Well I knew it was coming! I'd had my latest blood test results, h1bac was 39 (perfectly happy with that) but after going low carb and moderate fat for 6 weeks, my cholesterol had risen. It's now a total of 8.9, (HDL 2.45, trigs 0.9, LDL 6.3). It had been around 7 previously with the same HDL & trigs. The Dr took one look and immediately wrote out a prescription for statins, not even the lowest dose but a mega dose of 40mg!
I spoke to him at length about it and pointed out my ratio which is still good and the trigs and HDL which are good. But no, he said 'We need to get that LDL down so that your total cholesterol is under 5'. WHAT?, under 5? It's never been under 5 and recent lipid tests show that my lipoprotein A (a lipo that is rarely checked) is higher than a 'normal' persons anyway meaning that no matter what I may eat or how perfect my lifestyle might be, it ain't never going to be under 5.
I know that it's my choice of course and even now I'm not going to take them but I will admit to a moment where I thought if I don't the Dr made me feel as though I was going to drop from a stroke or heart attack.
For context, I am slim, active, don't smoke or drink so to be fair he didn't bother giving me the old 'lifestyle' advice. Now I'm wondering whether to go back to a slightly higher carb diet (was on around 80 - 100) instead of sticking with the around 50 carbs. My priority is always going to be my glucose levels but although I know high cholesterol isn't the baddie they make it out to be, I do seem to be able to lower my LDL when eating a few more carbs.
I know most type 2s on here are different in that they have to low carb if they want to achieve good glucose levels but I do have the option of going a bit higher in carbs by utilising insulin. I dunno, you get one thing right and then your body decides to adjust by going into overdrive with another!
Thanks for listening!
No difference to 75% of the population.
'However, in some people, high-cholesterol foods do cause a rise in blood cholesterol. These people make up about 25% of the population and are often referred to as "hyperresponders." This tendency is considered to be genetic'
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9430080
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16596800
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/dietary-cholesterol-does-not-matter#section3
I believe it can take about 6 mths lchf to bring down cholesterol levels, because the body needs to adjust. Statins will mess up your bs levels too.
But I read those links as saying that hyperresponders also have higher HDL levels, which counteract the higher LDL,
....my GP has put ‘statin intolerant’ on my notes.[/USER]
It sounds like you can approach your cholesterol in two ways. Since you know you have higher Lipoprotein a, you could "experiment" (under the supervision of an open-minded doctor) with something like Niacin. But do watch out for side effects.
"Niacin can lower Lp(a) in some patients by up to 30 percent. However, niacin can have serious side effects, so should only be taken with the supervision of a doctor." https://www.athero.org.au/fh/lipoproteina/
Otherwise, tackle your total cholesterol (and LDL) by experimenting with diet. It sounds like you don't eat much food containing cholesterol so maybe one of the other methods mentioned by the others in this thread would be more appropriate.
It seems that many (who can tolerate a few extra carbs) do have some success at lowering their cholesterol by introducing a few extra carbs. You'd have to be selective not to upset your blood glucose levels. Maybe those eating low to moderate carb on this forum can recommend some foods that they have tested their blood glucose reactions to.
I've seen some say they have had success lowering LDL (and total cholesterol) by eating a cup of steel cut oats each day. I thought I would try but it does seem to raise my blood glucose a little higher than I like.
Then there are so many other things from carob powder to psyllium husks that supposedly lower cholesterol. And of course fish oil and monounsaturated fats (which you would be already getting from olive oil, but macadamia nuts are another good source). This article talks about lipids (including saturated fat) and their affects on cholesterol.
https://openheart.bmj.com/content/5/2/e000871
And then you might simply join Dave Feldman's followers on his FB page called "LMHR" and be excited to have such high cholesterol levels with good ratios. Although the Lipoprotein a is still the problem, isn't it?
And it seems that statins do nothing to reduce Lipoprotein a. It also doesn't sound like they increase anyone's life expectancy by much either. And they seem to be dished out as frequently as lollies are to children...
If you did have a CAC or a CIMT (Carotid artery scan) and found significant blockages, then I guess a statin might be more tempting if it acts faster than dietary changes, but if Dave Feldman's research shows anything, it's that you can change your cholesterol levels within days with extreme dietary measures so I think statins are for those who don't have any other information about how they might alter their cholesterol levels and just do what their doctors tell them.
Luckily you won't be going Low Fat High Carb because that doesn't seem to help one bit http://www.jlr.org/content/early/2010/08/16/jlr.M005769.full.pdf
Here's yet another article:
"...other investigators have reported an increase in Lp(a) levels in individuals after they reduced their saturated fat intake. Monounsaturated fats also seem to reduce Lp(a) levels, as shown by a study that reported a significant decrease in Lp(a) levels in individuals whose diets were supplemented with almonds."
https://www.docsopinion.com/health-and-nutrition/lipids/lipoprotein-a/
Hi Cocosilk, thank you for such an informative reply. My diet pretty much follows the same each day; nothing until around 3pm when I might eat low fat greek yogurt and a few berries (I know! but I just can't bring myself to eat high fat), then around 6/7pm my main meal is mainly veg (sometimes root veg and sometimes above ground) and fresh salmon or very occasionally a steak or Bolognese sauce). For 'snacks' and mainly to keep from dropping weight I have nuts (probably too many), and 30g of cheese a day. That is pretty much it, probably once a fortnight I will have something like tinned salmon and chickpeas or beans. I rarely take novarapid since goingvery low carb and take 10 lantus each evening so I know that if I up my carbs to around 100, I can cope with keeping my levels steady with an extra unit or two of insulin. I really would not mind if I was still around 7 total cholesterol but I don't like it sitting at 9 even though it seems like my HDL compensates for it. It's the genetic factor that concerns me more, I know for other people higher cholesterol is 'healthy' for them but I have the added 'risk' of that pesky lipoprotein A which they say is high risk in and of itself for strokes etc. Everything else about me is pretty much spot on. I will look at those links, thank you.
If you are Type 1, does that mean your insulin sensitivity is not necessarily compromised as it always is with Type 2? If so, then provided you dose your insulin appropriately, you should be fine to add a few extra carbs if you wanted to try that, shouldn't you? But you are not eating grains, are you?
Your diet sounds more like what I should do so I can lose weight. I'm breastfeeding and struggled along with keto, now more low carb and even testing moderate carb. My cholesterol levels were measured at 8 weeks postpartum and I have since read that it was a bit early after a c-section, but also elevated cholesterol is normal while breastfeeding as well. My numbers were very similar to yours (TC 8.7 / LDL 5.5 / HDL 2.89 / Trigs 0.7) and my silly doctor would have had me quit breastfeeding my 8 week old baby so I could take a statin... But I'm also wondering which part of my diet to tweak to maybe see if I can bring it down a bit myself. I haven't checked what levels of Lipoprotein a I might have yet. Nor levels of small dense LDL.
I'm eating a little differently from you. Can't fast for as long but I eat breakfast late, 10:30 or 11:30am. Usually 2 eggs (was 3 while pregnant!), cheese, sauerkraut, avocado. Today I added a chicken liver and a few slices of a European semi-dried sausage. Sometimes I have bacon. On certain days I'll have a slice of my husband's sourdough rye or spelt bread too. I wanted to quit grains but I keep going back and forth with his bread. It doesn't spike my blood sugar as high as other breads so I still lean towards that as a carb if I want to have a few extra carbs in my diet.
I do eat fatty red meats, chicken with skin on, lard (my husband makes ours), or I just eat the drippings from our roasted pork bellies, liver when I can get it, salmon most weeks, tinned tuna and sardines in between, and vegetables, including lentils and chickpeas, and salads as sides or a late evening meal. My husband (a Serb by the way) brings home ox tongues and lamb hearts and makes soups, which I also have. Chicken hearts are a new favourite actually. And chicken liver pate. Tofu and tempeh sometimes. Miso soup with seaweed. Tiny amounts of Basmati rice here and there. My husband has just started making sauerkraut and I love it! And I drink tea, coffee with cream, carob and cocoa on full cream milk or warmed milk with a square of dark chocolate melted through it... Mmm
Snacks are nuts (too many as well), cheese, full fat yoghurt (husband also makes yoghurt), goat's milk I drink, and I have the odd bite of a banana. Just experimented with making jelly using a wild berry tea (no sweeteners) and serving it with raspberries and cream. I clearly eat too much! ha ha I also end up nibbling on and off through the day and into the late evening, which is bad, but happens because I get interrupted by baby or one of my other 2 small kids. I just hope the breastfeeding uses up some of it but I still have weight to lose after this last pregnancy.
Let us know what you end up trying and if it does have any affect on your cholesterol levels!
How do you feel, generally? If you feel great that is a positive indicator.Hi Cocosilk, thank you for such an informative reply. My diet pretty much follows the same each day; nothing until around 3pm when I might eat low fat greek yogurt and a few berries (I know! but I just can't bring myself to eat high fat), then around 6/7pm my main meal is mainly veg (sometimes root veg and sometimes above ground) and fresh salmon or very occasionally a steak or Bolognese sauce). For 'snacks' and mainly to keep from dropping weight I have nuts (probably too many), and 30g of cheese a day. That is pretty much it, probably once a fortnight I will have something like tinned salmon and chickpeas or beans. I rarely take novarapid since goingvery low carb and take 10 lantus each evening so I know that if I up my carbs to around 100, I can cope with keeping my levels steady with an extra unit or two of insulin. I really would not mind if I was still around 7 total cholesterol but I don't like it sitting at 9 even though it seems like my HDL compensates for it. It's the genetic factor that concerns me more, I know for other people higher cholesterol is 'healthy' for them but I have the added 'risk' of that pesky lipoprotein A which they say is high risk in and of itself for strokes etc. Everything else about me is pretty much spot on. I will look at those links, thank you.
How do you feel, generally? If you feel great that is a positive indicator.
If you increase your carbs, all you will do is see higher blood sugar levels AND lower HDL.
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