Serum Lipids Results

[Novelty341]

Hello, Forum.

I have previously published my worries re cholesterol.

Please take a look at my latest results and kindly advise.

Background: Slim diabetic, diabetic since 2014 (9 years). Medication: Metformin 500mg in the morning (the oldest possible version). Blood pressure (diastolic) could go high: about 90. Kidneys are working fine. Never any problematic results. Diet: low carb (if you are interested, I can provide my weekly menus). Very energetic and sporty (doing Tracy Anderson 6 days a week plus a lot of walking, cycling, etc).

What am I doing wrong? How can I improve? Is my heart getting damaged?

Thank you in advance.

 

[ianf0ster]

Hi @Novelty341
There are many disagreements amongst cardiologists about this subject, so many of them would say that since your Triglycerides are great and your HDL is great then you don't need to be concerned about your calculated LDL or your overall serum Cholesterol levels.
However others would advise Statins which (even if you didn't get side effects like muscle aches and brain fog, would almost certainly lower your HDL and probably raise your Triglycerides too both of which put you at higher heart risk and may possibly also raise your Blood Glucose which is also bad.

 

[Novelty341]

Thanks for the quick reply.

Much appreciated.

I could see the below on the Mayo Clinic's website.

Link: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases...expert-answers/cholesterol-ratio/faq-20058006

If I use this formula, my cholesterol seems to be fine. I am so confused.

My diabetic nurse insists on statins and blood pressure medication. I do not want any medication at all. Is there any indication showing that cardiovascular disease is progressing? Surely, I should FEEL something, anything is wrong with my heart?

What tests can I run?

 

[bulkbiker]

Your Trig/HDL ratio at 0.34 is even better than it was last time!

Please remember that you should decide what goes into your body .. the nurse is there to advise.

They should not be "insisting" on anything.. it's always your choice.

I seriously doubt that there is anything "wrong" with your heart.

 

[Novelty341]

Thanks, Bulkbiker!

I remember you well and how you calculated my trig/HDL ratio last time!

Just I feel as if a big tide is coming my way, represented by my diabetic nurse and the medical establishment, and the 'small' me is considered to be very badly informed and...well, incapable of fully 'appreciating' the consequences: potential mini-strokes, heart attack, developing dementia at a later stage due to transient strokes...

How come I feel nothing?!

Is there any test for clogging of the arteries that I could do privately? And, maybe, show it to my diabetic nurse? I am sure, she will continue pushing her case.

 

[bulkbiker]

Thanks, Bulkbiker!

I remember you well and how you calculated my trig/HDL ratio last time!

Just I feel as if a big tide is coming my way, represented by my diabetic nurse and the medical establishment, and the 'small' me is considered to be very badly informed and...well, incapable of fully 'appreciating' the consequences: potential mini-strokes, heart attack, developing dementia at a later stage due to transient strokes...

How come I feel nothing?!

Is there any test for clogging of the arteries that I could do privately? And, maybe, show it to my diabetic nurse? I am sure, she will continue pushing her case.

You could try and get a Coronary Artery Calcium scan (CAC scan) which would show the build up of hard plaque in the arteries if indeed there is any. However it is expensive and not carried out in many places.

Nursey probably won't have heard of it but it could be worth asking.

I recently joined a study group looking at heart disease in T2 diabetics in order to get a free one!

 

[Daphne917]

Thanks for the quick reply.

Much appreciated.

I could see the below on the Mayo Clinic's website.

Link: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases...expert-answers/cholesterol-ratio/faq-20058006

If I use this formula, my cholesterol seems to be fine. I am so confused.

My diabetic nurse insists on statins and blood pressure medication. I do not want any medication at all. Is there any indication showing that cardiovascular disease is progressing? Surely, I should FEEL something, anything is wrong with my heart?

What tests can I run?

Unfortunately most DNs insist on statins, whether you need them or not but it is up to you whether or not you take her advice. Some, like me, did and my hba1c increased from 48 to 54 through Statins which I no longer take and I don’t intend to. If you have high BLood Pressure you may need BP pills but, if you haven’t already, invest in a BP machine and write down the results for them to see as sometimes BP increases due to ‘White Coat Sydrome’.

 

[Novelty341]

Thanks, everyone! This is really helpful and calms me down a bit...

What about Cardiac CT Scan? Is that a good test to have? Or is it too much radiation?

Has anyone had it?

 

[Novelty341]

Unfortunately most DNs insist on statins, whether you need them or not but it is up to you whether or not you take her advice. Some, like me, did and my hba1c increased from 48 to 54 through Statins which I no longer take and I don’t intend to. If you have high BLood Pressure you may need BP pills but, if you haven’t already, invest in a BP machine and write down the results for them to see as sometimes BP increases due to ‘White Coat Sydrome’.

I have a blood pressure machine. To be honest, diastolic tends to be high...ish. Above 90. The nurse's advice was 135 - 75. 75 diastolic in my case is almost unseen before. Above 80, yes, consistently. 75 - no. 130 systolic is almost the norm.

 

[NicoleC1971]

Thanks, Bulkbiker!

I remember you well and how you calculated my trig/HDL ratio last time!

Just I feel as if a big tide is coming my way, represented by my diabetic nurse and the medical establishment, and the 'small' me is considered to be very badly informed and...well, incapable of fully 'appreciating' the consequences: potential mini-strokes, heart attack, developing dementia at a later stage due to transient strokes...

How come I feel nothing?!

Is there any test for clogging of the arteries that I could do privately? And, maybe, show it to my diabetic nurse? I am sure, she will continue pushing her case.

I have similar numbers to you and was recently reassured to know that LDL in the context of a low carb diet and with great trig/HDL ratio, the majority of that LDL is going to be of the large fluffy and benign kind (if you believe that LDL is the 'bad; cholesterol. Lots of cardiologists don't.
IF you think your LDL is too high then the only effective therapy )other than a high carb, low fat diet) is to take a statin but do they work to reduce your risk of dying early? If they don't then this suggests that LDL isn't a problem in your case!
Taking a statin reduces this type of fluffy large particles and does NOT reduce the small dense particles that are reckoned to be damaging to the artery walls (think of golf balls sticking to a river bed bank versus large beach balls floating harmlessly along). This is why statins don't prevent heart disease even if they do reduce LDL (extension of life is about 4 days for those with actual heart disease after taking these for 5 years).
The reason diabetics get heart disease more often than others is because higher glucose levels damage our arteries as do high insulin levels (type 2 diabetes) so whatever you are doing to keep glucose and insulin low in your body is doing the leg work in keeping your heart healthy.
I recommend reading both The Clot Thickens (Dr Malcolm McKendrick) and Metabolical by Dr Robert Lustig if only to counter the narrative you will get from your doctors if they are stuck in the Lipid Heart Hypothesis still.
Lastly in the studies having a high cholesterol (not pathologically high as in familial hypercholesterolemia) was associated with longevity which shows what a cortical substance this is in our bodies.