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Statins

Jc3131

Well-Known Member
Messages
329
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hello everyone. I've just breen to the Drs and been prescribed statins as my cholesterol is 5.5. I think good cholesterol was 2.0 and bad 3.5 (great bit of maths there).

The Dr said it's more common in t2 than t1, but to give it a try.

Im a bit wary of popping pills and I was wondering if anyone else takes them?

Cheers John
 
Hi @Jc3131 I'm not going to comment directly with my thoughts on statins. I would suggest you put statins into the search box at the top of the forum page and see it light up with hits.
This must be in the top 5 discussed topics.
Wish you well
Hj
 
It's worth reading the pros and cons of statins. I was very reluctant to take them, but as my cholesterol jumped from 5.0 to 8.0, as my diabetes progressed, I decided that it was worth taking them. There is a lot of controversy over the role of the various fatty acids and what they mean for pulmonary system health, which is why I suggest reading widely and applying some critical thinking to what you read. My own emphasis is on carb control because I believe that this is the main cause of vascular inflammation. There is also some evidence that statins and metformin help to reduce inflammation. Indeed, some researchers believe that this is why statins are of benefit, rather than any cholesterol control activity.
 

Before you make any decision you need to know the actual breakdown. You need your HDL, your LDL and your triglycerides. The total of 5.5 is just the total of the good and the bad. Perhaps you could ask for a print out of the test results so you have these figures in front of you. The total is made up of:
HDL (good) + LDL (good and bad) + 46% of the triglycerides (bad) (UK measurements)

Then you need to work out the triglyceride/HDL ratio. To do this simply divide the trigs by the HDL. The result ideally should be under 0.87 (UK)
 
Statins do have side effects, I take an alternative called Ezetrol as the main line statin drugs gave me severe depression that crept up on me over time (3-6 months). Since taking Ezetrol my levels have been good and no depression or other side effects.
 
After weighing up the options and hearing the complaints of family and friends who take them, I decided not to.
 
5.5mml/l is about 215mg/dl here right? That's not horrible. An HDL of 2.0 is 77 here which is pretty high actually. Statins are quite safe as a drug class and there are few side effects. Remember online you'll hear about every possible side effect known to man and then some. Most people's lipid values are largely determined by their genetic makeup not what they eat, with obese persons as a possible exception if they lose weight.
 
Advice for the general population is total cholesterol below 5.0. And for diabetics (at least for T1) its below 4 due to the greater risk of heart disease.

I was 4.4 last year, I've been drinking one of those benecol yoghurt drinks for the last year and it was down to 3.9 on Dec. Expensive, but I'd rather pay that than get in statins.
 
On my online med report there's this part,
serum random triglycerides lvl 1.300mmol

Is this what I need to work things out?

Also cheers for the replies everyone.
 
I used to drink those before my t1 diagnosis, but I was told they are full of sugar and do us no favours.

I actually looked at a bottle of the stuff I used to buy and the sugar content was less than the low sugar yoghurts im currently eating. I think it was 6.5g carbs per 100ml bottle.
 
Benecol Dairy free, 2.6g of sugar per 100 ;p
 
Jc3131 said:
On my online med report there's this part,
serum random triglycerides lvl 1.300mmol

Is this what I need to work things out?

Also cheers for the replies everyone.
Click to expand...

Those are your triglycerides, and I take it you didn't fast for this test (as it says random). Always best to fast for a cholesterol test because a recent meal can affect your triglycerides and elevate them. Even so, your random triglycerides are still extremely good and not of any concern, in my humble opinion. However, I'm not a doctor!.
 
I have an appointment to see my Dsn next week so I will ask about the statins etc then.

In the meantime im going to cut out more of the rubbish I eat that has more saturated fat in. Also going to purchase some Benacol dairy free and give that a try.
 
Jc3131 said:
I have an appointment to see my Dsn next week so I will ask about the statins etc then.

In the meantime im going to cut out more of the rubbish I eat that has more saturated fat in. Also going to purchase some Benacol dairy free and give that a try.
Click to expand...
I think you will find that your DN will agree with your GP. Apart from the fact that one HCP will never openly disagree with a close colleague your DN will be singing from the same NICE/NHS/PHE hymn sheet regarding statin use.

Read up on statin use, if not then have a look at the lectures on YouTube.
 
Jc3131 said:
I have an appointment to see my Dsn next week so I will ask about the statins etc then.

In the meantime im going to cut out more of the rubbish I eat that has more saturated fat in. Also going to purchase some Benacol dairy free and give that a try.
Click to expand...
Might be expensive. I always think if they were strong enough to have any real effect, they'd need to be on prescription
 
dbr10 said:
Might be expensive. I always think if they were strong enough to have any real effect, they'd need to be on prescription
Click to expand...
Well im tight with my money, so if I have to remortgage to buy some I will give them a miss.
 
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