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new test

hi all. this is my astonishing new results: fbs:97 ldl: 92 hdl: 52 chol: 154 what is your idea about these huhe changes? this happen only after correct diet and exercise and never using any drug. my weigh is now 83 that was 92. my results in 11 months ago was: fbs: 100 chol : 240 ldl : 159 what is your idea about this results?
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63984 tn?1385437939
We are probably on the same page and have the same thoughts.  I take the same statin as you.  
Like you are suggesting, there are no easy answers.  My ldl cholesterol tests range between 72 and 82 over the course of five years.  That said, I had to have heart bypass surgery due to my lifestyle for 60 years of fast food, being overweight, etc.  The last 15 years I lost a lot of weight and went on heart healthy diet, I'm old, about 75.  I had another big heart event, and had bypass surgery.  After six months, it failed because it plugged up.  It had nothing to do with diet, it had to do with familial cholesterol as well as competition of arteries, long story.  There are no easy answers.
Today at my Cardiologist office, I was carping about being breathless and more, and he reminded me that I'm the only patient in the clinic that is still on the sunny side after two years of bypass failure, and made sure I was still taking blood thinners, statins and beta blockers and complimented me that my weight is only affected by salt... every time I have too much salt, I pay, I can gain and lose up to nine pounds because of too much or staying away from it.
We are saying the same thing, I believe, but heart health isn't just about diet or pills, it's lifestyle.
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Avatar universal
I have no objection to using statins.   My only objection is people who use statins without making radical/huge changes in their diet at the same time.
Far too many.... probably 3 out of 4 people who use statins make minimal changes in their diet.
My TC via diet was already about 162 (152 to 172)... My LDL was already about 86,  and my HDL was up at 59..
But I needed to do more so I added in 40 mg atorvastatin, (generic Lipitor),
Now my TC is about 116,  LDL 44,  and HDL still up at about 54.
I eat a diet that is about 10% of calories as fat..  A typical Ornish style diet, though I don't follow any one doctor's diet.

If one has cardio vascular disease,  feels angina upon vigorous exercise, or even at minor exercise,,  then they have to realize that the narrowing in their arteries will advance unless they go all out. with a statin AND a dramatic change in diet.   Only by doing both can one have any expectation of halting the process underway.
A few lucky ones who do everything can get some reversal.  Many others can halt the progression.  A few will still progress even with the radical diet and statins.

For most patients they are only doing enough to slow the progression.
Meaning it will get worse over time.  
I think more doctors would give the advice of a more radical diet,  but they find that very few patients will follow such a plan.
So they are reduced to statins and then stents and bypass surgery.

So I am all for statins....but think people are missing the boat if they only make minor changes in diet.   Even the "heart healthy" diets most patients are told to follow pale in comparison with what may be needed.
The much touted Mediterranean will only slow the progression of the disease.   Motivated people can do much better.
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63984 tn?1385437939
Occupant, that confused me as well.
Circa, I totally agree with you.  Conventional research suggests you can reduce cholesterol levels about 1/3.  I did about 25 years ago.  However, my total cholesterol was over 300 and I got it down to 210, 1/3 by diet and exercise, ldl under 150, hdl above 60, and had a heart attack and three stents, followed by another heart attack and two more stents.  I kept exercising, kept the good diet, and mixed in statins.  
My sister recently called me, she like me has familial cholesterol, saying her naturopath told her to get off cholesterol as it was the cause of her 'muscle aches'.  I strongly suggested she see a conventional doc, long story but her muscle aches are really joint pains, bone to bone in hip and elbow.  Statins are for 98% of us very safe.  
Again, I totally agree with you, the less prescription drugs you take are probably excellent advice, but it depends on where you start!  I screwed up by refusing to take them with toxic levels of cholesterol, and paid a heavy price.  These days, I'm asked to keep my ldl level below 75, my hdl level above 60.  
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Avatar universal
It only seems that way at times, but Maryland is still in the USA.
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Avatar universal
The poster appears to be from another nation where they likely use kilos instead of pounds.   2.2 to 1
BTW,  they are getting good results from diet and exercise as well as via the lower weight.
A good example of how some people can lower their cholesterol by a far greater amount than what we are often told to expect without going on drugs (though I am not against statin use,  but don't think people should rely on the drugs without also doing a huge dietary change)
This  case LDL down from 159 to 92.  
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63984 tn?1385437939
Is your weight really 83 pounds?
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