My pre-weight loss blood test...any ideas?

[TheBoyBilly]

I am in the middle of a house move (running back and forth between West Sussex and Kent) and all that goes with it so don't have much time to get to my Doctor at the moment what with having to go to work as well (a poor excuse I know) but, as I have a fortnights supply of statins left before my repeat perscription renewal, (and the fact that nothing worrying came up in my blood test) I will leave contacting my GP until I need more tablets, and before I have to change GP practice. Bill has made me think hard about whether there are any benefits in carrying on with Atorvastatin.
Thank you all for your advice over this. All you have said has eased my mind to the point that I have started an easy exercise regime so far involving riding across London to my work and back from St Pancras International which involves 2 x 30 minute stretches, plus a 15 minute climb from Westenhanger station up to Lympne at the end of the day....it's all downhill first thing in the day so I can't count that! Plus extra walking of the dogs over the airfield every day must help too. The car is looking very forlorn these days.
Thanks again,

Bill

 

[Bill Gates]

Double post[FONT=&quot]
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[Bill Gates]

...eating all the stuff that's supposed to aid cholesterol lowering, lots of fibre, fruit, veg, whole grains, oats, cooked tomatoes, nuts oily fish, red wine.... lots of red wine yadda yadda... it was costing a fortune in toilet paper. Ended-up going to the docs thinking I had a bowel disorder.

http://m.theglobeandmail.com/life/h...article1462757/?service=mobile&page=2#article

Interesting findings but you should read the whole thing, here are a few of the main conclusions.

[FONT=&quot]There is no difference in the risks of heart disease or stroke between people with the highest and lowest intakes of saturated fat.

[FONT=&quot]It turns out that the reduction in LDL cholesterol that’s known to occur by curbing saturated fat appears to be specific to large, fluffy LDL particles.

[/FONT][FONT=&quot]The studies that have shown a beneficial effect on heart disease risk by lowering saturated fat are ones that have replaced saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat. The main sources of polyunsaturated fat include cooking oils (e.g. sunflower, safflower, soybean, corn, grape seed, hemp, flaxseed and walnut oil) and oily fish.

[/FONT][/FONT] [FONT=&quot]Replacing saturated fat with carbohydrate – especially refined – in conjunction with obesity can create a metabolic environment that favours heart disease by boosting blood triglycerides (fat), lowering HDL cholesterol and increasing small, dense LDL particles.

[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]Evidence suggests that limiting carbohydrate intake can reduce elevated blood triglycerides and dense LDL cholesterol, and increase HDL cholesterol.

[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]Some studies, but not all, have linked a high-glycemic diet from refined carbohydrates with a greater risk of heart disease.

[/FONT] The thinking on diet and heart disease is moving away from focusing on saturated fat. Limiting refined carbohydrates (e.g. sugar and white flour products), losing excess weight and emphasizing polyunsaturated fats from vegetables oils and fish appear to do more to lower your risk of heart disease than simply giving up cheese.

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[Fab Foodie]

Thanks Bill.

I'll take a read when my brain-cell is functioning instead of a 14 hour day at work...
From your praecy it shows that understanding of cholesterol management is not simple or as 'obvious' as often thought. Insulin and Carbohydrate management seems to play a much bigger part in metabolism than thought a few years ago, and I'm sure that, that that thinking will evolve as more research is carried out.
For my own part I do use poly (or mono where feasible) unsaturated fats rather than deprivation and am also moving to a much lower carb diet. Interestingly I attended a seminar a few years ago on Metabolic sysndrome-X. One lecture showed some interesting correlations charting the rapid rise in obesity (particularly in Children) with the sudden trend of the low fat diet in the early '80s... and what were we told to replace fat with... lots of carbs! I recall not thinking it a good idea at the time and being ridiculed, c'est la vie.
So even by modern thinking I'm doing I think most things right, having unsaturated fats, fish-oils, plenty fresh fruit and veg, fibres, oats etc. Reducing my refined carbs, eating lower GI products for my carb input, eating plenty natural antioxidants, not smoking, moderate alcohol and as much excercise as I can get around too... oh, and taking my meds.

 

[Dunbar]

Statins cause my ankles to swell; add this to the swelling I get from a recent knee-op, and it's bad news. My GP said to try them, and if I noticed ill-effects, stop taking them. She also cleared me to ride a bike, with the proviso that if it made things worse in the knee area then I should stop!
Sounds like good advice to me!

Regards
John

 

[TheBoyBilly]

I am off the Atorvastatin tablets as I went to see my GP and asked, as I am much more active now, if I needed to carry on taking them. She said to give it a go without statins and to have a blood test in October and take it from there. Fingers crossed, all this exercise is doing me good in that direction as well as getting my weight down.

Bill

 

[e-rider]

I thought that most overweight people suffered from 'fatty liver' which shows up in blood tests. Generally not a 'killer' but something to monitor closely if you have it, and a good reason to lose weight before it's too late. 25% of Americans have fatty liver!

 

[Dunbar]

That must be me then!
Although latest tests say no problems in that area. I really must 'get on me bike!'
J