Aa
My cholesterol is high
Hi Doctor,
I am 45 yrs old female. And I do regular exercise , eat healthy(fish), salad, fruit, brown rice. I dont know how my Cholesterol level is high but doctor said my HDL level is high. I eat oat meal every alternate day. Do I need medication for it? Please suggest.. I am trying to loose waistline fat through exercise I am getting easily tired after exercise. For last one month I am eating lot avocado.
Thanks in advance
This discussion is related to cholesterol.
I am 45 yrs old female. And I do regular exercise , eat healthy(fish), salad, fruit, brown rice. I dont know how my Cholesterol level is high but doctor said my HDL level is high. I eat oat meal every alternate day. Do I need medication for it? Please suggest.. I am trying to loose waistline fat through exercise I am getting easily tired after exercise. For last one month I am eating lot avocado.
Thanks in advance
This discussion is related to cholesterol.
Hi everyone -
It's important that everyone be their own best advocate and research what treatments and diagnoses their doctors offer, but it's not best to always assume that docs aren't doing their best work, or offering quality treatments. What may not work, or cause problems for one, may save another's life, so it's important to do your own research, and make informed decisions based on your personal history and current symptoms.
Emily
It's important that everyone be their own best advocate and research what treatments and diagnoses their doctors offer, but it's not best to always assume that docs aren't doing their best work, or offering quality treatments. What may not work, or cause problems for one, may save another's life, so it's important to do your own research, and make informed decisions based on your personal history and current symptoms.
Emily
The net saved my life literally. I have no time for doctor's egos. When i hear the "stop looking on the net" from a doctor what i really hear is "stop making me look bad".
Why Doctors Often Dismiss Drug Side Effects...
"Patients’ concerns about drug side effects are often shrugged off by their doctors, according to a survey of 650 patients who were taking cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins.
Statins, such as Lipitor and Zocor, are common drugs with widely known side effects that include liver damage, muscle problems, memory and mood changes, and more. In the case of muscle problems, if the side effect is not recognized it can progress to a potentially fatal condition called rhabdomyolysis.
Nonetheless, patients who responded to the survey said that they had to initiate a discussion about side effects with their doctor, and when they did:
47 percent said their doctors dismissed their muscle or cognitive problems, and said they were not statin-related
51 percent with a type of nerve pain called peripheral neuropathy said their doctors denied a connection to the drugs
32 percent said their doctors denied a connection between their symptoms and statins
29 percent said their doctors "neither endorsed nor dismissed the possibility of symptom link to statins"
Rather than attributing the patients complaints to the drugs, many doctors instead blamed the “normal aging process” or denied the symptoms entirely. Aside from not addressing the health concern in the patient, this ignorance toward a potential adverse drug reaction (ADR) means that no “adverse event report” is being given to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Side effects are already under reported by 90 to 99 percent, according to one Harvard Medical School expert, and the FDA relies heavily on such reports to gauge a drug’s safety once it hits the market."
Why Doctors Often Dismiss Drug Side Effects...
"Patients’ concerns about drug side effects are often shrugged off by their doctors, according to a survey of 650 patients who were taking cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins.
Statins, such as Lipitor and Zocor, are common drugs with widely known side effects that include liver damage, muscle problems, memory and mood changes, and more. In the case of muscle problems, if the side effect is not recognized it can progress to a potentially fatal condition called rhabdomyolysis.
Nonetheless, patients who responded to the survey said that they had to initiate a discussion about side effects with their doctor, and when they did:
47 percent said their doctors dismissed their muscle or cognitive problems, and said they were not statin-related
51 percent with a type of nerve pain called peripheral neuropathy said their doctors denied a connection to the drugs
32 percent said their doctors denied a connection between their symptoms and statins
29 percent said their doctors "neither endorsed nor dismissed the possibility of symptom link to statins"
Rather than attributing the patients complaints to the drugs, many doctors instead blamed the “normal aging process” or denied the symptoms entirely. Aside from not addressing the health concern in the patient, this ignorance toward a potential adverse drug reaction (ADR) means that no “adverse event report” is being given to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Side effects are already under reported by 90 to 99 percent, according to one Harvard Medical School expert, and the FDA relies heavily on such reports to gauge a drug’s safety once it hits the market."
You are right, of course alas the dosages for these and other drugs are generally not adjusted by what you can tolerate but "how can we get your Cholesterol down to an acceptabel level" whatever "acceptable" means.
I agree. Everyone can tolerate different dosages of medications, but that level has to be carefully found. If some people suffer memory issues, and there have been cases as indeed there have been cases of muscle pain, then their dosage needs adjusting or another brand should be tried. It's a bit like saying that chemo makes some people feel nauseous, so you shouldn't let doctors treat you with it. The evidence for benefits with statins is absolutely overwhelming, and research exists to back it up. If one in 10,000 find they have memory issues with one brand, should we remove the drug usage? of course not, if 9,999 are obtaining benefits from it. The trouble is, many of these so called non-MD Doctors are taking the tiniest minority and blowing it all out of proportion. I questioned my GP recently because, as Erijon knows because I messaged him at the time, my cardiologist has upped my lipitor from 40 to 80mg per day to get aggressive. My immediate concern was memory loss and muscle pain. My GP said "I have over 500 patients on this medication, half of which are on 40mg while the other half are on 80mg. Not ONE has suffered any side effects and Liver blood tests have revealed no issues". She then added "Have you been looking on the internet again? please stay off it because you will always see the negative minorities, hardly the vast positive majorities. Two weeks down the line, I've noticed no side effects whatsoever.
It seems like this discussion is going nowhere. From my point of view, I would never suggest for people not to take Statins or go off them, but they should be made aware that there are side effects - my doctor never told me, instead he was pushing the drugs. I am glad, however, I finally did get off them against his advice two years ago after taking them for ten years. You can get very nasty side effects from these drugs. In my case it was my kidneys and muscles in general that were affected and I wound up in the emergency room.
Many books come to mind that are written to help others as the number one goal rather than a profit only driven reason. Lipitor - Thief of Memory by Dr Duane Graveline comes to mind. A doctor who suffered transient global amnesia as a side effect of Lipitor.
In most countries a Doctorate gives you the right to call yourself a Doctor, and both come from latin terms to teach and teacher. You could be a Doctor of the Arts of Doctor of engineering, and that can be misleading on a medical website when someone sees the title Dr Smith for example. You automatically assume they are a medical Doctor. There is even a Doctorate of music, but I guess rather than using medicine, the Doctor will sing his patients back to health.
COMMUNITY LEADER
Something intersting about Dr. Sinatra;
"Dr. Sinatra formulates and sells nutritional supplements under the brand name "Advanced BioSolutions"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Sinatra
But I'm sure he's not in it for the money. For me, I get a little concerned when a doctor writes a book with an alternate view to sell his product, but again I'm sure he's not in it for the money. Even though that's what you see when you visit his site.
As far as Jonny Bowden PhD, CNS is concerned, he is not an MD. He has a PhD in Nutrition and a Masters in Psychology.
"Dr. Sinatra formulates and sells nutritional supplements under the brand name "Advanced BioSolutions"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Sinatra
But I'm sure he's not in it for the money. For me, I get a little concerned when a doctor writes a book with an alternate view to sell his product, but again I'm sure he's not in it for the money. Even though that's what you see when you visit his site.
As far as Jonny Bowden PhD, CNS is concerned, he is not an MD. He has a PhD in Nutrition and a Masters in Psychology.
COMMUNITY LEADER
How do you know? How can you make a claim about drug companies yet think medical professionals that write books for profit are not doing it for the same reason?
There are many authors that have trumped up their credentials to make book sell, sorry but it happens a lot. If you want titles send me a note.
There are many authors that have trumped up their credentials to make book sell, sorry but it happens a lot. If you want titles send me a note.
With all due respect, amazon ratings are hardly scientific fact. If you look at their computer section for example, every personal computer has the same brilliant review (copied and pasted no doubt) to ensure sales.
Do not lose time in futile discussions.
If you have sticky blood (Antiphospholipid syndrome) you need to reduce your HDL (with statin or other medication) and probably some other medication.
Get a doctor that you trust and follow his medication.
Antiphospholipid syndrome it is treated by rheumatologist, internist or immune specialists.
Take it serious, it is not a game, my sister lost the vision in her right eye due to that.
Jesus
If you have sticky blood (Antiphospholipid syndrome) you need to reduce your HDL (with statin or other medication) and probably some other medication.
Get a doctor that you trust and follow his medication.
Antiphospholipid syndrome it is treated by rheumatologist, internist or immune specialists.
Take it serious, it is not a game, my sister lost the vision in her right eye due to that.
Jesus
I've read more health books than i can count. The books i've read are are legit books and amazingly helpful. Newest book out on cholesterol has a 4.8/5 star reviews on Amazon, 4.4/5 star reviews on Good Reads. The authors talked about this book on the Dr Oz show too. Dr Oz spreads the word faster than you can spread butter.
"The Great Cholesterol Myth: Why Lowering Your Cholesterol Won't Prevent Heart Disease-and the Statin-Free Plan That Will" by Jonny Bowden PhD, CNS, Stephen Sinatra, M.D, board-certified cardiologist.
"The Great Cholesterol Myth: Why Lowering Your Cholesterol Won't Prevent Heart Disease-and the Statin-Free Plan That Will" by Jonny Bowden PhD, CNS, Stephen Sinatra, M.D, board-certified cardiologist.
If there were laws in place where a person cannot put medical claims into print without the proper research, most books would suddenly vanish. I did a search on the internet for example just now for chelation. Many clinics and producers of home remedies claim that chelation cleans arteries of disease. Some even claim to have testimonials from patients. Research has not shown this to be a treatment that works, on the contrary, research has shown it does nothing at all. When you read the literature given by these groups, they automatically make you question the medical professionals who really are intent on helping people.
Hypothyroidism can lead to high cholesterol levels in the blood as low thyroid hormone slows the liver's ability to process blood. When you are under-medicated, hypothyroid symptoms will continue from difficulty losing weight to elevated cholesterol levels regardless of "normal" TSH labs.
***
Excerpt from "My Hypothyroid Roller Coaster Ride - When thyroxine doesn't do its job"
"The following all have supporting scientific references. (If you'd like any to show your doctor, just ask. Whether their pride will let them take a look is another matter..!)
Time - It can take a while for your medication to kick in; anything from weeks to a whole year. You didn't get ill overnight - likewise you're not going to get better overnight!
Dose - You may be under-medicated and need to be on a higher dose, despite what your blood tests say. Before the TSH test was invented, people increased their medication until they got better. The average dose used to a lot higher. The test has been proven to be a poor tool for assessing dosage. Its reference range is also far too wide.
Fillers - You may be allergic to the fillers in your medication. Try a different brand. Don't mix two different brands.
Conversion - Stress, depression, malnutrition, obesity, excessive exercise, iron deficiency, illness, and exposure to toxins and plastics can decrease conversion of T4 to T3, leading to reduced tissue and cellular thyroid levels. T3 or T3-containing medication is beneficial.
Receptor resistance - Stress and illness contribute to the blocking of T3 from the cells. The exact mechanism isn't known but it's thought that the T4 converts to 'reverse T3', which blocks the receptors. A slow build-up of T3 medication is needed.
Vitamins and minerals - If any of these are low, thyroid medication won't work properly: ferritin (iron), vitamin D3, vitamin B12, magnesium, folate, copper and zinc.
Gluten sensitivity - There's a strong link between gluten intolerance and Hashimoto's. Standard tests are not sensitive enough to diagnose milder forms, though they can diagnose full-blown celiac disease. Other food allergies can also harm thyroid hormone uptake.
Hormonal imbalances - Get your sex hormones tested. Oestrogen dominance and progesterone deficiency impairs the uptake of thyroid hormones.
Mercury poisoning - Check with your dentist that you don't have amalgam fillings, because they can cause thyroid problems.
Medications:
T4 + T3 - Some people do better on a mixture of T4 (thyroxine) and T3 medication.
T3 only - Some people benefit from taking T3 only.
NDT - Some people do well on natural desiccated thyroid, which was the standard treatment before synthetic T4 was invented. It is porcine or bovine thyroid and contains everything your own thyroid would produce - i.e. T4, T3, T2, T1 and calcitonin."
***
Excerpt from "My Hypothyroid Roller Coaster Ride - When thyroxine doesn't do its job"
"The following all have supporting scientific references. (If you'd like any to show your doctor, just ask. Whether their pride will let them take a look is another matter..!)
Time - It can take a while for your medication to kick in; anything from weeks to a whole year. You didn't get ill overnight - likewise you're not going to get better overnight!
Dose - You may be under-medicated and need to be on a higher dose, despite what your blood tests say. Before the TSH test was invented, people increased their medication until they got better. The average dose used to a lot higher. The test has been proven to be a poor tool for assessing dosage. Its reference range is also far too wide.
Fillers - You may be allergic to the fillers in your medication. Try a different brand. Don't mix two different brands.
Conversion - Stress, depression, malnutrition, obesity, excessive exercise, iron deficiency, illness, and exposure to toxins and plastics can decrease conversion of T4 to T3, leading to reduced tissue and cellular thyroid levels. T3 or T3-containing medication is beneficial.
Receptor resistance - Stress and illness contribute to the blocking of T3 from the cells. The exact mechanism isn't known but it's thought that the T4 converts to 'reverse T3', which blocks the receptors. A slow build-up of T3 medication is needed.
Vitamins and minerals - If any of these are low, thyroid medication won't work properly: ferritin (iron), vitamin D3, vitamin B12, magnesium, folate, copper and zinc.
Gluten sensitivity - There's a strong link between gluten intolerance and Hashimoto's. Standard tests are not sensitive enough to diagnose milder forms, though they can diagnose full-blown celiac disease. Other food allergies can also harm thyroid hormone uptake.
Hormonal imbalances - Get your sex hormones tested. Oestrogen dominance and progesterone deficiency impairs the uptake of thyroid hormones.
Mercury poisoning - Check with your dentist that you don't have amalgam fillings, because they can cause thyroid problems.
Medications:
T4 + T3 - Some people do better on a mixture of T4 (thyroxine) and T3 medication.
T3 only - Some people benefit from taking T3 only.
NDT - Some people do well on natural desiccated thyroid, which was the standard treatment before synthetic T4 was invented. It is porcine or bovine thyroid and contains everything your own thyroid would produce - i.e. T4, T3, T2, T1 and calcitonin."
Can anyone explain about the cholesterol metabolic pathway mechanism....I am sure my 17 yr old daughter eats lot of cheesy food still she does not have high cholesterol level as I do have without eating cheesy/fried food. I know thyroid plays an imp role in metabolic rate in our body. My thyroid is poor functioning. And I am doing exercise to boost my thyroid. What s the reason that body has a tendency to store fat/cholesterol in body? I want to stay from medication tht I eat wrong food and take medications to lower it. I just want to know the mechanism abt cholesterol metabolism pathway. I eat lot of green but due to my blood disorder(factor V mutation..my blood clots easily), I cant eat lot spinach/brocoli....even a baby drinks lot of milk still baby does nto show high cholesterol level....what that metabolic pathway that slowed down in my body, I like to know. My heart muscles were very weak,,, and I started eating lot of fish thta helped to increase my HDL level. Anyone please explain this. I drink 2% milk..so very dairy fat I take....
Health books are written to help others improve their health. If you think these authors are ruthless like drug companies in their quest for profit you are mistaken.
COMMUNITY LEADER
I go with the facts, they tell the story. I don't understand how you can accuse the drug companies of only being worried about profits. What do you think the people that write these books are worried about, you? No, it's what goes in their pockets.
My point here is simple, if you choose not to take a statin, that's your choice. To come to a forum such as this and recommend some one NOT take a statin is reckless. You are not a trained medical professional, don't second guess a doctor's treatment, it is not our place here.
My point here is simple, if you choose not to take a statin, that's your choice. To come to a forum such as this and recommend some one NOT take a statin is reckless. You are not a trained medical professional, don't second guess a doctor's treatment, it is not our place here.
I think we have to be very careful of 'conspiracy' theories and you are right we have to sometimes apply common sense. I know without any doubt that my cardiologist has my best interests in his mind and he has no financial benefits from prescribing me Statins. Being on the front line, he witnesses the effectiveness of different medications and he wouldn't be prescribing me something if it didn't work. In fact, he just recently stopped a med in my regime because he felt it wasn't beneficial enough and has doubled my Statin to 80mg. I have to admit that applying common sense raises many questions, but when you keep hearing these other Doctors (making money from publications etc) whispering doubts into your ears, one has to wonder what to believe in the end. Both sides seem to make sense. My common sense says that maybe Statins and saturated fats are not the 'complete' answer but maybe in some people saturated fats contribute, acting as a kind of catalyst with high sugar diets. The one reason I take my Statins is the beneficial side effect they seem to show, they reduce inflammation in the arteries. If there is no inflammation, there will be no tiny tears in the lining. If there are no tears in the endothelium, then the cholesterol lipids will not become trapped and this makes atherosclerosis impossible.
I use common sense. Drug companies use cent$. Statins inhibit the mevalonate pathway so besides blocking cholesterol these drugs block the production of dolichols, ubiquinones (coenzyme Q10), squalene, heme A, sterols, and prenylated proteins. And to think they going to market this drug to healthy people. Well you wouldn't be healthy after that.
COMMUNITY LEADER
You are incorrect. You keep posting that statins are not effective but they are. If you read the link below it may help. These are the results of the most recent meta-analysis of over 175,000 statin users and it clearly shows the benefit of statins. If you read this and look at the referenced articles, you will see that the groups targeted were low risk individuals, diabetics, women and people over 70 all of which showed a major reduction in risk. They were able to prove a linear reduction in risk across the board compared to the reduction in LDL cholesterol. This is not any one's opinion, it is the data that came from the analysis.
http://www.ctsu.ox.ac.uk/research/meta-trials/ctt/ctt-website
What you are reading is a book some one wrote to make money. Rather than doing their own research, they pick and choose data from studies that support their point. The data needs to be presented in it's entirety. Instead, what you get in these books are just the bits that support the author.
Do you ever wonder why none of these ant-statin doctors don't do the work? Why they just pick on other's works? Because they won't risk their money or their reputation.
Do you remember when Dr. Golomb was going to conduct a study that would "be a game changer" After all the money and time she spent, what did we get? A small study of less than 1,000 participants that could only show a link from statins to muscle fatigue. NO ONE HAS CONDUCTED A TRIAL TO DISPROVE THE USEFULNESS OF STATINS. They just pick apart the work of others and write their books.
http://www.ctsu.ox.ac.uk/research/meta-trials/ctt/ctt-website
What you are reading is a book some one wrote to make money. Rather than doing their own research, they pick and choose data from studies that support their point. The data needs to be presented in it's entirety. Instead, what you get in these books are just the bits that support the author.
Do you ever wonder why none of these ant-statin doctors don't do the work? Why they just pick on other's works? Because they won't risk their money or their reputation.
Do you remember when Dr. Golomb was going to conduct a study that would "be a game changer" After all the money and time she spent, what did we get? A small study of less than 1,000 participants that could only show a link from statins to muscle fatigue. NO ONE HAS CONDUCTED A TRIAL TO DISPROVE THE USEFULNESS OF STATINS. They just pick apart the work of others and write their books.
Our bodies create cholesterol, both the good and bad stuff. Your ldl/hdl levels are ideal according to conventional medical opinion. If you have been advised to take a statin drug, why not do so, and have a complete blood test after 90 days?
Just a note, avocados aren't a good diet food, they have lots of healthy fat, but a whole lot of calories!
Just a note, avocados aren't a good diet food, they have lots of healthy fat, but a whole lot of calories!
After a poor diet, hypothyroidism is the second most common reason for high cholesterol. Symptoms of hypothyroidism include fatigue, weight gain, hair loss to name a few reasons. A highly misdiagnosed condition unfortunately.
Also, saturated fats raise the large subtype of LDL - this is a good thing. Having triglycerides of over 140 guarantees a large number of small LDL particle size so i read. I love my cheese. :) It's the high inflammatory diet (high carbohydrates (grain and sugars) and excess consumption of omega-6 vegetable oils) and low fat diets that have heart disease written all over it.
One of the biggest selling magazines in Australia published this article- "Eating Fat Helps Us Slim Down"...
"Don't be afraid of fat
Christine says fat can actually be good for us. 'For the past 50 years we have been asked to reduce our fat, especially our saturated fats, and statistics show we've reached the recommended targets - but it's not working,' she says. 'Heart disease is out of control and we are still struggling with our weight. Study after study shows fat was never the problem - in fact, sugar and excess carbohydrates are the true culprits behind obesity and heart disease.'"
Take all this into account and then you don't have to wonder why blogs like this appear...
What I Learned About Heart Disease by DPB Geologist...
"I am a petroleum geologist that was stricken with heart disease in 2007 at a very young age of 48. I exercised 5 days a week, I followed the American Heart Assoc. "low fat" eat healthy grains diet, limited my saturated fat, and I didn't even eat a cholesterol rich egg for over 20 years and still had major blockages in my heart."
Yes well that was a recipe for heart disease wasn't it. Didn't each an egg in 20 years? Poor guy. Eggs are delicious. :)
***
"MYTH: Statin drugs are appropriate for men, women, children and the elderly.
FACT: The only group in which statins have been shown to have even a modest effect is in middle-aged men who’ve already had a heart attack. If you’re not in that group, you’ve got no business on a statin drug." - 8 Cholesterol Myths Your Doctor Still Believes.
Also, saturated fats raise the large subtype of LDL - this is a good thing. Having triglycerides of over 140 guarantees a large number of small LDL particle size so i read. I love my cheese. :) It's the high inflammatory diet (high carbohydrates (grain and sugars) and excess consumption of omega-6 vegetable oils) and low fat diets that have heart disease written all over it.
One of the biggest selling magazines in Australia published this article- "Eating Fat Helps Us Slim Down"...
"Don't be afraid of fat
Christine says fat can actually be good for us. 'For the past 50 years we have been asked to reduce our fat, especially our saturated fats, and statistics show we've reached the recommended targets - but it's not working,' she says. 'Heart disease is out of control and we are still struggling with our weight. Study after study shows fat was never the problem - in fact, sugar and excess carbohydrates are the true culprits behind obesity and heart disease.'"
Take all this into account and then you don't have to wonder why blogs like this appear...
What I Learned About Heart Disease by DPB Geologist...
"I am a petroleum geologist that was stricken with heart disease in 2007 at a very young age of 48. I exercised 5 days a week, I followed the American Heart Assoc. "low fat" eat healthy grains diet, limited my saturated fat, and I didn't even eat a cholesterol rich egg for over 20 years and still had major blockages in my heart."
Yes well that was a recipe for heart disease wasn't it. Didn't each an egg in 20 years? Poor guy. Eggs are delicious. :)
***
"MYTH: Statin drugs are appropriate for men, women, children and the elderly.
FACT: The only group in which statins have been shown to have even a modest effect is in middle-aged men who’ve already had a heart attack. If you’re not in that group, you’ve got no business on a statin drug." - 8 Cholesterol Myths Your Doctor Still Believes.
Thank you. yes My total cholesterol is 255 and HDL 84 . TC/HDL ratio 3.03. Still I am surprised I dont eat too much fast/fried food. Mostly on salad/fish. . How my body is storing so much LDL/Triglyc. From where it is getting. Rarely I take ice cream/cheesy food.
And thank you in advance
And thank you in advance
COMMUNITY LEADER
Thanks for your question. First off, we are not doctors, one does stop by from time to time to answer questions, perhaps he will answer yours. As far as needing meds, much depends on your levels of total cholesterol, LDL and HDL. Do you have the numbers? You mention a high HDL which may be resulting in a high total. In cases like these they look closely at your LDL/HDL ratio. Even so if your LDL is over 130 or you have other risk factors you may need meds. We would need more info.
Jon
Jon
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