Cholesterol gone up ?

[RoyG]

28-02-12 readings were;
Serum Cholesterol 5.4
Serum trig Hi 2.9
Serum HDL Chol 1.2
Serum LDL Chol 2.9
total Cholesterol: HDL ratio 5

06-07-12 readings were;
Serum Cholesterol 7.5
Serum trig 1.7
Serum HDL Chol 1.4
Serum LDL Chol 5.3 ???
total Cholesterol: HDL ratio 5

What's going on there ? the only difference was for the 28-02-12 I had been on Pravastatin so it must have been bringing it down, I have followed the low carb diet and it's gone up massively. Am I missing something here or what? I think I best get back on the Pravastatin.

All not bad news though liver, Kidney function Normal and my HBA1C was 36 I think that equates to average 5.4mmol/l.
My DSN was gob smacked. Firstly I let her tell me my results, and she said she wished all her patients had such fantastic control and why was I on metformin. Then I pulled all my charts and graphs out and replied, You put me on Metformin because you said I could cheat a little, and Linda (which is her name) if you look how I have managed that control by reducing my carbohydrate intake, and testing after meals also not adhering to the NHS diet, which you wanted me on?
You can see it does work for me very well. But: And I had to start on the test strips issue. I pulled out my reply from my MP, and the reply from Paul Burstow from the Department of Health, and the Paragraph section of the NICE guidelines. I have had to fund my own strips because you and the PCT will not let me have them? even though these say I should be getting them if I am showing commitment and good control, the one tool in my box that I can use to get my Blood Glucose under control.
I then asked where was my structured education plan? Answer the government have stopped funding Desmond course from October, I was astounded I could not believe in all this talk of diabetic explosion they were now stopping even that, and voiced my concern to her in no uncertain terms. In her bewilderment though, I badgered her into giving me a pot of strips :thumbup: she did say they are not on repeat script though and I will need to ask for them, small matter, I am wearing them down one by one with the old ropea-dopea, heckle the Doctor then the Nurse, now back to the Doctor and I have him on the ropes I think. They will soon all hide when I turn up. One thing that worried me was, I asked her if I could have an C peptide test to help determine how much insulin a my pancreas is still producing. She did not know what I was talking about and said she has never heard of that in 30 years of Nursing worrying or what? Sorry it's a long one folks.

 

[Anonymous]

I asked her if I could have an C peptide test to help determine how much insulin a my pancreas is still producing.

If you are pushing for a c-peptide test then I think you should have a GAD test and an 'insulin test' which is what you reference the c-peptide against. I've been told that this needs to happen in the hospital because the reading isn't reliable if the blood is more than a couple of hours old (ie: if they take it and send it off).

I have had 2 c-peptide tests and have the results but my doc doesn't know what they mean :***:

 

[RoyG]

I asked her if I could have an C peptide test to help determine how much insulin a my pancreas is still producing.

If you are pushing for a c-peptide test then I think you should have a GAD test and an 'insulin test' which is what you reference the c-peptide against. I've been told that this needs to happen in the hospital because the reading isn't reliable if the blood is more than a couple of hours old (ie: if they take it and send it off).

I have had 2 c-peptide tests and have the results but my doc doesn't know what they mean :***:

I wont hold my breadth on that one Swimmer 2, if she has no Idea what the C-peptide is she will not have a clue what the GAD test is also. Like your Doctor fumbling in the dark.

 

[xyzzy]

Brilliant hBA1c Roy well done :clap:

On the cholesterol. I had a similar issue a few weeks ago with my second three month test since starting lchf. I also got a high LDL score but asked for a recount as like you I felt something was amiss. I fasted a few hours longer (went from 6.00pm through to 10.30am as opposed to 8.00pm to 8.30am) and it came back nigh on the same as my first three month test i.e. showed a normal LDL level. Confused the hell out of my GP as like me he said he thought LDL should only vary very slowly over weeks whereas trigs can be effected quite rapidly. So if you think its wrong go back and try to get it done again.

You are beating them so keep at em!

 

[RoyG]

Brilliant hBA1c Roy well done :clap:

On the cholesterol. I had a similar issue a few weeks ago with my second three month test since starting lchf. I also got a high LDL score but asked for a recount as like you I felt something was amiss. I fasted a few hours longer (went from 6.00pm through to 10.30am as opposed to 8.00pm to 8.30am) and it came back nigh on the same as my first three month test i.e. showed a normal LDL level. Confused the hell out of my GP as like me he said he thought LDL should only vary very slowly over weeks whereas trigs can be effected quite rapidly. So if you think its wrong go back and try to get it done again.

You are beating them so keep at em!

Thank's Xyzzy I am going back in 3 months to have it tested again as I said I want to see it come down, so when I do go back I will fast for longer as you had done, It does seem strange why it should go up so high, especially when all my other readings have normalised ? I had been a bit naughty on the Saturday night prior to the Monday test, went out and had a few Brandy's ooop's do you think that could have affected it? The average A1c was bang on the money with my charts which show my average at 5.4mmol, I could not believe it :shock: nor could she ha ha, I am over the moon with it though all the hard work paying dividends.

 

[RoyG]

Nope I am not waiting for 3 months, I have booked another test for tomorrow, I just don't see how those results are right? and it's bugging me.

 

[librarising]

RoyG wrote
28-02-12 readings were;
Serum Cholesterol 5.4
Serum HDL Chol 1.2
total Cholesterol: HDL ratio 5

06-07-12 readings were;
Serum Cholesterol 7.5
Serum HDL Chol 1.4
total Cholesterol: HDL ratio 5

I can't make sense of your ratios, Roy. Did you work them out , or were they supplied ?

Geoff

 

[Mileana]

Now while my cholesterol is still normal, my LDL is a bit higher and my HDL a bit lower than they would like to see - the dietician I saw as the 2nd one after the fail first one, said that when you're losing weight, it will be like that a bit, but should normalize to some degree once weight goes stable again - I don't know if that applies to you also. I did not catch the entire explanation but it was something about fatty deposits becoming available (via the blood stream), so it wasn't all bad, I think.

-M

 

[borofergie]

Roy,

Although most people experience an improvement in their blood lipids on a Low Carb diet, there are some people that do not:
http://perfecthealthdiet.com/2011/09/hi ... e-thyroid/
Hyperthyroidism is a risk of low-carbing.

Like BlindDog says, I reckon you should make sure that the test isn't a dud before getting your knickers in a twist.

S.

 

[RoyG]

They were off the print out, what other information would you like from them. to try and help you make sense of them, because they have me totally confused too.

 

[RoyG]

I have always had high Cholesterol it's been up to 9 before today but that low first one above is whats throwing me a curve ball, to jump so much in 3 months! is that possible? I will re adjust my Knickers as they have gotten all twisted I must say.

 

[RoyG]

So what is the Calculation again to arrive at my Serum Cholesterol?

 

[RoyG]

Divide the measured triglyceride level by 5. To this add the LDL and HDL results. For example: Your results have a triglyceride level of 1.7mmol, an HDL level of 1.4mmol, and an LDL level of 5.3mmol. Divide the triglyceride level of 1.7 by 5 to get an answer of 0.34, then add 1.4 (HDL) and 5.3 (LDL) to get a total serum cholesterol reading of 7.04mmol.

Would that be correct.

 

[phoenix]

RoyG wrote
28-02-12 readings were;
Serum Cholesterol 5.4
Serum HDL Chol 1.2
total Cholesterol: HDL ratio 5

06-07-12 readings were;
Serum Cholesterol 7.5
Serum HDL Chol 1.4
total Cholesterol: HDL ratio 5

I can't make sense of your ratios, Roy. Did you work them out , or were they supplied ?

Geoff

looks like rounding :
5.4/1.2 = 4.5
7.5/1.4= 5.3

The other figures 'add up' (TC is serum cholesterol)
I've just found an LDL calculator if you want to check; much easier than looking up the formula every time
http://homepages.slingshot.co.nz/~geoff36/LDL_mmol.htm
The formula usually used in the UK is the first one; the second one gives different results; I don't know much about it except that it is supposed to be a better calculation of LDL when trigs are very low so doesn't apply it in this case.

 

[phoenix]

Divide the measured triglyceride level by 5. To this add the LDL and HDL results. For example: Your results have a triglyceride level of 1.7mmol, an HDL level of 1.4mmol, and an LDL level of 5.3mmol. Divide the triglyceride level of 1.7 by 5 to get an answer of 0.34, then add 1.4 (HDL) and 5.3 (LDL) to get a total serum cholesterol reading of 7.04mmol.

Would that be correct.

Not quite.
TC = LDL + HDL + trigs/2.19 (in mmol/l)... the trigs divided by 5 is the formula in mg/dl

Normally the TC, trigs and HDL are measured, the LDL calculated
The (usual) formula is
LDL cholesterol = Total cholesterol – HDL cholesterol – Total triglyceride /2.19 (in mmol/l)
http://heartuk.org.uk/images/uploads/he ... Method.pdf

 

[RoyG]

You folks are better than Wikipedia thanks for that.

 

[RoyG]

Roy,

Although most people experience an improvement in their blood lipids on a Low Carb diet, there are some people that do not:
http://perfecthealthdiet.com/2011/09/hi ... e-thyroid/
Hyperthyroidism is a risk of low-carbing.

Like BlindDog says, I reckon you should make sure that the test isn't a dud before getting your knickers in a twist.

S.

Interesting I wonder If when I get the new reading and it is the same, if I should now increase my Carbohydrate intake to 60g a day from 30-35g a day now. And start on the statins again. Is nothing straight forward with me? I'm beginning to wonder roblem:

 

[borofergie]

Interesting I wonder If when I get the new reading and it is the same, if I should now increase my Carbohydrate intake to 60g a day from 30-35g a day now. And start on the statins again. Is nothing straight forward with me? I'm beginning to wonder roblem:

Hmmmm. Well I think that 60g a day is probably a good level.

However, don't throw the baby out with the bath water. You need to ask yourself what "LDL" and "HDL" actually mean, especially in the context of low trigs (which I think is a more important metric than the other numbers).

If you have time, I recommend reading this 5 part article about cholesterol, which more or less demolishes HDL-C and LDL-C as a useful measure of anything:
http://eatingacademy.com/nutrition/the- ... rol-part-i

This much shorter article does the same thing:
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-to-i ... z23Wd3XXYn

And this one addresses the problem you are (possibly) experiencing:
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/why-did- ... z23Wd3XXYn

(Multiply your LDL and HDL by 38.7 to get them into American units)

 

[RoyG]

That looks really interesting Borofergie I shall read that tonight, I am fitting in with a few of them scenarios, exercise being one Iodine and copper the others.