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To statin or not?

Since finding an article on the BMJ Open site which matched age at death to LDL levels, and found that the higher the higher for significant numbers of people - I find it difficult to understand why there is such an emphasis for lowering cholesterol for older people.
Combined with my personal experience of a few weeks taking Atorvastatin and Metformin, when I thought my options were a care home or suicide, I would say if my risk of sudden death is higher now, so be it, whilst I am alive, I wish to live.
 

Thanks. I have been trying to follow a lower carb diet. Nothing drastic & shock horror I have the occasional wrap! Where do I find out about ‘trigs low in comparison to my HD’. I asked about diet this morning, didn’t know! But I think I have a grandson older than him! And my diabetic nurse could do with following her own advice!!
 
All i can say is from my experience having had high cholesterol and now having a score of 2.5 they seem to work for me if i sat and read all the stories about them im sure i also would be skeptical about taking them it really is all about choice i think like me a lot of people dont realize how bad this illness can be
 
@porl69 . Your 20 yrs on statins is 20 yrs real time experience and provides proof of the drugs benefits.
Much more to learn from you than a few years reading up on statins.
 
Hi. Forget the QRisk thing as I think it's rubbish. Ignore total cholesterol figures but note your various lipids ratios and use those to decide whether you might need statins. Ask your GP for a full lipids panel at you next blood test if that hasn't been done.
 
Sorry. Careless typo! Both HDL and triglycerides are usually on a standard lipid panel.
Diet wise eating less carb will bring triglycerides down if you find out you have a less than ideal ratio.
HDL will often rise when you eat high fat/low carb however so may your LDL. Many of us do not believe the latter is a problem.
Not surprised your GP doesn't know about nutrition as they don't get taught much even though it is arguably much more effective in chronic disease prevention and cure than pills!
Grateful patients overfeed nurses!
 
My goto GP recommended statins at our first appointment. I didn’t take him up on his offer. A year later my blood sugar levels had radically improved along with blood pressure and weight. He hasn’t mentioned statins since. Good GP though and right behind the low carb approach.
 
therower said:
I didn’t say it “ shows “.
I said it provides proof.
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To be fair, it provides proof - as if any further were needed - that these drugs are effective at lowering serum cholesterol. Nothing else.
 
Jim Lahey said:
To be fair, it provides proof - as if any further were needed - that these drugs are effective at lowering serum cholesterol. Nothing else.
Click to expand...
And if lowering serum cholesterol is your goal then you’ve hit upon a winner. The statins work.
 
therower said:
And if lowering serum cholesterol is your goal then you’ve hit upon a winner. The statins work.
Click to expand...

Agreed. But you didn't say they worked, you said "benefits". The benefits of doing so are a matter of fierce debate.
 
therower said:
I didn’t say it “ shows “.
I said it provides proof.
Click to expand...
No proof whatsoever.. it simply shows that so far as we know statins have apparently caused no harm to @porl69 ...yet.
And that his cholesterol has come down.. the debate about whether this is beneficial or not is still ongoing.
 
I have often mulled over what might have led my GP to offer me statins. He didnt whip LCHF out of his locker initially. My theory is that offering a pill is so much simpler than offering a lchf dietary solution (for the doc that is ).
 
bulkbiker said:
No proof whatsoever.. it simply shows that so far as we know statins have apparently caused no harm to @porl69 ...yet.
And that his cholesterol has come down.. the debate about whether this is beneficial or not is still ongoing.
Click to expand...

I am with @porl69 on this one. Like him I have been on statins for around 20 years. I have checked back on my medical records via My Diabetes My Way which shows my cholestorol levels during that period. Prior to taking the statins my levels were very high. Since taking them levels have come right down and most importantly stayed down They have been a consistent level for years.

So @bulkbiker could you perhaps give us the benefit of your wisdom as to why this is not proof. I would have thought that 20 years worth of my records is pretty conclusive proof that statins work
 
@bulkbiker @Jim Lahey . I’m not debating, I am merely saying what I believe to be true and in my opinion correct.
If you don’t like my opinions for whatever reasons then perhaps you should leave the thread.
 
KTNIC said:
Calm down , we are all allowed our opinion and we are all different! X
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Very true, but proof is only a matter of opinion when there is none. If people want to use words like “proof” then that’s fine, but they can reasonably expect their comments to be scrutinised
 

Proof of what?

@therower claimed "proof of the drugs benefits"(sic)

Statins lower cholesterol .. that seems to be fairly well agreed.. whether that is beneficial or not will depend entirely on whether you believe elevated cholesterol "causes" heart disease or doesn't.

I'm firmly in the latter camp and have posted a thread with all the evidence for my thoughts as post 2 on the thread.
If you have time to trawl through it then you may find some things that are new.

That many seem happy to think that LDL and HDL are "cholesterol" shows a lack of basic understanding of the mechanics. But hey what does 3 years of reading lead to?
 
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