How long have you been low-carbing? Sometimes, in the first few months, cholesterol levels can go up - apparently because the fat-burning process sort-of loosens up the triglycerides which get into the bloodstream. Sorry, don't understand that fully myself.
However, in my experience, your lipid profile should continue to improve as you low carb. Ask your doctor for your full lipid profile and discuss each section of it, not just the "total cholesterol" figure.
Noblehead keeps posting the recommended figures for diabetics, and I keep forgetting where I've saved his list :shock: . However, the figures for non-diabetics which I work to are as follows:
Total target: below 5
HDL target: above 1.04, preferably higher than that (say 1.4)
LDL target: below 3, and preferably lower (these are baddies)
Triglycerides: below 1.7, and the lower the better (even worse baddies)
Total:HDL ratio: below 5:1, and preferably below 3.5:1
My GP pays more attention the the Total:HDL ratio than anything else. My last figures (eating v.-low-carb Atkins) were:
Total: 4.9
HDL: 1.6
LDL: 2.85
Trigs: 1
Total:HDL 3.1
which my GP is happy with. NICE guidelines recommend a Total figure for diabetics of less than 4 - some say less than 3 :shock: . I think that's a bit extreme, but who am I to argue? I know nothing. Then again, I am female, and I understand that males do need to be a bit lower than us.
So - have a good discussion of your full lipid profile with your GP, and if she doesn't have those figures - ask for another blood test! Then you can make a joint decision about where to go from here, so to speak, based on full information. Many people get on very well with statins; some don't.
Don't forget - the higher the number of patients they have on statins, the more boxes they tick - and it''s target-checking time of year! I wouldn't dream of suggesting that money might be involved! :wink:
Viv 8)
