Can having a heart attack effects your numbers?

[remar]

I had a heart attack 3 months ago. Had 1 stent placed and I'm doing great. My Cardiologist said that my low cholesterol numbers that were taken while I was in the hospital could be "Scewed" as he called it because I had a heart attack. I was wondering if that is really true. He placed me on 40 mgs of Pravastin while I was in the hospital.  Here are my numbers from the hospital. Total 159, LDL 77, HDL 58, Triglycerides 62. It will be time to get them checked again in about a month. But, I do have to wonder if I need to be on a stain. I know they can effect the liver. Yes, I am on Plavix and baby aspirin.  

[gymdandee]

I sent you the web address in a message. it was founded in 2009

[remar]

No, I have not heard of this test. How long has this study been in effect?

[gymdandee]

Has anyone heard of the Omega Quant HS-Omega-3 Index it's a new laboratory test that measures the amount of omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) in your red blood cells.Other tests provide a general reading, the Omega-3 Index checks 26 different fatty acids and reports your levels of each of them!
The right amount of omega-3 fatty acids can reduce your risk of sudden cardiac death by up to 90%.
  
  

[erijon]

Thanks for the kind words!

[remar]

I've been having my cholesterol checked since my early 30's. I'm 50 now. Only one time did it come back high and that was when I was taking Effexor about 7 years ago. Once I quit taking it my numbers came back to normal. That med now has high cholesterol as a possible side effect.
Yes, I did have a blockage in the mid circumflex.
You really are doing a great job with this new forum Jon! Thank you so much for answering all of our questions. I was so happy to finally see this forum.  

[erijon]

It is true that 50% of the people with heart attacks have normal cholesterol levels, but what you have to understand is that there are many mechanisms to a heart attack. Not all are related ot blockages so you could have a normal cholesterol level yet still suffer a MI due to an electricla issue, vasospasm or rupture of a vulnerable plaque. Also, when only using the individuals with that had a heart attack as a control group, it does not take into account the millions and millions of individuals that have normal cholesterol levels that never develop heart disease so that statement is not generally considered to be a true measure of the preveance of heart attacks in those with high cholesterol.

Statins are very safe with mild side effects reported in 1 out of every 2,223 users which was identical to the rate of side effects in the placebo control group. The most seriois side effects are only reported in 1 out of approx every 20 million prescriptions so they are considered very safe. Once on a statin, you can always jump off for a period of time to re-check if you really need them after you have made the necessary lifestyle changes, I've done that, it is is very common to do so. Whether you ever can come off them completely depends on your commitment as well as your genetic make up. If you have high cholesterol due to genetics then statins may be a lifetime committment. I've been on them for over 7 years with no issues, but everyone reacts differntly.

Good luck!

Jon

[remar]

Thank you both so much for answering my post. In my title, I meant to say effect, not effects. Sorry about that.
So are you saying that the things they gave me like pain meds, blood thinners and such could have given false cholesterol numbers? I Arrived at the hospital on Sunday, they did a lot of testing which included cholesterol.The stent was placed on Monday and I was not started on the statin until Tuesday, the day I left.
I guess I'm really worried about taking a statin because of all of the research I've done on them. The Plavix has me really worried too. But, my Dr wants me to stay on it for a year.
I see my Dr again in about a month, which I mentioned, and he will do blood work again then. Honestly, I'm not very happy with him. He did not place my stent. I met him in the hospital for a few minutes and then again at his office 2 weeks later. The nurse did most everything and I felt very rushed by him. I had so many questions that I did'nt get to ask.
Thank you both so much again. All of the information you both gave me is very interesting. I had not heard the new report on statins. And I've never heard of bad eicosanoids before.

[gymdandee]

50 percent of the people who are hospitalized with heart attacks have normal cholesterol levels, and 25 percent of people who develop premature heart disease have no traditional risk factors at all. Maybe elevated cholesterol isn’t the real cause of heart disease in the first place.
The best predictors of a future heart attack come from prospective studies that follow healthy people for a number of years to determine which ones go on to develop heart disease, and then to figure out why. Because these are expensive trials, very few of them are done. But those that exist have indicated that cholesterol levels are, in fact, a very poor predictor of future heart attacks. In fact, the likelihood of future heart attacks has everything to do with excess levels of “bad” eicosanoids – exactly the hormones that can be modified
by dietary recommendations.
A heart attack is simply the death of muscle cells in the heart from a lack of oxygen. This happens when blood flow can’t reach the heart because of a blockage or clot in the arteries caused by a clumping of blood platelets, or because of inflammation that causes an unstable plaque to break off and block the blood flow in the artery. Sometimes a spasm in the artery blocks the flow to the heart, or the heart goes into electrical chaos and simply stops its synchronized beating on its own.
Causes of Heart Attacks Clot formation, Plaque instability, Vasospasm, Electrical chaos
None of these four causes of heart attacks has much to do with increased cholesterol levels, but all of them have everything to do with “bad” eicosanoids.

[erijon]

That is a good question. I think what your doctor ws trying to say was your cholesterol numbers were most likely understated during your heart attack due to the meds you were given while in their care. It is possible to have high cholesterol "masked" by meds during treatments like those for a heart attack. I'm sure they will re-check after you have stablized.

If your numbers remain where they are, that would be great as those are near optimal in all areas. If you do have high cholesterol and need a statin, they are very safe. The average is 1 reported side effect in every 2,223 users with more severe side effects only reported in 1 in every 10,000 users and fatal muscle death is only reported in 1 in 20 million prescriptions. I addition, statins have recently been shown to have no affect on the liver, in fact they are now being used to treat liver failure in patients with liver disease. The results of the findings were so good that the FDA is considering dropping liver damage from the list of possible side effects. One other benefit is tat statins have been shown to have the ability to reduce inflammation in the body.

Having said that, you should wait and get another test done to make sure you know your baseline. The recommended levels for individuals with CAD such as yourself is an LDL UNDER 70, that will be your main focus. Since you have already developed CAD, a statin makes sense. I can provide more specific links if you like, just shoot me a PM.

Thanks for your question, welcome to Medhelp and good luck,

Jon