I have high blood pressure and my dr wants me to take a statin. HbA1c is 41%.

[Gardengnome]

I am 74 and am on 50mg Losartan, my BP fluctuates somewhat but is normally in the region of <125/80> but does often spike closer to 140 systolic. I am not diabetic but am afraid I could become so if I were to take a statin.
I am shortly due for a 6 month BP review with the dr and know I will once again be offered a statin. So far I have resisted them feeling that I am a healthy woman without any known illness and do not want to over medicalise myself. Neither do I want to risk muscle pain as I do have an arthritic knee and walk regularly to keep this in check. My Qrisk is 18% but I tend to look at it as a 82% of NOT having a cardio event rather than an 18% of having one. I do know NICE recommend statins for a risk above 10%. Why was this dropped from 20%?
My last HbA1c was 41% which although normal -just -was higher than I would like. I am scared that if I take a statin would push my blood glucose into the diabetic range I wondered what other peoples' experiences are of this.

 

[ickihun]

I'm unsure what a heart specialist would say but I think mine will be seriously advising me to use statins for heart health. However I am diabetic and have been for decades, without statins.

 

[NoCrbs4Me]

It was probably lowered from 20% to 10% to sell more statins. Nobody can force you to take them. I'll never take them.

 

[Mep]

I'm just wondering why your doc would want you to take a statin to manage blood pressure? Do you mean BP meds? or do you have high cholesterol? I'm on both BP meds and a statin to control my cholesterol level. If you're referring to meds to control your BP then I can't see how that would affect your sugar levels... other than if you get hypos some of the drugs can make it hard for you to tell apparently (so my doc says). I'm on ramipril for BP. I'm also on nifedipine for spasms along with some other meds but that drug is also used to control BP as well. I take lipitor for my cholesterol and I'm fine on it. I wish you the best.

 

[psignathus]

Once your over 50 the evidence suggests high cholesterol is linked to longer life. I would celebrate your cholesterol and tel the doctor definitely no statins. my TC fluctuates between 6.4 and 7.4 with a HDL of 1.6. I ditched the statins 18 months ago due to memory issues and general aches and pains. it's took that length of time to get back to normal.

 

[ickihun]

I'll be quizzing cardiologist about statins for the 'extra protection in heart health'.
Seeing gp today for blood results from cardiac ward friday and what my cholestrol breakdowns are.
I'm not heart specialist and wouldnt be arrogant to say I know better than a very experienced one!
I'll see/hear the facts and decide from there.
My breathing problem might be a side affects to the NSADs and codeine I've had to take recently.

 

[Freema]

well eating a bit less salt and going a bit up in potasium can sometimes also better blood pressure... , there is a lot of potasium in avocadoes... one can also take it in suplementation BUT it is important to know where one is in the blood levels before doing that as it is also poisonous to get too high which one can also easily get... but being in the high end of the normal levels is good when having a high blood pressure..
mango is filled with very much potasium, but mango is bad for diabetics...

 

[Brunneria]

I agree with @psignathus

There is no proven benefit for the heart for
- prescribing statins to women
- prescribing statins to people over 70yrs
(unless you have absurdly high cholesterol, such as with hypercholesteremia)

since higher cholesterol is shown to be protective to older people, especially women, I would just politely say 'no thanks, and please write that on my records, so we don't ever have to have this conversation again.'

I would also ask for a printout of the cholesterol test, so you actually get to see (in black and white, to take away with you) what the fuss is about. Then go home, and read up a bit - use one of the cholesterol ratio calculators, and see what they are talking about. IF there are any issues, and if you are the slightest bit concerned, then you can always go back and discuss alternatives with the doc, can't you?

 

[Dark Horse]

NICE publish a decision aid to help people decide whether they want to take a statin:- https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg181/resources/patient-decision-aid-243780157

The guidance includes the following paragraph:-

Improving your diet, stopping smoking, reducing your alcohol intake, reducing your weight and taking more exercise can help reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease. NICE recommends that most people should try doing these things before thinking about taking a statin. You can find out more about what NICE recommends about these lifestyle changes in our guidance on lowering cholesterol to reduce the risk of CHD and stroke.​

For interest, might like to look at the accompanying guidance given to GPs:- https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg181/resources/patient-decision-aid-user-guide-243780158

If you decide not to take a statin, I wouldn't ask the GP to never raise the subject again. Over the years, your risk may change markedly and you might change your mind in the light of new evidence. It doesn't hurt to have the information. As NICE say, "You can choose whether to take a statin or not."

 

[bulkbiker]

NICE publish a decision aid to help people decide whether they want to take a statin:- https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg181/resources/patient-decision-aid-243780157

The guidance includes the following paragraph:-

Improving your diet, stopping smoking, reducing your alcohol intake, reducing your weight and taking more exercise can help reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease. NICE recommends that most people should try doing these things before thinking about taking a statin. You can find out more about what NICE recommends about these lifestyle changes in our guidance on lowering cholesterol to reduce the risk of CHD and stroke.​

For interest, might like to look at the accompanying guidance given to GPs:- https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg181/resources/patient-decision-aid-user-guide-243780158

If you decide not to take a statin, I wouldn't ask the GP to never raise the subject again. Over the years, your risk may change markedly and you might change your mind in the light of new evidence. It doesn't hurt to have the information. As NICE say, "You can choose whether to take a statin or not."

True.. but NICE also publish lots of stuff about Type 2 which a lot of us choose to ignore. The fact that they think that lowering cholesterol is a good thing, which is not a black and white issue, would make me question any of their recommendations on this subject. They are wrong on diabetes they could well be wrong on this as well.

 

[Prem51]

As @Brunneria says you need to know your total cholesterol figure, the figures for HDL, LDL and triglycerides and their ratios to each other.
I took statins for about seven years, and think that it probably was one factor among others in going from pre-diabetic to diabetic.
I have stopped taking them and that might be a factor along with lchf and exercise in lowering my HbA1c back to the non-diabetic range.
My total cholesterol figure has gone up from 5.1 to 6.1 since I stopped taking the statins, but my HDL and triglycerides figures have improved. My LDL figure has worsened, but the HDL/LDL/triglycerides ratios are ok.
My GP does want me to go back on statins, but I am resisting, and we have agreed that I will try to improve my LDL figures by tweaking my diet, and test again after 6 months to review my figures.
If my cholesterol figures get worse I will consider going back on statins, but I don't think they will.

 

[ickihun]

well eating a bit less salt and going a bit up in potasium can sometimes also better blood pressure... , there is a lot of potasium in avocadoes... one can also take it in suplementation BUT it is important to know where one is in the blood levels before doing that as it is also poisonous to get too high which one can also easily get... bur being in the high end of the normal levels is good when having a high blood pressure..
mango is filled with very much potasium, but mango is bad for diabetics...

Furthermore, It is noted in some research that too little potassium reduces the making of insulin. Maybe a good thing for insulin resistant patients, further research is being done. Magnesium might be my downfall.

 

[Gardengnome]

It was probably lowered from 20% to 10% to sell more statins. Nobody can force you to take them. I'll never take them.

It was probably lowered from 20% to 10% to sell more statins. Nobody can force you to take them. I'll never take them.

Yes I do realise that nobody can force me to take them and so far I've resisted after the bad press they get, but then the dr throws the Qrisk figure at me and that makes me unsure. I did ask the dr a year ago if she would take them given my risk and she said no. However she has left now and the new dr is one of these that doesn't listen or look at you. Frankly a bully.

 

[Gardengnome]

I'm just wondering why your doc would want you to take a statin to manage blood pressure? Do you mean BP meds? or do you have high cholesterol? I'm on both BP meds and a statin to control my cholesterol level. If you're referring to meds to control your BP then I can't see how that would affect your sugar levels... other than if you get hypos some of the drugs can make it hard for you to tell apparently (so my doc says). I'm on ramipril for BP. I'm also on nifedipine for spasms along with some other meds but that drug is also used to control BP as well. I take lipitor for my cholesterol and I'm fine on it. I wish you the best.

I take Losartan for blood pressure and have done so for 3.5 years, it's just that when I go for the 6 month review they do these risk assessments [Qrisk] and the powers that be [NICE] say anyone over 10% should be on a statin. They reduced the figure from 20% about a year ago. Trouble is the Qrisk rises with every birthday so the same set of figure can give you a low risk at 50 yrs and a high risk at 74. Stands to reason that the older you get the more you are likely to die of all causes.

Statins have a bad press and big pharma refuses to acknowledge the muscle damage they can cause yet they refuse to disclose their data which is more to the point -I saw a Prof Collins on TV who is paid by big pharma saying muscle pain was all in the mind - that made me start to look into the question. What I have read - and there is plenty - makes me sceptical. I am of the opinion that we women need our cholesterol.

My cholesterol a year ago was: Total C.6.6 mmol; HDL 2.8; non hdl ch 3.8; ratio 2.4. The dr at the time was OK with these figures but I am due another test so expect to be bullied by a different dr. The HbA1c was 41% and I was dismissively told that would rise. I weigh 57 kilos and am 172 cm high. Is the cholesterol too high?

 

[Gardengnome]

I agree with @psignathus

There is no proven benefit for the heart for
- prescribing statins to women
- prescribing statins to people over 70yrs
(unless you have absurdly high cholesterol, such as with hypercholesteremia)

since higher cholesterol is shown to be protective to older people, especially women, I would just politely say 'no thanks, and please write that on my records, so we don't ever have to have this conversation again.'

I would also ask for a printout of the cholesterol test, so you actually get to see (in black and white, to take away with you) what the fuss is about. Then go home, and read up a bit - use one of the cholesterol ratio calculators, and see what they are talking about. IF there are any issues, and if you are the slightest bit concerned, then you can always go back and discuss alternatives with the doc, can't you?

I can actually access my med notes online so know that a year ago my cholesterol was Total 6.6 which I thought rather high but the GP at the time was OK with that as the HDL was 2.8. ration was 2.4 and non HDL ch was 3.8. ratio 2.4 What incidentley is non NHD ch? Is this LDL?
I was still offered a statin but refused. I think the drs have to offer these things of course we don't have to accept them.
So much info out there but what do we take notice of and what do we ignore?

 

[JohnEGreen]

I do remember in a discussion on statins it being said that there have been no definitive studies that have shown statins to be of benefit to women at all. Not sure of the veracity of that statement but tend to believe it.

 

[Brunneria]

I can actually access my med notes online so know that a year ago my cholesterol was Total 6.6 which I thought rather high but the GP at the time was OK with that as the HDL was 2.8. ration was 2.4 and non HDL ch was 3.8. ratio 2.4 What incidentley is non NHD ch? Is this LDL?
I was still offered a statin but refused. I think the drs have to offer these things of course we don't have to accept them.
So much info out there but what do we take notice of and what do we ignore?

Try entering your cholesterol numbers into this calculator.
http://www.hughcalc.org/chol-si.php
I suspect it will tell you that you have great ratios (that HDL number is GREAT!).

 

[Dark Horse]

I can actually access my med notes online so know that a year ago my cholesterol was Total 6.6 which I thought rather high but the GP at the time was OK with that as the HDL was 2.8. ration was 2.4 and non HDL ch was 3.8. ratio 2.4 What incidentley is non NHD ch? Is this LDL?
I was still offered a statin but refused. I think the drs have to offer these things of course we don't have to accept them.
So much info out there but what do we take notice of and what do we ignore?

The NICE guidance for cardiovascular risk assessment has this to say about non-HDL cholesterol:-

In this update the Guideline Development Group (GDG) recommend the use of non‑high density lipoprotein (non‑HDL) cholesterol rather than low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Non‑HDL cholesterol is total cholesterol minus HDL cholesterol. LDL cholesterol is not directly measured but requires a calculation using a fasting sample and for triglyceride levels to be less than 4.5 mmol/litre, whereas the measurement of non‑HDL cholesterol does not.​

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg181/chapter/introduction

 

[Dark Horse]

If anyone wants to check their Qrisk, the calculator is here:- https://qrisk.org/2016/

 

[Gardengnome]

I do remember in a discussion on statins it being said that there have been no definitive studies that have shown statins to be of benefit to women at all. Not sure of the veracity of that statement but tend to believe it.

I tend to believe that too, it's just resisting the dr's bullying that can be so hard. Sometimes I think they get a bonus for every patient they manage to persuade onto a statin.