# Blood Cholesterol



## beancounter (8 Jan 2009)

I had a blood cholesterol test last week and, over the course of the last year, it seems I have improved a lot, but not enough.

Despite a year of better diet (I've lost one and a half stone) and over 3000 miles of cycling, my bad cholesterol is still too high (about 5.5) and my good cholesterol still too low (about 1.1). My total-to-good ratio of about 6.6 is down from 8 a year ago but still not good enough.

So the doc has prescribed statins, which I was offered a year ago but declined. I really wanted to avoid taking drugs but my "natural" efforts have not delivered the necessary results.

I'm 48, have moderate blood pressure levels and don't smoke (never have) so I don't feel high risk but the doc is now strongly recommending the pills.

Anyone else using them?

bc


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## marinyork (8 Jan 2009)

Not being funny but are you comparing winter cholesterol figures with winter figures a year later? If it's out by a time, it's not a completely fair comparison.


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## beancounter (8 Jan 2009)

marinyork said:


> Not being funny but are you comparing winter cholesterol figures with winter figures a year later? If it's out by a time, it's not a completely fair comparison.



Yes it's November 2007 to December 2008.

Didn't realise it was seasonal!

bc


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## marinyork (8 Jan 2009)

Fair enough. I've heard people beat themselves up about very modest increases between summer and winter before. 

I'm far too young to be offered statins but most of my parent's generation seem to be being offered them at the moment if the PCT can afford them. On the other hand your efforts last year sound great, so I hope it pays off eventually.


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## beancounter (8 Jan 2009)

marinyork said:


> Fair enough. I've heard people beat themselves up about very modest increases between summer and winter before.
> 
> I'm far too young to be offered statins but most of my parent's generation seem to be being offered them at the moment if the PCT can afford them. On the other hand your efforts last year sound great, so I hope it pays off eventually.



Thanks. I'm probably fussing about nothing...

bc


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## fossyant (8 Jan 2009)

Mine is a bit high - or was when I had it tested, can't be bothered - fit as a fiddle, really good blood pressure....

Probably due to my liking of beer and red wine.....


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## ChrisKH (8 Jan 2009)

Never been tested, but I probably should be as I have had dietary restrictions for the last six years and a family history of heart disease. Do they do any home testing kits?


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## beancounter (8 Jan 2009)

ChrisKH said:


> Never been tested, but I probably should be as I have had dietary restrictions for the last six years and a family history of heart disease. Do they do any home testing kits?



Boots. Probably any chemist, they're everywhere these days. Only give a general indication though.

bc


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## numbnuts (8 Jan 2009)

I’m on Simvastatin, so why shouldn’t you , I did the right thing and cut out all red meat and last month after a blood test they now tell me I’m anaemic you can’t win, now I'm on iron tablets


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## summerdays (8 Jan 2009)

marinyork said:


> Not being funny but are you comparing winter cholesterol figures with winter figures a year later? If it's out by a time, it's not a completely fair comparison.



How do they vary seasonally?

I've only had mine tested once - last Christmas and wasn't pleased with the results 4.9 if I remember correctly. I'm only just 42 and do have several members of my family who have high cholesterol despite the tablets. How often should you have a test?


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## Fab Foodie (8 Jan 2009)

ChrisKH said:


> Never been tested, but I probably should be as I have had dietary restrictions for the last six years and a family history of heart disease. Do they do any home testing kits?



Why not go to the docs and have a fasting Cholesterol test done properly?


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## Fab Foodie (8 Jan 2009)

beancounter
I'm on Simvastatin and Ezebitimide to lower Cholesterol. I have familial history and already had one Coronary artery stented... I'm 45 and been fairly fit but was a heavy smoker.
As I take beta-blockers it's hard to comment as to whether the Statins have any negative side effects as the blockers make you feeel a bit dopey-weird anyway.

My Cholesterol is still above 5 and they're talking about upping the level. Firstly I'm trying to loose weight and excercise more, but |I may have to accept the inevitable.

I think taking the pills is better than a real heart crisis, that's just scary.


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## marinyork (8 Jan 2009)

summerdays said:


> How do they vary seasonally?
> 
> I've only had mine tested once - last Christmas and wasn't pleased with the results 4.9 if I remember correctly. I'm only just 42 and do have several members of my family who have high cholesterol despite the tablets. How often should you have a test?



I'm not a medic, although strangely enough I did nearly end up working in a blood centre. Cholesterol levels tend to rise in the winter and be at their lowest in the summer. There is no known exact mechanism to explain this as there are many factors that could account for these seasonal changes. Cholesterol varies full stop. They don't vary that much but my point is medics and more importantly PCTs tend to set arbitrary limits on things and one set of readings might put you under funding for something and another set over it. Doctors are supposed to take a whole series of cholesterol readings before deciding what to do. In reality, with how PCT politics works out at a local level, how you get treated shall we say varies a fair bit. 

Again I'm not a medic but if you're unhappy with 4.9 I really think you should be getting several more readings. I believe a friend's mother and the rest of her living family have FH, and she only found out fairly late on in life unfortunately. If someone else in your family has that or something else alarm bells should be potentially be ringing in your GPs ears. That's not to say there's anything wrong with you but that they should be investigating and that the level of GP interest doesn't equate to how badly you need any treatment/monitoring. If you want some simple leaflets of length the british heart foundation have a publications section http://www.bhf.org.uk/publications.aspx .


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## summerdays (8 Jan 2009)

Thanks for your answer ... I think I was hoping to get a really healthy reading and wondering what my siblings levels are like considering I am the only one with a healthy BMI and the only one that is active. (One would use the car to go absolutely anywhere and is the heaviest). I don't think its panic stations yet but something I am going to have to be aware of in the future.


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## gavintc (8 Jan 2009)

My cholesterol levels were over 10 when I was checked completely by chance following an accident. I now take 40 mg of Atorvastatin daily and it controls it well - my bad cholesterol hovers in the mid 4 now. What really pisses me off is that this is a family problem and although most of my parents generation have died from heart problems and 4 of my own generation, my brother who has a very unhealthy life style appears to be untouched by it all.


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## another_dave_b (8 Jan 2009)

beancounter said:


> I've lost one and a half stone



Kudos!

There was an Am I Normal radio programme on the Heart, that touches on cholesterol/statins, that you might find of interest.


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## alp1950 (14 Jan 2009)

beancounter said:


> Despite a year of better diet (I've lost one and a half stone) and over 3000 miles of cycling, my bad cholesterol is still too high (about 5.5) and my good cholesterol still too low (about 1.1). My total-to-good ratio of about 6.6 is down from 8 a year ago but still not good enough.
> 
> So the doc has prescribed statins, which I was offered a year ago but declined. I really wanted to avoid taking drugs but my "natural" efforts have not delivered the necessary results.
> 
> ...



Easy one to answer.

You might not feel that your risk of developing heart disease is high, and you might be right although the scientific basis from which the guidelines for statin therapy have been derived is robust. These guidelines currently advise that statin therapy is indicated when total cholesterol to HDL (good cholesterol) ratio exceeds 6. You've obviously done well to get your ratio down from 8 but you've not hit the target hence the GP's advice. There are no certainties either way of course, but by taking a statin your risk of developing some form of cardiovascular disease in the future will be reduced.

In your position I would take the statin. In comparison to most other drugs they are very safe and only a small percentage of people on treatment experience side effects.


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## beancounter (22 Jan 2009)

gavintc said:


> My cholesterol levels were over 10 when I was checked completely by chance following an accident. I now take 40 mg of Atorvastatin daily and it controls it well - my bad cholesterol hovers in the mid 4 now.



Well, the doc has also started me off on 40mg of Simvastatin - seems like a high dose to me, but I guess it'll be reviewed after a few months.

I'm not happy but there you go, I'm damned if I'm giving up chocolate...

bc


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## jimboalee (22 Jan 2009)

I take a 1200mg Lecithin capsule every morning.

I eat a lot of fish, red meat, chicken, eggs and peanut butter ( but not together ).
And quite a bit of cheese.

Cholesterol is OK.


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