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Cholesteral Level

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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
Alan, you might find this usefull:
JBS2 already set ?optimal' targets of 140/85mm Hg for blood pressure and less than 4.0 mmol/l for total and less than 2.0 mmol/l for LDL cholesterol, ?or a 25% reduction in total cholesterol and a 30% reduction in LDL cholesterol, whichever gets the person to the lowest absolute value.'

In November a meta-analysis published in The Lancet concluded GPs should consider reducing LDL-cholesterol to below 2.0 mmol/l in high-risk patients, after finding there was 10% reduction in all-cause mortality, a 20% fall in coronary heart disease and an 11% drop in deaths from other cardiac causes for every 1.0 mmol/l reduction in LDL cholesterol ? with benefits seen in patients starting with levels below 2.0 mmol/l. However, there was a three-fold increase in myopathy in patients on simvastatin 80mg.

Extracted from Pulse Today, I presume you are registered. http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/newsart...-lower-blood-pressure-and-cholesterol-targets

For those of us that have suffered severe muscle problems and other side effects from statins they are not imaginary. I am happy to improve my quality of life and ability to exercise at the expense of what I consider to be yet another statistic.

If cholesterol is so important why are GPS restricting cholesterol tests to once a year and why is a full test (LDL/HDL, trigs) considered too expensive!
 
Thanks for that Vic. I've never been told the split of my HDL/LDL, other than that it is very good, so not sure of the values. The last time I saw the cardiologist he gave me the all-clear and said he considered me low risk, so I don't see the point in me personally taking statins.
 
i had problems with two of the statins but now Gp put me on Avorstatins and all seems fine ...if you are suffering side effects get the gp to look at other types of statin
 
Thank you all for your replies, it has been a great help.

I have started reading all about statins and the possible side effects and I have also made an appointment to see a different Doctor in my practice who will not prescribe any medication unless you really need it, so wish me luck!!

As soon as I have seen him I will update you all.

Many thanks again

Suzy
 
suzy10 said:
Thank you all for your replies, it has been a great help.

I have started reading all about statins and the possible side effects and I have also made an appointment to see a different Doctor in my practice who will not prescribe any medication unless you really need it, so wish me luck!!

As soon as I have seen him I will update you all.

Many thanks again

Suzy
Click to expand...

As you can see Suzy, there are divided opinions on them! I hope the new doctor is able to make a proper assessment of your individual needs rather than the blanket prescribing that seems to happen with a lot of people - good luck! 🙂
 
My own cholesterol is under 4 and statins have never come up in a conversation with my doctor or consultant, from what I have read statins are not just prescribed to lower cholesterol but are routinely given out to those at greatest risk of heart disease and strokes such as folk with diabetes. It isn't just statins that are prescribed to reduce risk factors in diabetes, often you will find that bp medication is given out to people whose bp is normal, if the person is deemed to be at a greater risk of kidney disease then some meds such as ramipril are thought to significantly reduce the risks, aspirin is another drug that thins the blood and prevents clots.

To take statins or not to take them is a personal decision and no one can force you or persuade you to change your mind, many books are written on the subject by authors with a one sided view who are merely interested in being controversial and making a fast buck, go with your own heart and decide for yourself.
 
My story is I was put on statins a few months ago,my cho was 4.2 which some said did not warrent me even been put on them but nevertheless i was put on simvistain but within days my legs were in agony the cramps at night were unreal, so i mentioned it to my nurse on my next visit and she told me to stop for a week to make sure it was them and lo and behold it was, only this week she had started me on atorvastatin so shall see what happens this time, im prepared to ride through the pain if it lowers my CHO to below 4.
So my opinion would be do whats right for you,we can only give you our personal experiences, but at the end of the day its you going to be taken it.
Good luck.
 
The worry is that if you are getting muscle aches and problems then you should bear in mind that the heart is a muscle as well, so you should look out for breathlessness, lethargy etc (or are they symptoms of Diabetes?)
 
Plus the muscle cramps etc aren't just cramp, they lead to damage which is irreversible if it takes hold. But obviously I am terribly biased because statins caused me to have memory loss. (eg forgetting sister's name whilst in mid conversation with her) (have only got one sister and I've had her since birth) And I hadn't read any of the hype at that time, only started to come across it after I stopped taking em and got better ....

Have told my doc anyway - when I die of a stroke or heart attack, he is quite welcome to come and view my body in the Chapel of Rest at the undertakers and say 'I told you so!'
 
PS Northerner meant child BEARING age - because they can and do cause foetal abnormalities ......
 
trophywench said:
Plus the muscle cramps etc aren't just cramp, they lead to damage which is irreversible if it takes hold. But obviously I am terribly biased because statins caused me to have memory loss. (eg forgetting sister's name whilst in mid conversation with her) (have only got one sister and I've had her since birth) And I hadn't read any of the hype at that time, only started to come across it after I stopped taking em and got better ....

Have told my doc anyway - when I die of a stroke or heart attack, he is quite welcome to come and view my body in the Chapel of Rest at the undertakers and say 'I told you so!'
Click to expand...

Trophywench - you have made me think! When I came out of hospital having had a stroke 11 months ago I was put on statins - because of the so called benefits at protecting you from strokes (also known as locking the stable door after the horse has bolted). Previously to this my cholesterol was just over 5 but I was told I had a tiny risk of having a stroke! (so much for facts and figures) One of the things I found - and put down to the stroke was that my memory was affected, I couldn't remember where my parents lived one day!! It makes me wonder now if that was the statin and not the stroke. I stopped taking the statins after about 4months of trying different ones as they made me feel as if I had flu. I actually went to bed and missed taking one and was miraculously better next day, but once back on them I had flu again! That's the short version of the saga but I wouldn't recommend them or advise against - everyone has to decide for themselves - and I like your attitude Trophywench although of course a stroke is serious enough to cause enormous damage but not kill you always which is a sobering thought.
 
A Technical Review of Statins

Dear All,

Sorry to reactivate this thread but I just came across this. It is rather technical but it is well worth wading through it. The final point made is that when your doctor asks you to take a statin - say no!

Regards Dodger
 
C*5_Dodger said:
Dear All,

Sorry to reactivate this thread but I just came across this. It is rather technical but it is well worth wading through it. The final point made is that when your doctor asks you to take a statin - say no!

Regards Dodger
Click to expand...

Thanks Dodger, just skimmed it, but will read in detail later 🙂
 
Whilst I do have an automatic dislike of statins (well, any medication which doesn't provide any directly measurable benefit to me, actually), I am also sceptical of documents like this.

What is its provenance?

Andy 🙂
 
Andy HB said:
I am also sceptical of documents like this.

What is its provenance?

Andy 🙂
Click to expand...

It has no credible medical provenance, Seneff is an Electrical Engineer who has appointed herself the cherry-picking scourge of statins.
 
C*5_Dodger said:
The final point made is that when your doctor asks you to take a statin - say no!
Click to expand...



Surely that decision would be up to the individual and not someone who obviously has issues with the use and prescribing of statins.
 
Whilst I read the link that Dodger left, I still agree with Toby as however many professionals or whomever write about statins, I will always try them and form my own opinion.At first I hated them but now i've been moved onto a diffirent statin im having no problems at all.Im pleased I never fully writ off statins.
 
I'll wait for the medical profession (ie. my GP) to catch up with the anti-statin claims. If the tide turns and they are indeed seen as a bad idea then I'll stop taking them.

But for now I'll go with my GP. As he said, we can only go on current science, which relies on peer-reviewed papers and consensus, which points toward the protective action of statins.

None of us are in a position to say for definite one way or another. We just believe one side of the argument.

Rob
 
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