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Help please understanding cholesterol levels

PenguinMum

Expert
Messages
7,135
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
My understanding is the total cholesterel number is fairly meaningless. I think HDL is the good stuff and LDL the bad stuff. So after advice again by the surgery to take statins I am laying out my results in the hope that someone can tell me what it all means. I would just add that I suspect I might have at least some peripheral arterial disease, especially my legs, and I am mindful my late mother had severely blocked carotid arteries (75% and 50%) discovered after a TIA and only diagnosed in hospital after a TIA when she discharged herself and only lived 6 months.

Serum cholesterel 7.39. Mmol/L
Serum triglycerides 1.42
Serum HDL level 2.23
Serum LDL level 4.51
Non HDL level 5.16
Total cholesterel : HDL ratio 3.3

Just to add my A1c slipped to 39.

Thanks in advance for any advice on this.
 
I would like someone to analyse my full results above and whether I should be taking a statin or not. Also how important is the HDL ratio?
 
Not all LDL fats are bad. LDL’s come in 2 different sizes, called particle patterns A & B patterns. I believe there is a calculation you can use to determine whether your LDL levels are A or B sized particles. ‘A‘ particles are larger and lighter than the ‘B‘ particles. They are considered relatively healthy fats. B particles are smaller and denser and carry the problem fats.
As your unit of measurement is in mmol/ls, you will have to convert them to mg/dl. Once you have converted them to mg/dl divide your Triglycerides by your HDL levels . You want the resulting ratio to be less than 2. The lower the ratio the more prevalent the A particles are.
 
IMO once results are calculated into averages, they lose credibility.
 
Try this calculator. It will let you know the ratios and may help with your decision.
 
Just to note that my stats are remarkably similar to yours. As usual, last time round, I declined statins. That's my view: I am sure statins will lower my cholesterol but I am not at all convinced that it's necessary to lower cholesterol. In fact, there's pretty good recent evidence from a number of large and competent pieces of research that lower cholesterol (under 5) is associated with higher mortality.
 
PenguinMum said:
I would like someone to analyse my full results above and whether I should be taking a statin or not. Also how important is the HDL ratio?
Click to expand...
Penguinmum, nobody here can tell you if you should take statins or not. Only you can make that decision
 
I have always refused to take statins for the following reasons:

1: They increase blood glucose which makes diabetes worse.

2: There is little benefit for people on a Low Carb High Fat diet with well controlled blood glucose because inflammation, which causes plaque in the arteries, is minimised.

3: About 1/3 of the people that take them have side effects including brain fog and severe muscle pain. There are lots of people on the forums here who have spend years trying to recover from the damage caused by taking statins.
 
Thank you all I am going to take a week or two to consider my options
 
@penguin mum. Am also a type 1 who has just begun statins after 10 years of saying no. Am 65 this year and have just had cholesterol rise year on year despite eating pretty low carb. My consultant has never pushed them but my rise this year was concerning to me. Particularly as I felt I was eating well. My carb intake and insulin doses are all fairly low. I decided to give them a go and put all my prejudices to the side. The first most common one did indeed raise my blood glucose levels and I had to double my insulin intake. Not sustainable! The second one has been absolutely fine. Am having no reactions 4 weeks in.
As someone who was very ill after taking the most common tablet to cure a water infection (GP couldn’t believe it) and have other quite serious tablet allergies-anti emetics giving me anaphylaxis amongst others. I take nothing just for the sake of it. At the end of the day taking any medication has to be a totally personal choice.
 
Thank you so much I am still considering which way to go but that is so helpful.
 
I was on high dose Atorvastatin for over 12 months, before the side effects kicked in. Which was why i dismissed them as causing the problems i had.
 
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