Cholesterol

[Marie1986]

So I had my bloods done in December, hba1c had dropped to 44, was 59 when diagnosed with type 2 a year ago, all my other bloods were perfect and diabetic nurse was really pleased but said my cholestrol was up at 6.2, said I'm low risk so doesn't wanna Start me on medication but wants to review Me in 6 months to give me time to get My cholesteol down, downfall is crisps, trying so hard to be good, but not always easy, also asked about reducing metformin as take 2 in morn and 2 at evening but she said this will only happen when my hba1c drops to 41 or below and they have consistent low readings of 41 or below to be able to start saying I'm heading towards remission, said if i have 2 or 3 readings of 41 or below then they will reduce it untill I'm finally on diet controlled and if my sugars are stable and readings are stable then only when I'm diet controlled will I be classed as in remission, feel a bit gutted as I've done so well in reducing My hba1c and wanted to be reducing my metfornin but guess I just have to take nurse advice, any tips on lowering cholesterol would be fab, thanks, sorry for long post. This is me currently View attachment 24024View attachment 24027

 

[Blue25]

Hi @Marie1986, well done on lowering your BG level to 44. That's a brilliant achievement. I guess reducing or stopping medication would also depend on what diet changes you have made and whether the medication is a big contributing factor for the reduction.

Remission is when your HbA1c - a measure of long term blood glucose levels - remain below 48mmol/ml or 6.5% for at least 3 months without diabetes medication.

To help lower cholesterol, try eating less fatty food, especially saturated fat. Eat oily fish like mackerel & salmon. Exercise is really important too as well reducing alcohol intake. Take a look at the NHS website - How to reduce cholesterol which is very useful.

Keep up the great work. I'm sure you'll get into remission with the determination you have. Good luck.

 

[nonethewiser]

Great reduction in hba1c, think its wise to hold off & see what cholesterol is like in 6 months, if still same or higher them statins might be offered.

 

[Sharron1]

So I had my bloods done in December, hba1c had dropped to 44, was 59 when diagnosed with type 2 a year ago, all my other bloods were perfect and diabetic nurse was really pleased but said my cholestrol was up at 6.2, said I'm low risk so doesn't wanna Start me on medication but wants to review Me in 6 months to give me time to get My cholesteol down, downfall is crisps, trying so hard to be good, but not always easy, also asked about reducing metformin as take 2 in morn and 2 at evening but she said this will only happen when my hba1c drops to 41 or below and they have consistent low readings of 41 or below to be able to start saying I'm heading towards remission, said if i have 2 or 3 readings of 41 or below then they will reduce it untill I'm finally on diet controlled and if my sugars are stable and readings are stable then only when I'm diet controlled will I be classed as in remission, feel a bit gutted as I've done so well in reducing My hba1c and wanted to be reducing my metfornin but guess I just have to take nurse advice, any tips on lowering cholesterol would be fab, thanks, sorry for long post. This is me currently View attachment 24024View attachment 24027

Well done on the reduction to uour Hba1c. If it makes you feel any better check out my Hba1c numbers and I am still on 4 metformin 2 in morn and 2 in evening. I now have annual blood tests because my numbers are stable. But as the review is always so rushed I forget to ask about reducing metformin even though I write questions down

My cholestrol is 6.4.One nurse advises Statins and another nurse says my cholestrol is fine just keep an eye on saturated fats in diet.

Tbh i stick with metformin as I suspect my diet and lifestyle is doing most of the heavy lifting and the metformin is doing very little. But it also does no harm. I have no doubt Statins will be next on the list just a matter of time. Sigh

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Well done on your terrific progress in such a short space of time @Marie1986

Metformin tends to work away quietly in the background by reducing your insulin resistance, and reducing glucose output from the liver - so like @Sharron1 I suspect the positive changes you’ve made to diet and portion sizes are making most of the improvements you’ve seen. So give yourself credit, and try not to be too frustrated about medication.

If it’s not giving you any ill effects, it’s probably worth keeping it on for a little while longer.

Reducing the intake of saturated fats, and increasing exercise are usually the go-to advice. There’s only so much impact you can make with dietary changes (depending on your starting point), but those do help. Personally I found my total cholesterol dropped by a point or two when I stopped having a bag of crisps every day with my lunch. Made my BG results around lunch more reliable too so it was a double win!

I still have crisps every so often, but it’s once a month or two rather than daily! 🙂

 

[Sharron1]

Well done on your terrific progress in such a short space of time @Marie1986

Metformin tends to work away quietly in the background by reducing your insulin resistance, and reducing glucose output from the liver - so like @Sharron1 I suspect the positive changes you’ve made to diet and portion sizes are making most of the improvements you’ve seen. So give yourself credit, and try not to be too frustrated about medication.

If it’s not giving you any ill effects, it’s probably worth keeping it on for a little while longer.

Reducing the intake of saturated fats, and increasing exercise are usually the go-to advice. There’s only so much impact you can make with dietary changes (depending on your starting point), but those do help. Personally I found my total cholesterol dropped by a point or two when I stopped having a bag of crisps every day with my lunch. Made my BG results around lunch more reliable too so it was a double win!

I still have crisps every so often, but it’s once a month or two rather than daily! 🙂

I found Wotsits are the best choice for me. Usually a BH treat.

 

[Brambleberry]

Argh statins..GPS would have us eat them like a bag of sweets...Big pharma again wanting our levels lower. Mine have always been low readings I am lucky. I have since diagnosis stepped up my fat intake and cut carbs down and lost weight without doing much more but am nervous it might have raised my cholesterol. If it does I will cut down the fat again. Dr Robert Lustig has a lot to say about statins on his web site if you look him up he has also done a video on youtube of how to read a cholesterol panel and says lots of doctors do not read it properly and put people on statins doo easily. Its good to be informed and forearmed!

 

[Marie1986]

Hi @Marie1986, well done on lowering your BG level to 44. That's a brilliant achievement. I guess reducing or stopping medication would also depend on what diet changes you have made and whether the medication is a big contributing factor for the reduction.



Remission is when your HbA1c - a measure of long term blood glucose levels - remain below 48mmol/ml or 6.5% for at least 3 months without diabetes medication.



To help lower cholesterol, try eating less fatty food, especially saturated fat. Eat oily fish like mackerel & salmon. Exercise is really important too as well reducing alcohol intake. Take a look at the NHS website - How to reduce cholesterol which is very useful.



Keep up the great work. I'm sure you'll get into remission with the determination you have. Good luck.


Thanks

 

[Marie1986]

Thanks so much x

 

[Marie1986]

Well done on the reduction to uour Hba1c. If it makes you feel any better check out my Hba1c numbers and I am still on 4 metformin 2 in morn and 2 in evening. I now have annual blood tests because my numbers are stable. But as the review is always so rushed I forget to ask about reducing metformin even though I write questions down















My cholestrol is 6.4.One nurse advises Statins and another nurse says my cholestrol is fine just keep an eye on saturated fats in diet.















Tbh i stick with metformin as I suspect my diet and lifestyle is doing most of the heavy lifting and the metformin is doing very little. But it also does no harm. I have no doubt Statins will be next on the list just a matter of time. Sigh







Hi @Marie1986, well done on lowering your BG level to 44. That's a brilliant achievement. I guess reducing or stopping medication would also depend on what diet changes you have made and whether the medication is a big contributing factor for the reduction.







Remission is when your HbA1c - a measure of long term blood glucose levels - remain below 48mmol/ml or 6.5% for at least 3 months without diabetes medication.







To help lower cholesterol, try eating less fatty food, especially saturated fat. Eat oily fish like mackerel & salmon. Exercise is really important too as well reducing alcohol intake. Take a look at the NHS website - How to reduce cholesterol which is very useful.







Keep up the great work. I'm sure you'll get into remission with the determination you have. Good luck.



Well done on your terrific progress in such a short space of time @Marie1986



Metformin tends to work away quietly in the background by reducing your insulin resistance, and reducing glucose output from the liver - so like @Sharron1 I suspect the positive changes you’ve made to diet and portion sizes are making most of the improvements you’ve seen. So give yourself credit, and try not to be too frustrated about medication.



If it’s not giving you any ill effects, it’s probably worth keeping it on for a little while longer.



Reducing the intake of saturated fats, and increasing exercise are usually the go-to advice. There’s only so much impact you can make with dietary changes (depending on your starting point), but those do help. Personally I found my total cholesterol dropped by a point or two when I stopped having a bag of crisps every day with my lunch. Made my BG results around lunch more reliable too so it was a double win!



I still have crisps every so often, but it’s once a month or two rather than daily! 

 

[Marie1986]

Thanks x

 

[Deleted member 21371]

Argh statins..GPS would have us eat them like a bag of sweets...Big pharma again wanting our levels lower. Mine have always been low readings I am lucky. I have since diagnosis stepped up my fat intake and cut carbs down and lost weight without doing much more but am nervous it might have raised my cholesterol. If it does I will cut down the fat again. Dr Robert Lustig has a lot to say about statins on his web site if you look him up he has also done a video on youtube of how to read a cholesterol panel and says lots of doctors do not read it properly and put people on statins doo easily. Its good to be informed and forearmed!

Isn't he a pediatric doctor?
I wouldn't expect many kids are on statins to be fair?

But yes, saturated fats raise my cholesterol, I avoid it mostly, I've been on statins for years with no side effects.
And I have good cholesterol numbers.

@Marie1986 great results!

 

[Brambleberry]

Isn't he a pediatric doctor?
I wouldn't expect many kids are on statins to be fair?

But yes, saturated fats raise my cholesterol, I avoid it mostly, I've been on statins for years with no side effects.
And I have good cholesterol numbers.

@Marie1986 great results!

He is a professor of paediatric endocrinology, and sadly yes he has encountered many children even babies with metabolic disorders trust me he knows his stuff and is connected with equally qualified doctors and researchers on the subject. Some people need statins, but the argument is big pharma is dictating to governments and therefore health care to get more and more people on them and this is not a good idea .People with readings as low as 2.

 

[Blue25]

Argh statins..GPS would have us eat them like a bag of sweets...Big pharma again wanting our levels lower. Mine have always been low readings I am lucky. I have since diagnosis stepped up my fat intake and cut carbs down and lost weight without doing much more but am nervous it might have raised my cholesterol. If it does I will cut down the fat again. Dr Robert Lustig has a lot to say about statins on his web site if you look him up he has also done a video on youtube of how to read a cholesterol panel and says lots of doctors do not read it properly and put people on statins doo easily. Its good to be informed and forearmed!

@Brambleberry Very interesting and insightful. Thank you for sharing.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Argh statins..GPS would have us eat them like a bag of sweets...Big pharma again wanting our levels lower. Mine have always been low readings I am lucky. I have since diagnosis stepped up my fat intake and cut carbs down and lost weight without doing much more but am nervous it might have raised my cholesterol. If it does I will cut down the fat again. Dr Robert Lustig has a lot to say about statins on his web site if you look him up he has also done a video on youtube of how to read a cholesterol panel and says lots of doctors do not read it properly and put people on statins doo easily. Its good to be informed and forearmed!

The vast majority of expert opinion supports statin use as an effective preventative measure for people at increased risk for cardiovascular disease (which people with diabetes are, even if their glucose is generally well managed).

While there are some voices in the healthcare community who are sceptical of the benefits of statins, the weight of evidence does not currently support their views.

There are forum members who felt they had significant side effects from statins, but the majority of forum members who take them have no problems.

It’s up to individuals to make up their own minds, but it’s important to recognise that most Drs support their use, and have no personal financial incentive for doing so.

 

[Brambleberry]

The vast majority of expert opinion supports statin use as an effective preventative measure for people at increased risk for cardiovascular disease (which people with diabetes are, even if their glucose is generally well managed).

While there are some voices in the healthcare community who are sceptical of the benefits of statins, the weight of evidence does not currently support their views.

There are forum members who felt they had significant side effects from statins, but the majority of forum members who take them have no problems.

It’s up to individuals to make up their own minds, but it’s important to recognise that most Drs support their use, and have no personal financial incentive for doing so.

Like I said sometimes there is a genuine need for statins, but there is also a push to get people on them who dont need them too just like they want blood pressure lower and lower too.

 

[Deleted member 21371]

He is a professor of paediatric endocrinology, and sadly yes he has encountered many children even babies with metabolic disorders trust me he knows his stuff and is connected with equally qualified doctors and researchers on the subject. Some people need statins, but the argument is big pharma is dictating to governments and therefore health care to get more and more people on them and this is not a good idea .People with readings as low as 2.

He actually claims "people with readings as low as 2" to criticise "big pharma"?
If that and a conspiracy theory is his justification, I wouldn't really rely on him to tell me how to read a cholesterol panel.
It appears he also may not read it properly if he can't actually define it better than that.
And to be honest, I still prefer cardiac specialists giving me advice, I personally stopped being seen by a paediatric doctor a very long time ago.

 

[Brambleberry]

He actually claims "people with readings as low as 2" to criticise "big pharma"?
If that and a conspiracy theory is his justification, I wouldn't really rely on him to tell me how to read a cholesterol panel.
It appears he also may not read it properly if he can't actually define it better than that.
And to be honest, I still prefer cardiac specialists giving me advice, I personally stopped being seen by a paediatric doctor a very long time ago.

I worded that badly my mothers GP wanted her level of cholesterol down to 2.

 

[Deleted member 21371]

I worded that badly my mothers GP wanted her level of cholesterol down to 2.

Again, an interesting statement.
That "2" needs a bit more defining.


Personally, I like to break it down a bit more.
Mine are in line with NHS numbers.
@Marie1986 will be a bit over at 6.2, but well on track to get down by the little bit needed hopefully, but it's worth looking at the breakdown even so.
(I've used statins for quite a few years)

Total cholesterol	5 or below
HDL (good cholesterol)	1 or above
Non-HDL (bad cholesterol)	4 or below
Fasting triglycerides	1.7 or below

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

That "2" needs a bit more defining.

I’ve had a suggested recommendation of LDL being ideally 2 or below mentioned to me. Perhaps that was the suggestion from @Brambleberry’s mum’s GP?