The problems with this are that triglycerides are constantly varying, so a single measurement at a particular time of day is useless; and that triglycerides are often not included in blood test results.
For comparative purposes, TC/HDL is a better indicator of triglyceride levels, a result < 3.5 being good. Ref Prof Sikaris.
Hi Grateful. Your story sounds very similar to mine. I reversed my diabetes in 2017 with the Newcastle and then Keto diet. My cholesterol numbers have been all over the map in the last 2 years. I have researched and have found that the top 2 selling drugs in North America (I am Canadian) are #1 Lantus Insulin and #2 statins so I my statin prescription from my doctor sits unfilled. I have read Dave Feldman's Cholesterol Code and recommend it https://cholesterolcode.com/. Also, I always do the Framingham Risk Score when I get my numbers. I am keeping an eye on it and have found that if I fast longer than 12 hours prior to the test my cholesterol, Total LDL numbers will be higher. There is no doubt for patients who have had a previous cardiac event or family history of cholesterol/cardiac issues that statins work but I don't believe they are effective for everyone. I am not a medical person just trying to figure this all out like everyone else. I wish you all the best Grateful and will follow to see how you are doing.I had my first officials "diabetes consultation" with the DN today. (For some reason it took two years to get to this point, after moving from the USA to UK two years ago. I suspect this is because my HbA1c has never been found to be high by the NHS: by the time I moved here it was under control using diet and exercise.)
Anyway she congratulated me on keeping good control of my A1c (37, as measured two weeks ago) but said the test also showed my cholesterol is high. Serum cholesterol was 6.5, serum HDL was 1.8, and the ratio is 3.6. She consulted the duty GP and gave me a prescription for statins.
At this point I gently pushed back, saying that I would much prefer to try diet and lifestyle changes first. My argument was that if I start taking the statins immediately, I will never know whether non-drug alternatives could do the trick on their own.
The nurse said that the recommendation is for cholesterol to be 5 or below, and for anyone who has been diagnosed with diabetes, 4 or below. She said that because my cholesterol is high, I am at higher risk of a cardio-vascular event.
I then asked her to check what my cholesterol was, the last time it had been checked. This was 15 months ago (at the time of my NHS "MoT") and at that time the numbers were almost exactly the same as they are now. At the time, the nurse casually mentioned that the numbers were high but took no further action.
Today I told the diabetes nurse it looks like I have been living with high cholesterol for at least 15 months, so I don't personally have a problem with taking a few extra weeks during which I can try to use diet-only to bring the number down. At this point she actually agreed with me and gave me three months to get the number down without drugs. We will re-assess at the end of April. (She said I could keep the prescription because it is valid for 6 months!)
So: What is the best way to bring the number down? Also (playing devil's advocate) how much does it really matter?
Not sure about that, since a recent 10yr study showed that those in the higher LDL category lived longer than those in the lower LDL category in a study population of those with a prior Stroke, heart Attack or Heart failure.There is no doubt for patients who have had a previous cardiac event or family history of cholesterol/cardiac issues that statins work but I don't believe they are effective for everyone.
I had my first officials "diabetes consultation" with the DN today. (For some reason it took two years to get to this point, after moving from the USA to UK two years ago. I suspect this is because my HbA1c has never been found to be high by the NHS: by the time I moved here it was under control using diet and exercise.)
Anyway she congratulated me on keeping good control of my A1c (37, as measured two weeks ago) but said the test also showed my cholesterol is high. Serum cholesterol was 6.5, serum HDL was 1.8, and the ratio is 3.6. She consulted the duty GP and gave me a prescription for statins.
At this point I gently pushed back, saying that I would much prefer to try diet and lifestyle changes first. My argument was that if I start taking the statins immediately, I will never know whether non-drug alternatives could do the trick on their own.
The nurse said that the recommendation is for cholesterol to be 5 or below, and for anyone who has been diagnosed with diabetes, 4 or below. She said that because my cholesterol is high, I am at higher risk of a cardio-vascular event.
I then asked her to check what my cholesterol was, the last time it had been checked. This was 15 months ago (at the time of my NHS "MoT") and at that time the numbers were almost exactly the same as they are now. At the time, the nurse casually mentioned that the numbers were high but took no further action.
Today I told the diabetes nurse it looks like I have been living with high cholesterol for at least 15 months, so I don't personally have a problem with taking a few extra weeks during which I can try to use diet-only to bring the number down. At this point she actually agreed with me and gave me three months to get the number down without drugs. We will re-assess at the end of April. (She said I could keep the prescription because it is valid for 6 months!)
So: What is the best way to bring the number down? Also (playing devil's advocate) how much does it really matter?
The cholestrol thing is interesting and if not already pointed out you have to consider the NICE guidelines given to medical staff: above a certain level of cholesterol they must recommend the patient in the direction of statins.
A good article to start with is here on diabetes.co.ukEvidence?
A good article to start with is here on diabetes.co.uk
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes-medication/diabetes-and-statins.html
A good article to start with is here on diabetes.co.uk
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes-medication/diabetes-and-statins.html
Recognise this problem. My cholesterol has always been in the 7.4-7.6 range ever since first test, at least 20+ years back. Didn't vary no matter what weight or level of fitness I was at, which has included at times very high levels of fitness and activity. Current GP reckoned I have possibly got naturally high level. Offered statins but always refused as not prepared to take something with at best 99% chance of having no benefit. But - this month blood test done at first DPN appointment shows cholesterol up to over 8. BP still low. Weight dropping on LC/HF. Statins back on hard sell offer. Still don't want to take them and have said to let me try diet etc first. I understand that fasting (which I'm doing) can raise cholesterol levels and I know that there are increasingly questions over statin efficacy. I'm digging my heels in.
It will be total... full lipid panels are not always the norm here in the UK and fasting advice is rarely given so results can be skewed anyway.When you say your cholesterol do you mean LDL or total?
Not sure about that, since a recent 10yr study showed that those in the higher LDL category lived longer than those in the lower LDL category in a study population of those with a prior Stroke, heart Attack or Heart failure.
So how are statins helping? Is it that those with the higher LDL were on Statins? So they aren't lowering the LDL but they are reducing deaths?
Or that higher LDL is protective? - In which case why take a Statin to negate that beneficial effect?
But if you really like statins, then you need to take either Simvastatin or Atorvastatin, since they pass through the blood/brain barrier and so can do their good work in allegedly depriving your brain cells of nutrients - LOL !
Guessing it was this one..Could you please supply some links and references for these statements.
Thank you.
The general recommendations for diabetics in the US is LDL cholesterol below 80 (or 2.1 if the converter is correct) for the general diabetic population and below 70 (or 1.8) if they have a history of cardiovascular disease.
In the UK the general recommendations are LDL ( serum lipids) up to 3mmol/l . I think it maybe a little lower for those with diabetes. The more recent NHS recommendations are to pay less attention to the LDL and to look at the Total cholesterol/HDL ratio, which should be under 5 and the non-HDL cholesterol level, which should be under 4 (3.4 for diabetics).
Asked her remove the T2 diabetes.. oh yes your QRisk is 10.6..
Thanks, but I was rather hoping that @ianf0ster would supply his own references for his own claims and statements.
I had my first officials "diabetes consultation" with the DN today. (For some reason it took two years to get to this point, after moving from the USA to UK two years ago. I suspect this is because my HbA1c has never been found to be high by the NHS: by the time I moved here it was under control using diet and exercise.)
Anyway she congratulated me on keeping good control of my A1c (37, as measured two weeks ago) but said the test also showed my cholesterol is high. Serum cholesterol was 6.5, serum HDL was 1.8, and the ratio is 3.6. She consulted the duty GP and gave me a prescription for statins.
At this point I gently pushed back, saying that I would much prefer to try diet and lifestyle changes first. My argument was that if I start taking the statins immediately, I will never know whether non-drug alternatives could do the trick on their own.
The nurse said that the recommendation is for cholesterol to be 5 or below, and for anyone who has been diagnosed with diabetes, 4 or below. She said that because my cholesterol is high, I am at higher risk of a cardio-vascular event.
I then asked her to check what my cholesterol was, the last time it had been checked. This was 15 months ago (at the time of my NHS "MoT") and at that time the numbers were almost exactly the same as they are now. At the time, the nurse casually mentioned that the numbers were high but took no further action.
Today I told the diabetes nurse it looks like I have been living with high cholesterol for at least 15 months, so I don't personally have a problem with taking a few extra weeks during which I can try to use diet-only to bring the number down. At this point she actually agreed with me and gave me three months to get the number down without drugs. We will re-assess at the end of April. (She said I could keep the prescription because it is valid for 6 months!)
So: What is the best way to bring the number down? Also (playing devil's advocate) how much does it really matter?
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