I have very high cholesterol, as far back as I can remember, and my arteries are surprisingly plaque free, no significant build-up. I eat ALL the saturated fat, and food containing Choline. These foods have scared people away from eating them. I've eatin like this for 3-4 years, I'm 72 in December. To be fare, Mayo Clinic says "may" cause plaque-buildup in arteries. But I say look at all the studies before you scare people into dropping healthy foods. That's really not what Big Pharma wants though, it's not what I believe. They want to push their drugs, period. So here's the info I get a lot of my info from, Pub Med, so if you read it, maybe you'll come up with the same thoughts I have about cholesterol (which our own bodies make btw). For those of you that know I have a pacemaker, my particular heart problem is not vascular, AV Node block, not arterial plaque. I just think it's smart to explore all the info I can to help me decide on these drugs I could have a shoe-box full of if big pharma had it's way. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4684135/
Thanks for posting that @Denise Evans. I agree with most of what that author stated. I have written about cholesterol here before, but I didn't want to get too specific as I didn't want to make some here who are on statins uncomfortable. Like the author, I have questioned the phobia around total cholesterol. I attended several workshops on statin drugs when they were first introduced, and I wasn't convinced of their value for the general public from the beginning for many reasons. The biggest reason was that they were never compared to the benefits of other drugs and substances such as simple aspirin or fish oil. The studies were designed to prove that statins lowered cholesterol, and, by implication mostly, ischemic heart disease. That started the bandwagon to get everyone world-wide onto statin drugs, much to the benefit of Big Pharma. Stains do cause a slight decrease in death from cardiac causes, which I attribute to their anti-inflammatory properties and have little or nothing to do with cholesterol. Statins were initially developed as anti-inflammatory drugs, but when they discovered that one of the side effects found was that they inhibited cholesterol production by the liver, it was off to the races. It was the first of the "perfect drug" class for Big Pharma, something they could get large numbers of people on for their entire lives--the golden goose for Big Pharma. The downside of all that was studies have shown that all-cause death rates are higher for those on statins than for those not on statins. Also, in my many years in healthcare work, I never saw a case of rhabdomyolysis until stains were released. The studies quoted by the author put muscle damage in patients on statins to be one in ten. I only saw those admitted to the hospital (those most severely affected) and that amounted to about one a month for me. The final nail in the coffin for me with cholesterol was working with Alaska Native patients. Many of those folks on the traditional diets had total cholesterols over 400 mg/dl, but their HDL levels approached 200 mg/dl in some cases. They NEVER had ischemic heart attacks eating levels of saturated fat unimaginable in Western diets. I cling to evidence from 1960s medicine that correlated ischemic heart disease (heart attacks actually) with levels of pyridoxine levels--vitamin B6. That was later supported with research on homocysteine levels. Homocysteine levels were actually what the 1960s studies were based on but they had no clinical assay for homocysteine at the time. Homocysteine levels correlate well with the hs-CRP mentioned in the article you cited (in a negative way) and the most striking statement for the article was: "A person with high levels of LDL-cholesterol but low levels of hs-CRP has a lower risk of a heart attack than a person with low levels of LDL-cholesterol but high levels of hs-CRP." Sorry to go on so long, but it is one of my pet "projects".
I have disagreed with every doctor who has put me on the Lipitor since my CHF. I am still on it, and thinking of at least cutting my dose again- from 20 to 10.
I'm just finishing my brunch but I am totally grateful after reading your reply, I'll be back in a few Ok, I'm back, and what your personal experience has taught you is so valuable to me. I hope others will take the time to read, because like Ryan Hall always says, "don't be scared, be prepared". I am my own guinea pig but I do believe cholesterol in foods is at least "not my" enemy. What I've been taught is that what's it's most important to check our Triglycerides ratio to HDL, so Trig # divided by HDL #. My total cholesterol is 500. This has quite honestly continued to rise after starting Ketogenics (basically turning my body into using fat for fuel, instead of carbs). But my trigs ratio has remained good and I've never lost ugly fat before for one thing, and am more active now than before. This inspite of some nasty withdrawal symptoms from the one drug I've been on, that I decided needed to go. Won't go off about that here I do believe Big Pharma is more interested in money, than they are people, just my opinion, but also, I believe some medicines are absolutely necessary. With that last part said, I always try to encourage others to do their own home-work, or let maybe a loved one help them decide, and at least look at alternatives to yet another drug. I believe in having doctors, but hey do not have the final say with my health, especially when all they suggest is another pill. I can't afford the best doctors etc. I go to clinics and take what I can get for medical care. Now I have other types of docs with my new Advantage plan, which I plan to take "advantage" of PS Also, I read a lot about Insulin Resistance, which I believe is also called Metabolic syndrome. Insulin Resistance is when the bodies tiny receptors are overloaded with Carbohydrates (at least that's one reason), and simply cannot handle the amount of insulin so they resist any more. That's probably the worst description anyone ever heard, but I just put it as I understand it, simple. here's an amazing guy, Dr. Ben Bikman explain IR, and once we have IR, it can be the start of many other diseases such as my T2 Diabetes:
I don't remember using a triglycerides/HDL ration, but, since triglycerides are related to LDL variants I can see the value.
I'm not suggesting to anyone to quit anything they are taking, just want to be clear. I can tell you after just Tapering slowly off a drug has been something bordering horrific, and I can not do it without partnering with my doctor. Plus the fact that by getting off of one medication you may need to do another if you can't change your nutrition. I'm saying that when I turned down Metformin for T2 I had an alternative plan which was dropping carbs very low, and no sugar at all. Like I said, we have to do our home-work, and I am 72 in a couple months, so it's just harder for older people that may have been on drugs for years. I was on the one and only one I take, for 35 years. I'm risking a lot, but I believe in the studies, and I believe in my support group of people that have gone before me in getting off a drug.
I learned that from others on my ketogenics forum Don. I can't sware it's the Truth, but it's put my mind at ease. Also on that same forum, I learned about Hyper-responders to Dietary Cholesterol. I think I might be one, for one thing, I am a thin person, and hyper-responders are usually not shown to be over-weight, including low, or no Visceral Fat, but still have high C numbers, but good Trigs/HDL numbers. One more thing to throw into the "mix" is that some studies are showing people with higher cholesterol are living longer than those with low C. I know, it's hard when we've mostly believed "fat is the enemy" and any foods containing cholesterol.
Sigh... I go back to general doctor tomorrow.. my physical problems have increased in last 2 weeks. Probability medicines could be a factor. My current symptoms mimic the EF I have had before... but do not think that is it this time. I can not due simple chores without pain and fatigue. Staying more and more on heating pad. Will update once know something.
Hi Hedi, if you started on a new drug 2 weeks ago, the two things could very well be related. As far as longer usage and it's possible side-effects, you can look those up by googling something like "your drug name" then side-effects of. I'm sure you already know how to do that. If so, than he can discontinue it for you, try something else. General practitioners can't offer much of anything "alternative" although when my MD heard I saw I'd reduced my A1c's to normal range for T2, he said, keep doing what you're doing. I also had some heart palpitations, they called in Afib, high anxiety to where I literally had to stay away from people or any awful news. I had chronic migraine, and a tremor in my head and left hand. All of the above, and probably some I left out, are way better or completely gone as I wean down of a benzodiazepene. I know it's probably not what you are taking, but I talk to many others that are weaning from other types of drugs. One lady in my church "small" group is 82 and she weaned off Prednisone. I'm not familiar with it, but she said it wasn't hard for her to wean off it. You have some choices, you just have to sort of find out what they are or come right out and ask your doctor. They just usually don't have the time to delve into everything that can be done, and some/most aren't educated on nutrition/exercise, or even supplements. If you feel worse, than you did before taking a medicine, that's where I'd start
It amazes me how many drugs people are taking. I went to a cardiologist and he was amazed that I took no prescription drugs, "not even a cholesterol drug." I do take a couple now now to deal with things related to my fall 10 years ago.
@Denise Evans = yes I am am very familiar on searching out meds, effects and etc. I do my research on myself via process of elmentation on many things. I just cant pin point for sure what is wrong with me now. @Don Alaska until my CHF in 2017 I was not on meds either.
"Talk to your doctor abour adding _______to the drugs you're already taking." Yes - doctors need your couseling on prescribing more drugs.
Yes, I only learned about Tolerance Withdrawal after I started seeing a Neurologist about 4 years ago. I'd never even heard of it. I'm glad I am tapering off the one drug I've been taking, rather than take a doctor up on raising the dosage though. I'd just rather try that. I have about 4 more months to go, but I only taper when I feel stable on the new, and lower dose. Slow and steady is working ok for me, but I don't escape "all" of the withdrawal, even on just a 3-5% taper. I think it will be worth it though. I've noticed so many improvements in how I feel. I still believe that statins just aren't for me, maybe I just read too much But with all the info we have nowadays, it's just too tempting not to pay attention. I have to decide for myself, not just blindly make my way through life on someone else's directions. I listen, but when I sit in an office for 15 minutes, don't even have a doctor bother to listen to my heart anymore, then all of a sudden, they're prescribing a pill for me, something is so wrong about that whole deal.