Taking statins without raising bg?

[Alexandra100]

Due to recent poor cholesterol test results, I am soon going to have to decide for or against taking a statin. Needless to say, taking one is what a consultant and my GP want. Please has anyone had a good experience of taking a lowish dose statin without raising bg or A1c?

 

[bulkbiker]

What are your most recent cholesterol figures?

 

[Alexandra100]

What are your most recent cholesterol figures?

Thanks for asking.

18th JUNE 2020

Serum cholesterol level 7.8 mmol/L

Serum HDL cholesterol level 2.8 mmol/L

Serum triglyceride levels 3.8 mmol/L [< 2.3]

Above high reference limit

Serum LDL cholesterol level 3.3 mmol/L

Serum non high density lipoprotein cholesterol level 5.0 mmol/L

Serum cholesterol/HDL ratio 2.8

 

[bulkbiker]

Had you fasted before the blood test?
How long for?

 

[Alexandra100]

Had you fasted before the blood test?
How long for?

It is now standard practice (according to the ADA, NHS and my GPs) not to fast before cholesterol tests unless taking statins. As fasting can make me feel very ill, I decided to go along with this. Part of the argument for not fasting is that this gives a more realistic picture of one's cholesterol levels. Of course this would not apply to people practising OMAD or other forms of fasting. I just ate as normal both the night before and at breakfast.

The last time I had a fasting test was about a year ago:

JULY 2019

Serum cholesterol level 8.1

Serum HDL cholesterol level 3.0

Serum triglyceride levels 0.7 (fasting)

Serum LDL cholesterol level 4.8

Serum cholesterol/HDL ratio 2.7

Serum non high density lipoprotein cholesterol level 5.1

As I have lots of risk factors for heart disease, I feel inclined to consider taking a statin, but not if it raises my bg.

 

[Antje77]

I've been on statins for a short while and they didn't seem to affect my bg. Not when I started them, but a lot of white noise there because I was adjusting to insulin, but also not when I stopped them when my bg's were pretty much controlled most of the time.

I've stopped them not because of side effects but because I wanted to see how my lipids would behave without the statins now my bg's were at a reasonable level (with the agreement of my DN). I hated the pill taking every day.

 

[bulkbiker]

It is now standard practice (according to the ADA, NHS and my GPs) not to fast before cholesterol tests

But that then skews the results as any fats eaten before the test will appear in the blood raising triglycerides (as indeed can be seen in your figures)

Whereas before your trigs were low when fasted the most recent test has them higher.

As the important ratio for heart disease is Trigs/HDL having elevated trigs due to eating before the blood is taken distorts the reading and thus makes the results pretty meaningless. At least that is what extensive reading of more up to date "science" implies.

Your 2019 HDL of 3.0 and trigs (fasted) of 0.7 gives a brilliant ratio of 0.233
Anything under 0.87 is considered exemplary.

The most recent gives 3.8/2.8 or a ratio of 1.35 which isn't good but as I said unrepresentative due to being non fasted.

My surgery refuses to do a full lipid panel if the subject hasn't fasted beforehand so it's certainly not an NHS wide view.

 

[Alexandra100]

I hated the pill taking every day.

@Antje77, thanks very much for the encouragement. As I already have to take 3 important meds twice daily, the idea of adding another doesn't bother me. But I do wonder if adding yet another med to the mix is a good idea.

 

[Alexandra100]

My surgery refuses to do a full lipid panel if the subject hasn't fasted beforehand so it's certainly not an NHS wide view.

That's very interesting. However the idea that fasting is not desirable is certainly in the NHS literature. To me, the idea that I am normally NOT fasting and therefore testing me when NOT fasting shows my real situation, has legs.

 

[bulkbiker]

That's very interesting. However the idea that fasting is not desirable is certainly in the NHS literature. To me, the idea that I am normally NOT fasting and therefore testing me when NOT fasting shows my real situation, has legs.

Yes it does indeed it shows the level of lipids in your blood at that precise moment as does your blood sugar reading at any one specific time.

Cholesterol is as dynamic as blood sugar which is why fasting removes the influence of what you have eaten before the bloods are taken.

12-14 hours is considered the best amount of time to have fasted.

 

[Automon]

It is now standard practice (according to the ADA, NHS and my GPs) not to fast before cholesterol tests unless taking statins. As fasting can make me feel very ill, I decided to go along with this. Part of the argument for not fasting is that this gives a more realistic picture of one's cholesterol levels. Of course this would not apply to people practising OMAD or other forms of fasting. I just ate as normal both the night before and at breakfast.

The last time I had a fasting test was about a year ago:

JULY 2019

Serum cholesterol level 8.1

Serum HDL cholesterol level 3.0

Serum triglyceride levels 0.7 (fasting)

Serum LDL cholesterol level 4.8

Serum cholesterol/HDL ratio 2.7

Serum non high density lipoprotein cholesterol level 5.1

As I have lots of risk factors for heart disease, I feel inclined to consider taking a statin, but not if it raises my bg.

I have been on statins for some considerable time and on my last 2 results were 32 so they have nor affected my BS at all

 

[Alexandra100]

I have been on statins for some considerable time and on my last 2 results were 32 so they have nor affected my BS at all

Thanks very much. Your results are much better than mine. My last two were 41 and 39. I would love them to be better, and would be upset if they got worse.

 

[Alexandra100]

I've been on statins for a short while and they didn't seem to affect my bg.

@Antje77 would you mind telling me which statin and what dose?

 

[Antje77]

@Antje77 would you mind telling me which statin and what dose?

I wouldn't mind at all. If I remembered...
I was busy learning everything about diabetes and insulin dosing, those statins, both the starting and the stopping were very much a small side thing so I have no clue.

 

[Alexandra100]

I wouldn't mind at all. If I remembered...
I was busy learning everything about diabetes and insulin dosing, those statins, both the starting and the stopping were very much a small side thing so I have no clue.

No problem. I can well imagine how much you had on your mind. In my case I found it all quite overwhelming, and I didn't have to cope with insulin. That must double the stress and the learning.

 

[Alexandra100]

I have been on statins for some considerable time and on my last 2 results were 32 so they have nor affected my BS at all

Could you tell me which statin and what dose?