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Type 2 High Cholesterol

B

brettsza

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,205
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
I have just got a call from GP saying my cholesterol is high, Its 5.3 total and 3.5 bad cholesterol, are these figures really that bad as I remember the total chol should be about 5 and is just slightly high, the doc said since your a1c is non diabetic and if you were not diagnosed as diabetic, we would have ignored the cholesterol figures but since you are diagnosed diabetic we would need to put you on statins.
I know it is mmy choice to take it or not but I just want to get an idea is it really that bad.
The good chol is ok, he did not give me a number.
 
My doc told me they like it under 4.
 
These are the target cholesterol levels that they want people with diabetes to aim 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.
https://www.diabetes.org.uk/Guide-to-diabetes/Monitoring/Testing/
 
Well mine is higher and I'm not worried. My trig to hdl ratio is in the low risk level so I am pretty sure my ldl is big and fluffy. Remember they are looking at volume. Ask what you trig and hdl levels are and make sure it was a fasting test
 
Last time mine was done it was 5.4 but as my blood glucose had already come own a bit and I had already said to the nurse there was no way I was taking statins then it wasn't mentioned. The jury seems to be out on whether they are a good idea or not (although leaning towards the not these days) and as I wish to remain unmedicated I will always refuse them.
Remember its up to you what you put in your mouth both in terms of food and meds. You have your diabetes not the HCP.
 
You can ignore the total cholesterol as that means nothing on its own. You need the full breakdown, so I would ask for a print out. You can then work out the ratios for yourself. The Total/HDL ratio may already be shown on the print out. The other ratios are Trigs/HDL and the Non-HDL. You can also have a go at this, first checking you have the same measurement units..
http://www.hughcalc.org/chol-si.php

@andcol is right. If it wasn't a fasting test the Trigs value may be higher, and it is the Trigs that are the baddies.
 
If you want an alternative view to that of our NHS, you should have a read of "The great cholesterol con" by Dr Malcolm Kendrick. You can make your own mind up. Personally, I am convinced that the whole cholesterol story and its variants as propounded is on the same level of correctness as the wellness plate and I am a statin refuser despite having total cholesterol readings in the 7s and 8s.
 
I remember him saying these two figures over the phone, others he said were all normal, including liver kidney functions etc. I will see him again and try to get a printout of the report this time.

Thanks a lot.
 
brettsza said:
I remember him saying these two figures over the phone, others he said were all normal, including liver kidney functions etc. I will see him again and try to get a printout of the report this time.

Thanks a lot.
Click to expand...

Just ring the receptionist and ask for a printout of the results. They may even be able to email them to you. (we live in hope!)

All doc surgeries are now (since April) required to make some of our patient info (incl test results) available online for us, behind a password protected security wall. So while you are on the phone, ask the receptionist how you set up that access. Some surgeries are on top of it, but some of them seem to be rather late in implementing the changes. lol.

I agree that it is the FASTING Trigs and the ratios that are important.

In my opinion, any doc who quotes Total Cholesterol numbers and 'good' cholesterol is so far behind the times that you really need to do your own research!
 
Hello from New York! :wave:
Here's my story today.
My doc recently said, "Your cholesterol is horrible." ok. My last carotid artery test showed that I had zero calcium in my arteries. I mentioned that. He said, "I have two patients who had zero calcium and had to have triple bypass surgery." I did some research and I found out that there is another kind of artery test that is called carotid imaging and it looks at the soft plaque.
I got doc to prescribe the test and I went to local hospital and got it. Radiologist tech said, and I quote, "You have the carotid arteries of a forty year old." I just turned 71. I saw doc after the test and he said, "Test says you have mild plaque. I think any cardiologist would put you on statins." Furthermore, "I would take you off metformin." (I take 500 mg. a day) I asked why? He said, "Because if you become dehydrated, you could have renal failure." I like my doctor but I think he's wrong about this and doesn't understand the current and I guess radical to him, way of dealing with diabetes. I told him that I wanted to have the carotid artery test annually to keep track of the soft cholesterol. He said, "ok."

I haven't yet figured out how to put info in my sig. line, so here's a little bit:
Female, 71, was diagnosed as pre-diabetic a year ago when A1C came in at 6.0. Before and since it was in the mid to high 5s. It is now 5.5. I went on LCHF diet a year ago when I got the diagnosis, and have lost 25 lbs. My current weight is 132. Height 5.5 1/2. My BMI is down from 24 to (I think) 21.
Here are my lab results taken two weeks ago.
F Cholesterol 264 H <200 (mg/dL)
F HDL CHOL., DIRECT 62 >50 (mg/dL)
F Triglycerides 219 H <150 (mg/dL)
F HDL as % of Cholesterol 23 >14 (%)
- Evaluation: AVERAGE RISK
F Chol/HDL Ratio 4.3 <5.8
- Evaluation: AVERAGE RISK
F LDL/HDL Ratio 2.90 <3.56
F VLDL, CALCULATED 44 H 7-32 (mg/dL)
F Non-HDL Cholesterol 202 H <130 (mg/dL)

I would be very happy for any comments from members of this forum.
Thanks for listening!
 
5.3 is nothing to worry about. You should avoid statins if at all possible. Many people have serious side effects from them. Watch the film Statin Nation for some background information.
 
Art Of Flowers said:
5.3 is nothing to worry about. You should avoid statins if at all possible. Many people have serious side effects from them. Watch the film Statin Nation for some background information.
Click to expand...
Art of Flowers, Which of my stats is 5.3? Thanks.
 
@maxine212 Just doing conversions

Your trig level is 2.47 mmol/l and you are really aiming for under one (although doc think 1.5 because they think we are all carb junkies). Was this a fasting test? If not then it doesn't really mean much. I would suggest you get another fasting test if this wasnt and then see what your trig level is.

Your HDL level is 1.60 which is fairly good.

Total cholesterol is pretty meaningless really but yours is equivalent to 6.8mmol/l which isn't too bad
 

Thanks, Andcol, I appreciate the translation and am printing out to save. Yes, it was a fasting test.

I realize I never underscored my point because i was still amazed and disappointed in my doctor's reaction. my "horrible cholesterol" and yet virtually no plaques in my arteries. I thought he would say of the statins, "never mind, then."

I just received this medical paper on my google alert and it talks about elderly women/statins/diabetes and if it's reliable, it's worth adding to knowledge base.

Mod or member, should I post this in a new thread, or let it lie? Here's a link and brief summary below it.

http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/el...-of-developing-diabetes-while-taking-statins/

Practice Pearls:

  • Statin therapy remains a cornerstone in the reduction of cardiovascular risks in people with and without diabetes.
  • Elderly women appear to be at increased risk for development of statin-induced new onset diabetes.
  • Most increases in risk of diabetes are associated with higher statin doses, and lower doses may actually impart a protective effect against new onset diabetes.
 
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