4 just to keep the statins at bay. I may ask for another test in 6 months.

I am reasonably pleased, I thought they would be worse.
 
xfieldok said:
I would like to bring the total down to 3 or 4
Click to expand...
Why? The total is just a number. The parts that make up that number are more important.
Plus the decision to take pills or not is, at the end of the day, yours and yours alone, with your GP's advice of course.
 
I would encourage everyone to read "The Great Cholesterol Con" by Dr Malcolm Kendrick. ISBN 1844546101
Very readable. He lightens a potentially dull subject by peppering it with humour.

He shows with authority how the research results have, for decades, been selectively presented, and debunks the "conventional wisdom" our health industry has adopted. Specifically areas such as:
  • impact of diet of cholesterol
  • impact of cholesterol on health / heart disease
I won't attempt to summarise his book here, but safe to say, once you have read it, you will never see cholesterol and statins in the same light.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Great-Chol...680&sr=8-1&keywords=the+great+cholesterol+con

Please don't shoot the messenger - I am just urging people to read this when considering lifestyle / diet changes .
 
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