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Cholesterol Level

Hi Alan, the following are the target cholesterol levels people with diabetes should be aiming for:

  • Your total cholesterol level should be below 4.0mmol/l.
  • LDL levels should be less than 2.0mmol/l.
  • HDL levels should be 1.0mmol/l or above in men and 1.2mmol/l or above in women.
  • Triglyceride levels should be 1.7mmol/l or less.

Better that you get a full lipid breakdown of your cholesterol, you should ask your gp or practise nurse for this to be done.
 
I think total cholesterol is meaningless without your lipid panel, you need to know the HDL, LDL, and trig levels.

I'd be happy with 5,1 though not everyone will agree of course.
 
My doctor and nurse would disagree with 5.1. I have managed to get mine down to 4.1 and they're still not satisfied. Instead of bxxxxxng at us help us!
 
never been told what my level is but think I am gonna ask when I have my bloods done again in June and would like to come off the statins :bigtears:
 
I would be very happy with 5.1
But I would always want to know the Triglyceride levels (but that needs to be from a fasting cholesterol test).

Did they give you the other figures?

Docs have the idea that diabetics should be lower that that, as has been shown above.

But since cholesterol levels have now been shown to be a poor predictor of heart attacks, and there are numerous other factors at work, including Trigs and HDL, and ratios, I think most GPs are basing their recommendations on seriously outdated info.

If you follow the link in my signature to the bloodsugar101 website you will find plenty of recent information on the subject.
 
so having read some of the above posts I am wondering if any are taking statins or have stopped taking them?
 
Was at 6. After 8 weeks on atorvastatin I am now 4.1. Triggs at1.1. :).. I get a 3 month blood test as a follow-up for Lymphoma (cancer).I don't think there's much they don't test for ( except pregnancy ). They take almost an armfull !!
:nurse:
 
PatsyB said:
so having read some of the above posts I am wondering if any are taking statins or have stopped taking them?
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I'm still taking Lipitor 40mg daily :) no idea on my scores on the board but GP left this med alone at latest review.

I'm going to ask tomorrow what my latest scores were - been on these for years
 
At my last diabetes MOT I'd gotten mine down to 4.1 from 5.5. Were they satisfied? What do you think....course not. It's always 'you can do better' with emphasis on the not so good results.
 
Just been told mine's 5. They would prefer it lower but they know I have an adverse reaction to statins so they're happy with 5.
 
How can I reduce my Triglyceride levels? My last test was Triglyceride 2.2, HDL 1.6 and LDL 1.4, serum cholesterol level 4.0. Next blood test is October.
 
To reduce trigs you need to cut the fructose most definitely and the carbs somewhat
 
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The last (incomplete) reading I had in April was 5.3 with good HDL, and I'm off statins with the agreement of my GP for a test period. I want to see how my LCHF diet affects everything else as well as blood sugar. I feel very well generally with good energy levels and regular sleep, just a bit of foot-tingle which hasn't changed for a year or so, so I feel the risk of damage from cholesterol is small.
If my next cholesterol figures show it's all gone pear-shaped I'll be back on those little oval pills pronto, you bet.
 
I am on LCHF and my HDL & LDL have reduced but the Triglycerides stayed the same. Still wondering why my under-active thyroid has improved.
 
carol43 said:
I am on LCHF and my HDL & LDL have reduced but the Triglycerides stayed the same. Still wondering why my under-active thyroid has improved.
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We've had a number of people report that lchf seems to have a normalising effect on some hormones.

How many carbs are you having every day? I get good bg and better wellness on less than 50g, but dropping below 20g for a few days seems to really kick things up a gear. It is like coming alive (sorry if that sounds melodramatic, but that's actually how it feels).

Maybe your body needs lower carb levels to drop the trigs lower?
 
Am reading "The Great Cholesterol Con" by Dr Malcolm Kendrick. Very interesting statistics. Doctor keeps pushing starchy carbs and very low cholesterol level. Have asked for complete blood test results this year; cholesterol levels have dropped marginally to 6.3. Perhaps at 70 my cholesterol levels should not be reduced too much. There does seems to be more data showing that perhaps continuing to lower cholesterol in older people might not be such a good idea. Have refused statins that were suggested at last appointment. Doctor just shrugged and added notes to my record! HbA1c is 48 (same as last year, diet and exercise, no medication).
 
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