For those worried about cholesterol levels..

[Bluetit1802]

I beg to differ with your GP, there is a very obvious way of seeing what damage is done. Have a scan.

Very unlikely to happen unless there are some heart related issues, or by paying for it.

 

[derry60]

Below 5.2 is ideal...I am 4.1 but I am on Statins, had no choice after having a heart attack. I was not going to say no to statins at that time. I should imagine my cholesterol is even lower now,since starting this low carb,well I hope so lol

 

[DavidGrahamJones]

the ins and outs of the Q-Risk formula.

I was going to use this to see what differences in risk a change in Cholesterol readings made. I see that in QRISK3, the now use Cholesterol/HDL and then they also need the standard deviation of at least two most recent systolic blood pressure readings.

I don't have my HDL to hand and I'm not 100% sure of how they calculate standard deviation. In fact I wonder how a GP calculates that figure. I hope they have some wizzbang program on their PCs to do that. Should be in the QRISK3 calculation really.

 

[NoCrbs4Me]

Below 5.2 is ideal...I am 4.1 but I am on Statins, had no choice after having a heart attack. I was not going to say no to statins at that time. I should imagine my cholesterol is even lower now,since starting this low carb,well I hope so lol

Perhaps below 5.2 for women is not ideal. Did you read the study this thread is about? http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2753.2011.01767.x/pdf

Based on these graphs, <5.0 for women doesn't look very good.|

 

[Bluetit1802]

they also need the standard deviation of at least two most recent systolic blood pressure readings.

https://www.mathsisfun.com/data/standard-deviation-calculator.html

Thanks for pointing out that the Q-Risk for 2017 has been updated to version 3. I was using version 2. There are a lot more questions on version 3. https://qrisk.org/three/

 

[bulkbiker]

https://www.mathsisfun.com/data/standard-deviation-calculator.html

Thanks for pointing out that the Q-Risk for 2017 has been updated to version 3. I was using version 2. There are a lot more questions on version 3. https://qrisk.org/three/

Type 2 has a far smaller impact on this one.. by removing it I go from 9.2% to 5%.
Definitely no statins for me then..as if they were ever an option..

 

[Bluetit1802]

Type 2 has a far smaller impact on this one.. by removing it I go from 9.2% to 5%.
Definitely no statins for me then..as if they were ever an option..

It still makes a big difference on mine. It goes up by 9.1% with Type 2.

 

[bulkbiker]

It still makes a big difference on mine. It goes up by 9.1% with Type 2.

Did you put blood pressure reading in? I didn't maybe that's it..

 

[Bluetit1802]

Did you put blood pressure reading in? I didn't maybe that's it..

Yes I did, but mine are ideal so doubt that would make any adverse difference.

 

[JohnEGreen]

Thanks John I didn't know that. Is the reduction significant? regards Derek

Fairly significant but you need to be on about 1 gram per day for it to be of real benefit, at the moment it is not clear as to whether it could replace statins or not. I also seem to remember reading that it can reduce trigs as well but cannot find anything referencing that at the moment.

 

[bulkbiker]

Yes I did, but mine are ideal so doubt that would make any adverse difference.

I put a number in for my last systolic rather than blank and it gave me 7.7% with Type 2 and 4% without!
I must be immortal!...

 

[Bluetit1802]

I put a number in for my last systolic rather than blank and it gave me 7.7% with Type 2 and 4% without!
I must be immortal!...

Watch out, because it goes up every birthday! I'm 69 so no chance. Knocking 10 years off my age it reduces by half!

 

[bulkbiker]

Watch out, because it goes up every birthday! I'm 69 so no chance. Knocking 10 years off my age it reduces by half!

Ah maybe my 55 helps a bit then..

 

[fletchweb]

The only time I felt my health was in jeopardy was after taking Statins - after a few months I stopped and eventually returned to my "Good" normal. I didn;t even have high cholesterol but it was the old "You have been living with diabetes for so long it's like you have already survived a heart attack". That's a direct quote from my doctor and it was that moment in time that he started to lose his credibility with me. Didn't bother telling my doctor I stopped taking them. I suspect he is like many other health professionals - an extension of the pharmaceutical industry who seem to believe everything they read.

 

[DavidGrahamJones]

Very unlikely to happen unless there are some heart related issues, or by paying for it.

That was the only lucky thing about being admitted to hospital because some nutty MD said I was having a heart attack, despite having no signs and feeling OK, her blood test said . . . . . . The hospital repeated that test and got a negative, 3 times including once where they did the lab work rather than rely on the machine. I think the only comment I would make of the U.S. health care system is that it is open to abuse. My one night and 4 tests cost US$ 16,000. A friend spent 13 days in a US hospital at the cost of US$ 500,00.
Still, back to "how much damage has already been done", I remember thinking when first prescribed statins, why not test to see what state everything is in, rather than a sort of blanket prescription. Both my father and MIL were prescribed statins when they were well into their 80s and you have to think "they got this far and don't show any particular signs of heart problems . . . ". My dad's leg pain were so bad he stopped his daily walks round the block it's now taking extreme efforts to walk anywhere. My MIL has also had problems with her daily walks.

 

[DavidGrahamJones]

I suspect he is like many other health professionals - an extension of the pharmaceutical industry who seem to believe everything they read.

Or simply thinking "how can I go wrong if I follow the NICE guidelines". I know a retired GP in Middlesborough (wife's college friend), and two new GPs, one in Aylesbury (another friend's DIL) and one in Cardiff (a good friend's DIL). As much as I try to avoid anything medical (working in IT I hated being asked how to fix PCs) I have discussed statins and low carb with all three. The whole issue of prescribing statins seems to be very dependent on the GP. The three I know don't push it with their patients unless they felt totally convinced of it's value for a particular patient. Out of interest, they're all in favour of low carb. Shame that all GPs are not the same.

 

[derry60]

Perhaps below 5.2 for women is not ideal. Did you read the study this thread is about? http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2753.2011.01767.x/pdf

Based on these graphs, <5.0 for women doesn't look very good.|
View attachment 23689

Well, all I can say is that I have had no problem taking Statins for 12 years, no Angina, no heart probs since the heart attack all tests that I have done every year come back good. I notice this guy is also an author selling a book for £14.99, he seems to have an opinion on quite a few other medical complaints also. He has a number of books out on different ailments and other drugs. According to some on here people who have been eating fat, it has lowered their cholesterol, so now what? do we not eat fat if our cholesterol is low? I have read on you tube people's posts saying that their total cholesterol decreased being on Keto. I won't take this graph too seriously to be honest. If I did I would be worrying myself into an early grave lol

 

[derry60]

Hmmm Should we all stop Keto because according to this guy if you are over weight we live longer, all very confusing.....http://www.independent.co.uk/life-s...-way-scientists-twist-the-facts-10158229.html

 

[dbr10]

The most important ratio according to many experts is the Trigs/HDL ratio, which in the UK should be under 0.87mmol/l.

If you eat before a Trigs test, especially if there is fat in the meal, your Trigs will be raised as they are out and about in your blood stream doing their job. Although most of us are told not to fast (a NICE recommendation to save surgery waiting lists building up) it is wise to ignore that and fast anyway.

Yes. I always do.

 

[derry60]

I have always been told to fast before having my trics done