Please help me make a decision regarding my results

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nonethewiser said:
Agree with @Burylancs that those figures look high, as you mention FH in your opening post I'm sure usual treatment is statins to keep your cholesterol under control & to prevent cardiovascular events.

in your position I'd be taking advice of your medical team rather than laymen such as here on this forum.
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Yes.
My nieces are on statins as FH runs in the their Dad's side of the family. Their aunt died of a heart attack in her thirties, and their uncle is on statins for FH and their granddad also had many heart problems with siblings who died young of heart problems.

They're currently being tested for the genes, but it's quite time consuming.

One is having to change statin due to side effects.
 
nonethewiser said:
in your position I'd be taking advice of your medical team rather than laymen such as here on this forum.
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I didn’t advise any action other than self education - and there is a debate amongst legitimate sources to be educated on. I expressed my views and provided my reasoning behind it and acknowledged it’s controversial for many. Unless we’re advocating censorship of legitimate medical information and options then I see no issues with this. If people are more comfortable following the more accepted and typical path that’s up to them. If nothing else it provides questions to be asked of the medical team that might result in reassurance.
 
HSSS said:
I didn’t advise any action other than self education - and there is a debate amongst legitimate sources to be educated on. I expressed my views and provided my reasoning behind it and acknowledged it’s controversial for many. Unless we’re advocating censorship of legitimate medical information and options then I see no issues with this. If people are more comfortable following the more accepted and typical path that’s up to them. If nothing else it provides questions to be asked of the medical team that might result in reassurance.
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Someone's touchy, wasn't having a go at you inparticular fella.
 
Jenny65 said:
I did fast for 12 hours but finished eating at 8pm 12 hours earlier as was at a 30th birthday celebration so ate a lot of different foods just before the fast and alcohol and did have one cappuccino just before the test as forgot and craved my morning coffee
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I have read coffee can have a noticeable effect. As will the degree of low carb or otherwise and any ongoing weight loss (which often raises levels regardless of the methodology employed until stable).

One choice would be to repeat the testing, comparatively soon, after making some changes and see if your path forward is any clearer after that. Or another to ask for a referral to a specialist for advice as FH is a condition specifically separate from simple cholesterol levels most of us are considering. Whatever you choose ask the questions you need to ask and get the assurances you seek to be happy with the choice you make. And remember it can be reevaluated again in the future if anything changes.
 
I appreciate all input on this thread, it has all helped me and I am pleased to be able to go along to my GP with some questions after reading the links, I also read another study saying that it is cholesterol that may be linked to dementia and that statins reduce the risk associated with it, so I am not completely against it, I think some of my hesistance is to do with accepting I am now getting older and need meds of any sort.

But I wear glasses, and need to watch my diet so at the age of 58 I guess I am already being affected by the ageing process. I think I will talk this through with my doctor now, although in a couple of weeks time as still waiting for the result of a bone density scan, if that comes back with a need for other medication I can cover it at the same appointment.

I should focus on the good things though, my HbA1C is good, my fatty liver is no more and my iron levels etc are all really good, plus ive lost 5 stone so I am not going to get hung up on this, and if I need meds will take them
 
Jenny65 said:
I appreciate all input on this thread, it has all helped me and I am pleased to be able to go along to my GP with some questions after reading the links, I also read another study saying that it is cholesterol that may be linked to dementia and that statins reduce the risk associated with it, so I am not completely against it, I think some of my hesistance is to do with accepting I am now getting older and need meds of any sort.

But I wear glasses, and need to watch my diet so at the age of 58 I guess I am already being affected by the ageing process. I think I will talk this through with my doctor now, although in a couple of weeks time as still waiting for the result of a bone density scan, if that comes back with a need for other medication I can cover it at the same appointment.

I should focus on the good things though, my HbA1C is good, my fatty liver is no more and my iron levels etc are all really good, plus ive lost 5 stone so I am not going to get hung up on this, and if I need meds will take them
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Had Dexa Scan 5 years ago & was found to be at Osteopenie stage so was started on a weekly med & daily calcium tabs. Good luck hope yours is OK.
 
I think you need to drink a LOT of coffee for it to affect cholesterol, and it's unfiltered coffee that has been linked to elevated cholesterol (i.e. not passed through paper.)
 
HSSS said:
I have read coffee can have a noticeable effect. As will the degree of low carb or otherwise and any ongoing weight loss (which often raises levels regardless of the methodology employed until stable).

One choice would be to repeat the testing, comparatively soon, after making some changes and see if your path forward is any clearer after that. Or another to ask for a referral to a specialist for advice as FH is a condition specifically separate from simple cholesterol levels most of us are considering. Whatever you choose ask the questions you need to ask and get the assurances you seek to be happy with the choice you make. And remember it can be reevaluated again in the future if anything changes.
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now I have to consider would I rather have statins and continue enjoying my coffee 🙂 I am addicted to the stuff, cant function in the morning without at least 2 cups of it. oddly enough my dad who had bowel cancer told me coffee helps protect against that type of cancer, but I believe it is mainly due to the laxative effect and keeping things moving 🙂

My dad used to say 1/4 of an aspirin a day and coffee would keep the nasty things at bay! In my day it was an apple a day would keep the doctor away! To be fair we all get caught by something in the end, there are not many people walking around who were born 100 years ago. Both my parents died at the age of 80, my dad said he felt robbed when he knew he was dying as both his parents lived to nearly 100, my mums parents lived to 88 too. My parents were healthy, non smoking, vegetarians that exercised regularly, didnt really drink except at Christmas but my dad died of bowel cancer and my mum a combination of alzeimers and ovarian cancer (she was on HRT for 20 years) Both parents had high cholesterol, my dad also had high blood pressure, but my mums was low. My grandpa who lived to 98 had angina, but was mainly OK, until he broke his arm and then died in hospital in a bowl of soup!...well thats where he was found, he always liked to make people laugh even at the end. Sorry gone off on a tangent here.
 
nonethewiser said:
Had Dexa Scan 5 years ago & was found to be at Osteopenie stage so was started on a weekly med & daily calcium tabs. Good luck hope yours is OK.
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thanks x do the calcium and meds prevent it developing into osteoperosis?
 
Jenny65 said:
thanks x do the calcium and meds prevent it developing into osteoperosis?
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At very least it will slow things down, not sure of answer if honest but weekly med & calcium tab was only suggested for 5 years.

Other things help condition like not smoking eating healthy & exercising daily.
 
harbottle said:
My surgery has just recently moved to using ratios and not total-hdl.
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Check out the NICE guidance from January 2023 ..

  • Total cholesterol is an important predictor of CVD events. However, non-high density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) — the difference between total and HDL-C is a powerful risk factor.
  • Non-HDL-C has replaced low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) as the primary target for reducing cardiovascular risk with lipid-modifying treatment.
Lipid Modification guidance NHS/Nice

So as of now Total minus HDL is the key measure ( no mention of 'ratios'). This January advice seems to follow the ADA/AHA revised guidance on chol measures of Dec 2022. As usual we are behind and following USA. Looks like Qrisk3 will have to be revised at least the chol measure used. HTH. The new ADA advice is also heavy on LDL targets

Mayo Clinic abandoned ratios in favour of Total minus HDL a couple of years ago.

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Burylancs said:
Check out the NICE guidance from January 2023 ..

  • Total cholesterol is an important predictor of CVD events. However, non-high density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) — the difference between total and HDL-C is a powerful risk factor.
  • Non-HDL-C has replaced low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) as the primary target for reducing cardiovascular risk with lipid-modifying treatment.
Lipid Modification guidance NHS/Nice

So as of now Total minus HDL is the key measure ( no mention of 'ratios'). This January advice seems to follow the ADA/AHA revised guidance on chol measures of Dec 2022. As usual we are behind and following USA. Looks like Qrisk3 will have to be revised at least the chol measure used. HTH. The new ADA advice is also heavy on LDL targets

Mayo Clinic abandoned ratios in favour of Total minus HDL a couple of years ago.

Reply
Report •••
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That is really useful as nowhere seemed to explain the new terminology. I wonder why the change.
 
Hi interesting thread. I was prescribed Atorvastatin due to my Q risk score. I gave them a few weeks but found post exercise ( which I do at least 3 times a week) I got very sore muscles and aching limbs. I did discuss this with the GP Nurse and was advised to stop taking them and consider switching to a different brand. I have not done that yet but just wondered anyone else had similar and a switch solved the problem?
 
Jenny65 said:
sorry that didnt print well its 5.5%
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A 58 year old Type 2 with 7.7 chols and horrendous LDL ? That 5.5 risk is almost impossible to believe. Your Total minus HDL is 6.1. I think the recommendation is something like under 3.6.

QRisk calculation is online and easily accessible
 
HSSS said:
Where have ratios been downgraded please ? If anything i see more and more notice paid to them not less.

With regard to qrisk it’s based on populations not individuals. If I lived a few hundred meters another direction my risk changes………it takes no notice of control, duration, medications or even type of diabetes. Somewhat of a blunt tool imo
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You might find this summary of the current NHS England lipid modification guidelines helpful (dates from Dec 2022, so quite up to date)


The PDF flowchart is here


There isn’t any specific mention of delaying treatment if HDL/TC ratios are in a particular place, though, of course QRISK 3 looks like it takes ratio into account if you provide it?
 
Burylancs said:
A 58 year old Type 2 with 7.7 chols and horrendous LDL ? That 5.5 risk is almost impossible to believe. Your Total minus HDL is 6.1. I think the recommendation is something like under 3.6.

QRisk calculation is online and easily accessible
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let me put this into context. My dearest best friend ended her life 2 years ago in August. my uncle on realising where his life was heading took his own life rather than be somewhere for people with dementia having seen what my gran went through, then my own lovely clever beautiful mother when she ended up needing care for alziemers. I am sorry, but i will lose weight and play the game but I am done now If I end up on satins alive but not knowing the dat of the week then what is the point
 
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