cholesterol - the joy of diabetes

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margie

margie

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
So if I didn't have diabetes no one would be worried that my total cholesterol is 4.5. The LDL was 2.4. They were the results from the last clinic appointment I only had a letter to make an appointment at the weekend. Though I am wondering whether the letter I had a couple of months back may have been related as it was about blood test results - and when I rang the letter hadn't been linked to anything and the staff member said all was fine.

Anyway - the Dr said I can have another test and also recheck my TSH levels as some of those have been out of range and that can effect cholesterol.

Its odd because at clinic they didn't seem bothered and looking at the historic results its been between 4 and 4.5 for 5 years though one year it was 3.5.

I guess I don't really want to take statins they haven't been around long enough to know if there are any long term side effects.

I think I may try a diet route - I don't eat as healthily as I should mainly because OH hates virtually all veg and he also likes his chips and roast potatoes.

So I guess I will have the blood test and then see if I can do something with diet and exercise (as I definitely don't do enough). I need to look at when the 3.5 was as I think it may have been close to a 2 week holiday were I would have had a better diet and would have walked quite a bit.

I'm just putting my thoughts down - but have any of you had success in reducing cholesterol through diet and or exercise?

Oh my blood pressure is on the low side - so I don't have that risk factor (well not yet any way)
 
Hi Margie, I was put on statins originally because they thought I'd had a heart attack, which I hadn't. When I saw the new consultant today he questioned why I had stopped them so I told him that my chol had fallen to 2.4 on them and I thought that was too low. I also confirmed to him that I hadn't had a heart attack, it was something called myocarditis. After about 6 months without the statins my chol was 4.5, which my GP was fine with. This morning (13 months after stopping them) my chol was 5.2, but the HDL was high, which is good. The consultant said this was probably because I do a lot of running, so it would appear that exercise is a key element in getting good cholesterol. If I hadn't been so inactive over the past few weeks due to injury, I'm pretty sure my total chol would have been lower than 5.2 (which the consultant said wasn't bad anyway.

He did stress that statins aren't really about chol these days, but are good for their anti-inflammatory properties which helps protect arteries. Still, I'm not convinced personally. There's a lot of discussion and some useful links hidden in this thread, which was part of my own investigation into whether or not I should take statins.

http://www.diabetessupport.co.uk/boards/showthread.php?t=4115

So - exercise will really help lower cholesterol, plus things like oily fish in your diet a couple of times a week (I have sardines on toast usually!) 🙂
 
According to everything I've read and heard, diet can only affect the cholesterol levels by around 10% or so. In theory, exercise helps to improve the HDL ('good') cholesterol, but I've seen no evidence of that personally (my HDL is actually getting worse!).

I've really cut down on all saturated fat intake by ...

1) Almost never eating cheese any more (miss that!)
2) Replaced atleast 75% of meals using minced beef with quorn
3) Use the Tesco/Sainsbury Light Olive Spread rather than butter or margarine.
4) Only use semi-skimmed milk (could go to skimmed, but that's just like water!)

However, in general my cholesterol levels are still high (but the triglycerides are usually fine). It's the LDL I have trouble with (it's too high) and HDL (it's too low). My total cholesterol recently has been between 5 and 7 (the 7's seemed to be in summer - I'd be over indulging in magnums!).

I'm waiting for my review in March to see how I'm doing now.
 
Thanks for the thread link Northerner I will take a look later.

I think I might have a chat with my brother - though I hate talking to him on medical matters. I remember him saying several years ago that in the research he had seen it looked like homocysteine was a better marker of potential problems than cholesterol. He may have changed his opinion since then.

My brother is a Dr (not a GP) so he will have some idea - I just don't like to ask him anything medical if I can help it.
 
I wont bore everyone again with my statin story but just to confirm what Andy said, diet can only affect cholesterol by about 10%. I saw a dietician a few weeks ago about all this. she said the products with plant sterols in them do help but the drinks are best as it's a measured dose, although watch the sugar content. Benecol do a light version which I haven't tried yet. Cholesterol lowering cheese is also available. I was also advised to take omega 3 as a supplement as then "you know you've had it", so I've started doing that. Don't know if any of this is helpful but I wish you well and we shall have to compare notes as to how successful it is! My cholesterol is 5.6 at present.
 
I tried to lower my cholesterol by diet alone and it didn't work. I was put on simvastatin after i was diagnosed Type 2 because my cholesterol was at a shocking 9.4 reading at diagnosis 😱 I am happy to take a statin and i have not experienced any awful side effects that some people seem to experience, i personally believe that statins are a 'wonder drug' and that everyone over the age of 50 should take one regardless of whether they have cholesterol or not, i've only read good reports about statins though.
 
I to have been on simvastatin 20mg for about 6 weeks with no side effects my cholestrol has reduced from 6.8 to 3.6 in that short time with also changes to my diet and the introduction of exercise

I was initailly prescribed simvastatin 40mg but the pharmacist gave me simvastatin 20mg in error and as they have done the trick the doctor has now changed my prescription to 20mg
 
Andy HB said:
According to everything I've read and heard, diet can only affect the cholesterol levels by around 10% or so.
Click to expand...

That's what I was told, although the figure used was around 20%. At that time, I was under pressure from the GP and nurse to take a statin. It was said I would never reduce to normal range on diet alone.

That turned out to be incorrect. Cholesterol down 41% and triglycerides down 80% by diet only, no meds.
 
Cliff said:
It was said I would never reduce to normal range on diet alone.

That turned out to be incorrect. Cholesterol down 41% and triglycerides down 80% by diet only, no meds.
Click to expand...

I had a similar experience Cliff. I was told my Chol was a little too high, and that if he were me my Consultant would be taking statins. That it would be pretty much impossible to improve things with dietary changes.

However I was able to make significant improvements by giving up crisps (a personal weakness :( ). As with everything else in D it seems that chol level is very individual and that there are no hard and fast rules.

I've also read some interesting reports about high incidence of Heart Disease in some communities where cholesterol is at very low levels which begins to improve when cholesterol levels rise :confused:
 
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Cliff said:
That's what I was told, although the figure used was around 20%. At that time, I was under pressure from the GP and nurse to take a statin. It was said I would never reduce to normal range on diet alone.

That turned out to be incorrect. Cholesterol down 41% and triglycerides down 80% by diet only, no meds.
Click to expand...


Hooray!!! That's what I like to hear.
 
I had the same situation Cholesterol was high doctor spotted this and informed as any person I was worried and decided to eat healthy foods and hit the gym with friends and family then bingo Cholesterol had come down.
Doctor was very pleased and so was I feeling more postivie,energy levels where sky high.
It can be done.xxx
 
Sorry to hear that - perhaps a different diet might help.🙂Bev
 
Thanks for all the comments.

Interestingly I had a non-diabetes hospital appointment today - and whilst I wasn't enamoured by the bedside manner of the Dr she did suggest I try Evening Primrose oil. I have done a bit of googling and it seems it is thought to help reduce cholesterol and can help with diabetic neuropathy (don't know how valid that claim is)
 
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