Cholesterol and me

Status
Not open for further replies.
R

Rodgearing

Active Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Just had my three months review on 'stuff' by the diabetic nurse plus blood and urine tests.
Good news my Hab1c has gone down from 102 to 56 but cholesterol went up from 4.7 to 5.4.
The nurse recommended I started taking a daily Statin.
My thoughts were in three months my cholesterol level had gone up surely I can get it down.
My question is how?
I thought I was doing good with my regime.
I have lost almost 2 stone, I walk about 5+miles a day.
Cut down on everything.
Don't eat spuds or white bread (Usually brown slice of toast a day nowt else)
No orange juice, lots of veg, lots of white meat, some other meats but not often, fish.
Nuts and some fruit.
So again why did my cholestrole rise?
Do I take the offer of a statin a day up?
God knows.
 
Many people have found that weight reduction and drastic diet change even if it’s for the better, has resulted in higher cholesterol. I’m not sure in the reason for this. It happened to me though.
 
I should add that it does tend to come back down and short term (weeks/months) of raised chol is common with keto diets.
 
Last edited:
Rodgearing said:
And????
Did you take 'The Statin' or did you do it on your own volitition?
Click to expand...
At diagnosis I was 4.5, went up to about 6 within 3 months of diet change. That was 18 months ago and I’ve been steadily reducing and am currently 4.7 ish. My doctor asked me to start statins when I was at 6 and I turned them down at that point. My DN said my ratios are really good and she isn’t concerned. My consultant ran some blood a few weeks back and I’ve had no phone calls so I’m assuming I’m all good for now.
 
EmmaL76 said:
At diagnosis I was 4.5, went up to about 6 within 3 months of diet change. That was 18 months ago and I’ve been steadily reducing and am currently 4.7 ish. My doctor asked me to start statins when I was at 6 and I turned them down at that point. My DN said my ratios are really good and she isn’t concerned. My consultant ran some blood a few weeks back and I’ve had no phone calls so I’m assuming I’m all good for now.
Click to expand...
So do I take it you didn't/don't take Statins?
Did you do anything different to reduce it?
 
See some people take them and are completely fine. You do hear the odd horror story. I haven’t ever taken them but if I struggled long term with high cholesterol I would absolutely give them a go. I was underweight when I was diagnosed and still lost 2 stone. The thinner I got the higher my cholesterol went! My diet was very restrictive at around 30g carbs a day. Im a LADA but not on insulin. I have gradually added more carbs into my diet so I currently have about 70-80g and have put some weight back on. I eat nuts, cheese full cream etc and my chol is back to where I started. The body produces cholesterol you see so maybe mine was trying to help me out when I was super skinny. To be honest cholesterol has always puzzled me a little
 
Cholesterol's a funny one - mine shot up after I quit drinking alcohol (nothing else diet- or exercise-wise had changed), so I started taking statins, which brought it down. I consider myself to be a healthy person - I avoid processed foods, eat lots of fibre, exercise for at least an hour daily - but still have too-high cholesterol and need to take statins. Mind you, my A1c has recently dropped significantly (since I started using a pump) and my next blood letting is next week - so, watch this space.

Congrats on the shiny new A1c @Rodgearing - that's brilliant!
 
Some years ago I lost 63 pounds over 18 months on a low fat diet, resulting in a normal BMI. But my cholesterol shot up to 7.8, so I asked why. I was told by the nurse cholesterol was mainly a function of the liver, and as I had stuck to a low fat diet, the higher cholesterol wasn't the result of what I had been eating but how my body worked. I did take various statins over an 18 month period and got my level down to 3, but with dreadful side effects. The GP took me off them and told me to take a Benecol drink or equivalent instead. Now I range between 5.2 and 6 following a low carb diet, but my ratios are very good. It's a personal choice whether or not to take them. Most people have no problems, and others like me can't tolerate them. At least I tried. I still have to battle with every new GP and nurse who want to put me back on them, until I ask them to read my notes!
 
Felinia said:
Some years ago I lost 63 pounds over 18 months on a low fat diet, resulting in a normal BMI. But my cholesterol shot up to 7.8, so I asked why. I was told by the nurse cholesterol was mainly a function of the liver, and as I had stuck to a low fat diet, the higher cholesterol wasn't the result of what I had been eating but how my body worked. I did take various statins over an 18 month period and got my level down to 3, but with dreadful side effects. The GP took me off them and told me to take a Benecol drink or equivalent instead. Now I range between 5.2 and 6 following a low carb diet, but my ratios are very good. It's a personal choice whether or not to take them. Most people have no problems, and others like me can't tolerate them. At least I tried. I still have to battle with every new GP and nurse who want to put me back on them, until I ask them to read my notes!
Click to expand...
Cholestrol is a minefield. At my last review a couple of weeks ago i have aTC of 6 4 but all components in green zone. The nurse suggested I tried reducing the saturated fats in my diet and see what happens at my at my next blood test next year. She was unable to give me any further info.Today I met a friend with aTC 5.7 and like me all components in green zone. She is not diabetic and was advised not to take Statins. However my understanding is Statins are beneficial for diabetics with a high TC . So I will wait and see what happens next yearbut suspect Statins will appear on my list of meds eventually.
 
Mine was fine, but LDL was high, HDL was low and Trigs were high.
When I lost 3 stone in three months, overall it all went up, HDL was higher.
I got the 'you need to take statins' auto-response from the GP.
I refused.
It was normal 3 months later. It's quite common for fast weight loss to see a rise in cholesterol. I found some research that had been done on it.

The GP didn't seem to know this was surprised when I told him I got it down by doing... nothing.
I don't eat much saturated fat, and if I do, it's its in things like nuts.
 
I think this link is worth repeating in the thread as it might clarify things for you.
www.barbellmedicine.com

Cholesterol Myths & Misconceptions

Cholesterol plays many important roles in the body. Many people assume that blood levels reflect whether we have enough cholesterol available
www.barbellmedicine.com www.barbellmedicine.com
@Eddy Edson posted a while ago.
But make your own mind up after weighing the pros and cons.
 
harbottle said:
Mine was fine, but LDL was high, HDL was low and Trigs were high.
When I lost 3 stone in three months, overall it all went up, HDL was higher.
I got the 'you need to take statins' auto-response from the GP.
I refused.
It was normal 3 months later. It's quite common for fast weight loss to see a rise in cholesterol. I found some research that had been done on it.

The GP didn't seem to know this was surprised when I told him I got it down by doing... nothing.
I don't eat much saturated fat, and if I do, it's its in things like nuts.
Click to expand...
Like I said, '... a minefield' i was rather taken back by the nurse's thoughts.
 
Rodgearing said:
Just had my three months review on 'stuff' by the diabetic nurse plus blood and urine tests.
Good news my Hab1c has gone down from 102 to 56 but cholesterol went up from 4.7 to 5.4.
The nurse recommended I started taking a daily Statin.
My thoughts were in three months my cholesterol level had gone up surely I can get it down.
My question is how?
I thought I was doing good with my regime.
I have lost almost 2 stone, I walk about 5+miles a day.
Cut down on everything.
Don't eat spuds or white bread (Usually brown slice of toast a day nowt else)
No orange juice, lots of veg, lots of white meat, some other meats but not often, fish.
Nuts and some fruit.
So again why did my cholestrole rise?
Do I take the offer of a statin a day up?
God knows.
Click to expand...
Hi. Diabetic Dyslipidemia ( raised Total Chol, raised LDL and struggling HDL) is one of the commonest Complications of Diabetes. Diabetic Dyslipidemia in turn is the forerunner of CVD which is the major Complication diabetics are facing,especially T2s.
Until recently 'ratios' were the fashionable measure of Chols but the emphasis has switched back to absolute level of LDL being more important and Total Chol minus HDL ( which gives a guesstimate of 'bad Cholesterol' - chiefly LDL and vLDL-fragments ).
It is said that dietary measures can only reduce Total Chol by 10%. In contrast a Statin would soon knock your dodgy Lipid Panel into shape.
Statins are a key element in the good control of T2 Diabetes and its Complications along with Metformin, blood pressure medication, ace inhibitors and insulin.
 
It's part of the 'metabolic syndrome' that is a key indicator of insulin resistance that precedes T2 diabetes and also an indication of T2 diabetes. (Along with high blood pressure)

It can be reversed with diet, exercise and weight loss, which is how I sorted it out.

Metabolic syndrome
 
Rodgearing said:
Just had my three months review on 'stuff' by the diabetic nurse plus blood and urine tests.
Good news my Hab1c has gone down from 102 to 56 but cholesterol went up from 4.7 to 5.4.
The nurse recommended I started taking a daily Statin.
My thoughts were in three months my cholesterol level had gone up surely I can get it down.
My question is how?
I thought I was doing good with my regime.
I have lost almost 2 stone, I walk about 5+miles a day.
Cut down on everything.
Don't eat spuds or white bread (Usually brown slice of toast a day nowt else)
No orange juice, lots of veg, lots of white meat, some other meats but not often, fish.
Nuts and some fruit.
So again why did my cholestrole rise?
Do I take the offer of a statin a day up?
God knows.
Click to expand...
 
My blood test of 10th June that identified diabetes also showed my cholesterol was 8.8, I tried Statins but they made me feel awful. So a pretty bland diet no butter, little cheese, lots of oat and nut products plus antioxidants. 24th Oct tests showed 7.1 which is point 1 less than I've ever been, hope it continues to decrease.
Christmas coming up!
 
My cholesterol was high at diagnosis, but unlike the metabolic syndrome in the link Harbottle referenced my HDL cholesterol was good. Just too much of the other stuff pushing the ratio off. (And triglycerides were high too). I wasn't offered statins, I'm not sure if that was because I had already said I didn't want to try medication straight away for the Type 2, or because my QRisk is still under 10% as my blood pressure is OK. (Gone up from what it was in my teens and twenties when not pregnant which was 110/60, but only about 130/75 so OK overall)
 
I have reduced my cholesterol from 9.2 just 3 months ago to 7 by diet alone, hoping when I have got to 8 stone (another 3 stone loss) It will lower further.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top