High Cholesterol

[Ridire]

Who here has been told they have high cholesterol?

Have you been prescribed pills for it?

Any side effects from those pills?

I am very curious about this. I assume this crowd is probably more susceptible to high cholesterol than most.

 

[Ridire]

I guess I should give a little background so this doesn't seem as odd a question.

I had never been told that I had high cholesterol until a few weeks ago. I went in for a routine physical, not thinking about a cholesterol test, and did not fast before I went in. Everything was fine...healthy blood pressure, healthy heart rate, healthy blood sugar, etc. But he said I had high cholesterol (I do not know the numbers off the top of my head, but think overall cholesterol was 230). He handed me a prescription. I told him I hadn't fasted and didn't know how much that would impact the test...he didn't seem to care. There was no talk of trying to lower it though diet, or redoing the test with me fasting, etc. I've never been on a prescription in my life...other than antibiotics for short stints. I thought "what the hell, it's just a cholesterol pill, I'll just take it...no harm". Shortly thereafter, I started having serious foot pain. I did not draw a connection until someone told me that a lot of people complain about plantar fasciitis when on statins. I looked up my prescription, and sure enough, it is a statin. I looked at the other side effects, plus all the studies that show that this pill is probably completely pointless for someone like me with no other risk factors of heart disease.

I'm off that pill. I am going to make a few modifications to my diet and go in for another test...after I've properly fasted.

Anyone else have something like this happen to them?

 

[Rockn_M]

I've been told I have high blood pressure. I don't think I was even 30 when the doctors told me that. So I started working out, eating healthy and that has seemed to work, at least for now.

You would think that without fasting the test results would be skewed.

 

[masonsjax]

The medical field's view of cholesterol is dangerously old-fashioned. Most are still talking about good and bad cholesterol, based on the lipid hypothesis which was fabricated from thin air to satisfy political agendas. The very study performed by Dr Keys that he supposedly used to support his theory actually shows no evidence of what he claimed. In fact, there has never been a single study that supports that hypothesis. Statin drugs address a symptom, not the cause. If you want to control oxidized cholesterol deposits in your veins, the proper solution would be to lower the amount of carbohydrate you regularly consume.

 

[Ridire]

. Statin drugs address a symptom, not the cause.

This is my thinking. But, I am certainly no doctor. I do not buy into most "conspiracy theories" but think sometimes doctors get tired of having the "eat healthier" discussion and find it easier to appease the masses by writing a script. I believe that is what happened to me. Unfortunately, I do not want a quick fix. I do not like taking Rx unless they are essential. I'm not so sure this one is essential...

 

[Homercidal]

First, there is a reason the want you to fast before having a blood test.

Second, I would consider changing doctors. Any doctor who doesn't CONSIDER a change in diet and exercise is suspect in my mind.

Also, the medical community has recently lowered their standard for what is "High" cholesterol. I'm not sure if you would have qualified with the previous guidelines, but to me the whole thing smacks of pharm partnerships.

I wish I knew the right answer, but I feel that a moderate and varied diet, leaning towards less grain and more fruits, vegetables and lean meats, plus regular and vigorous exercise, may work the best in a person's favor. But i do believe that genetics says that some people are going to be predisposed to having heart disease or build up in their arteries.

It just kind of seems odd. They are putting more and more people on these drugs, and I can't recall seeing any numbers that show there has been a comparable decline in deaths. I admit I haven't really looked though.

 

[progmac]

what are your other numbers? i am a normal bmi, normal-to-low blood pressure, healthy person and i exercise regularly. my cholesterol is borderline high-usually in the 190-230 range. my 'good' cholesterol is very high, too. all the men in my family are like this, yet we have no incidence of heart-related problems going back many generations. my doctors are absolutely unconcerned.

 

[Ridire]

what are your other numbers? i am a normal bmi, normal-to-low blood pressure, healthy person and i exercise regularly. my cholesterol is borderline high-usually in the 190-230 range. my 'good' cholesterol is very high, too. all the men in my family are like this, yet we have no incidence of heart-related problems going back many generations. my doctors are absolutely unconcerned.

I am probably carrying an extra 10-15 lbs. He said he was not at all concerned about that...but certainly encouraged me to lose the 10-15 lbs. if I were so inclined. Basically, he said he doubts that level of extra weight on a 41 year old guy would cause serious health problems. I am fairly inactive these days (used to be an athlete and very active, and I eat like ****. That is why I'm ditching the pills. I can make changes in my behavior without becoming a monk. Hell, I'm guessing my numbers would drastically improve if I just started packing my own lunch instead of grabbing whatever was quick once the time came at the office.

Also, I told him the same thing about heart problems in the family. The only heart issues I can ever remember in anyone in my extended family was my grandfather having congestive heart failure when he was in his 80's and 150 lbs. overweight...I don't get too worked up over the genetics of a dude who lived to be 86 years old who carried a lot more weight than I'll ever carry.

Better diet...and if this goddamn foot issue ever clears up, back into a running and lifting routine. Nothing crazy, just a mile or two 4-5 times a week and a lifting session 1-3 times a week.

EDIT: oh, and my blood pressure was right in the middle of healthy and my heart rate is at the low end of normal (mid-60 beats per minute, if I remember correctly).

 

[bruteforce]

The medical field's view of cholesterol is dangerously old-fashioned. Most are still talking about good and bad cholesterol, based on the lipid hypothesis which was fabricated from thin air to satisfy political agendas. The very study performed by Dr Keys that he supposedly used to support his theory actually shows no evidence of what he claimed. In fact, there has never been a single study that supports that hypothesis. Statin drugs address a symptom, not the cause. If you want to control oxidized cholesterol deposits in your veins, the proper solution would be to lower the amount of carbohydrate you regularly consume.

Thats pretty much exactly what I found. My cholesterol was horrible about 7 years ago, I dropped refined sugar, refined flour, and white rice from my diet and get most of my carbs from veggies and its doing great. Then again, I lost about 150 pounds of fat in a year from doing that, so I'm sure that helped too.

 

[Ridire]

I lost about 150 pounds of fat in a year from doing that, so I'm sure that helped too.

Holy cow. Good for you. I'm sure the weight loss was the biggest part of it for you.

If I lost 150 lbs., I'd weigh less than my 6 year old daughter...that is not the way for me to "fix" the cholesterol.

 

[Airplanedoc]

Your Dr. like most is probably getting "bribes/kickbacks/campaign contributions" to push the cholesterol pills.

 

[Ridire]

Your Dr. like most is probably getting "bribes/kickbacks/campaign contributions" to push the cholesterol pills.

Claims he is on the same dosage of the same pill.

 

[Homercidal]

Claims he is on the same dosage of the same pill.

Then he is validating his own refusal to commit to a diet and exercise program!

(See how I spin it??)

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

Normally I don't like to see HBT questioning people's medical advice, but in this case I'd get a second opinion. Or a new doctor.

The fact that he didn't seem to care that you hadn't fasted before the test is huge.

My family tends towards low cholesterol. In fact, my dad (who is significantly overweight) has only had his cholesterol measured over 200 once in his life -- the day he ate two Big Macs before going to the test. I've had my cholesterol range between 124 when my wife cooking healthy, and 169 when I was eating a diet of utter crap.

But he didn't even want you to get it retested when fasting? I can't believe that.

 

[Hello]

Fasting plays a huge role. I'd get another test.

 

[Hamaki]

Second test, second opinion, both good ideas.

I was told I had high cholesterol 7 years ago and was prescribed something, probably a statin. I never took it but changed my diet...for awhile. I lost interest and didn't take things seriously enough.

Last year I started having some chest discomfort, not really pain, but had it checked out. Angiogram showed severe coronary artery blockage; I had a four way bypass in April.

Whatever you do, diet, exercise, drugs, keep it up and keep tabs on things.

 

[vNmd]

I think doctors automatically go to the pill route. I was overweight and sedentary with high blood pressure & high cholesterol. The doctor automatically started prescribing both cholesterol & BP pills. Never even hinted that there was any other route. Fortunately I started to eat right & exercise on my own and the weight started to drop and so did the cholesterol & BP. Eventually she halved the dosage of the meds and eventually dropped both meds altogether.

I assume medical professionals are trained to use the different meds for different aliments, also I think even if people were told to change their eating habits and start exercising - won't. I dated a nurse practitioner. She was always telling me that her patients wouldn't follow her instructions. Maybe they assume people want the easiest solution.

 

[Yooper]

The medical field's view of cholesterol is dangerously old-fashioned. Most are still talking about good and bad cholesterol, based on the lipid hypothesis which was fabricated from thin air to satisfy political agendas. The very study performed by Dr Keys that he supposedly used to support his theory actually shows no evidence of what he claimed. In fact, there has never been a single study that supports that hypothesis. Statin drugs address a symptom, not the cause. If you want to control oxidized cholesterol deposits in your veins, the proper solution would be to lower the amount of carbohydrate you regularly consume.

Fasting doesn't affect cholesterol readings- the Dr. is right about that. It does affect triglycerides and things like that.

Here's something important to note- while everybody is on the "lower your cholesterol" bandwagon, a high cholesterol level has never been shown to be involved in heart disease, and lowering the cholesterol level in someone's blood test has never been shown to reduce the risk of a heart attack!

http://chriskresser.com/cholesterol-doesnt-cause-heart-disease
http://www.myhealthwire.com/news/diet-nutrition/967

All of what we 'know' about cholesterol and heart disease is based on a flawed study, and a guess that dietary cholesterol is at fault and that bringing down our cholesterol levels fixes that. That is just simply wrong.

What does indicate risk of heart disease is inflammation (CRP), insulin resistance (your fasting blood sugar), and homocystein levels. Those are the blood tests you need.

My husband is going to be 60 in the next couple of months, and he was told he needed to reduce his cholesterol and his blood pressure was a little high. So we did a ton of reseach, and in early 2010 changed our diets to a low-carb lifestyle (sort of a modified paleo). Both of us are on 0 medications, and are not overweight, and currently the picture of health. I scored a "96 out of 100" at work for health insurance purposes- weight, BMI, body fat, blood sugar, and (yes) cholesterol since I work at a hospital.

here's the thing- I scored higher than people half my age but I flunked!

Because they sit you down with a nutritionist who asks "How many times a day do you eat complex grains/whole wheat?" (The correct answer is 5 or something). I said, "0"! "How often do you forgo meat and eat beans and rice per week, in other words, how many meatless meals do you eat per week?" Um, "0". And on it went.

Even nutritionists don't have the latest info on these things, and will tell you a low fat/high carb diet is the way to go. And this is why obesity rates are something like 1 out of 3 adults (and even children!) in America, and why people have diabetes at higher rates than ever before, and heart disease is still the #1 killer.


Sorry for the rant- but this is what makes me crazy. I worked in the health profession my whole life, and we are killing people with false information and making them sicker than ever before.

 

[Ridire]

Yooper, I've been reading a lot lately, too. It's tough to differentiate the conspiracy theories from legit, creditable criticism of statins. But I think there is enough credible information out there to get me to stop taking these things, at age 41, with no other risk factors for heart disease. The benefits seem minimal and the side effects, which I encountered within a week of taking these, are too severe to live with for 30-40 years. I told my wife, "I would rather my odds of dying of heart disease in my 50's go from 0.2% to 0.3% than to be a damn cripple at age 41 from the drugs". 48 hours after stopping the statins and my plantar fasciitis is pretty much cured.

But, I do take the numbers as a warning. More exercise and better diet...then drugs if things look to be getting worse. I have a follow up appointment at the end of March. We'll see where things stand then. I plant to be a good 10 lbs lighter by then.

 

[SharonaZamboni]

Ugh. My mother is 87, and takes cholesterol meds. I'm trying to get her off a lot of the prescriptions.

 

[masonsjax]

Cholesterol is so important that every cell in your body can manufacture it. High cholesterol is not a problem. In fact, it is just a messenger and can help solve the very problems it's been blamed for. So much misinformation out there.

 

[Yooper]

Ugh. My mother is 87, and takes cholesterol meds. I'm trying to get her off a lot of the prescriptions.

To me that is irresponsible medicine. What the heck is going to happen to her if her cholesterol is high?!?!? I mean, you don't want to cause her harm of course but the risk of a heart attack is pretty high at 87 and not because of a high cholesterol level at all! That's just a doctor prescribing poorly, and he should be called out on that.

 

[SharonaZamboni]

To me that is irresponsible medicine. What the heck is going to happen to her if her cholesterol is high?!?!? I mean, you don't want to cause her harm of course but the risk of a heart attack is pretty high at 87 and not because of a high cholesterol level at all! That's just a doctor prescribing poorly, and he should be called out on that.

That's what I keep telling her!

 

[Natdavis777]

One thing about cholesterol that I have noticed in my profession is that both lifestyle and heredity play factors. We offer, along with other hospitals now, a promotional calcium score which is a CT of the coronary arteries to evaluate calcified plaque (from cholesterol). Ive seen people who literally walk in with their running gear on and have a substantually high calcification in their arteries, while others, who live more of the "sedentary" lifestyle, have the complete opposite results.

This doesnt mean that the more obese and underactive patient is less at risk, because there is soft plaque (undetectable on CT under certain circumstances) and calcified plaque. Both pose risk for an MI. There are, however, peer reviewed studies on health risks with increased calcified plaque production. Again, these are seen in people of all walks of life, regardless of social hx, diet, activity, etc. Ive witnessed a pt come into the ED <24hrs after a heart score that scored a 0 (no calcified plaque present) with heart attack.

High cholesterol not only affects your heart, but all vessels in the body, mostly arteries... Aside from heart attacks, it can also lead to peripheral vascular disease.

Id recommend a second opinion. I work with a plethora of doctors, and they fall on a bell curve of competency in my opinion (as well as others). A few are really good, the majority are "ok" and a few I wouldnt let touch my dog. Healthcare has turned into an assembly line, so patients are moved out so they can get the next one in.... Talk to another doc, preferably a specialist like a cardiologist, and go from there.