Do you have high cholesterol?? Did you decide to take statins and if so why? or why not?

[Owl9to5]

Mine is high, 7. Ratio of 4. But my triglycerides are low. Blood pressure low. Blood sugar normal. I don't smoke, not overweight. I eat very healthily with my cholesterol in mind. I walk everywhere. Mindful of gut biome, eat in a 8 hour window. There's nothing else I can do.

does high cholesterol in isolation matter? 2 thirds of people who have heart disease have diabetes or pre-diabetes. I don't. Not everybody who has a heart attack even has cholesterol?

Statins have so many awful side effects.

I don't want to argue with a doctor because of youtubers saying that statins are a con. But on the other hand, how much do you trust a doctor? always? blindly?

How do you know you have high cholesterol? I mean, what triggers you getting the blood test that shows your have high cholesterol?

@Owl9to5 I have just started on them two days ago. I am a total cholesterol of 7 as well with a LDL of 4.3.

My high LDL cholesterol level has not responded to the plant based diet, psyllium husk supplement, the years of high intensity exercise etc. So the GP ran more tests. It turns out mine is genetic and I have elevated levels of LPa (lipoprotein a), which makes the LDL cholesterol stickier and potentially more fatal at the same LDL cholesterol level as someone who has normal LPa levels. The LPa does not respond to lifestyle factors. So the GP has told me I must get my total LDL cholesterol level lower than the normal range for those without elevated LPa (to 1.4 - 1.6), which will be a challenge!

The statins will help me with most of that but I will still also need to keep up lifestyle and go harder on my diet - will try and lose at least 5kg. I already do at least 30 mins of exercise a day and regularly go over 10,000 steps.

My mother has taken statins or similar since her 50s and she is now nearly 90, still lives on her own and walks daily. She is otherwise disgustingly healthy and looks young for her age. She has periodically tried to come off them but her LDL would pop right up again.

I have familial high cholesterol. I was diagnosed about 20 years ago. No problems with blood pressure or sugar at that point. It was an easy choice as my cholesterol was 19 and triglycerides very high too, I take a statin plus ezetimibe those plus diet keeps my levels down.

I did develop diabetes ten years later but as it’s on both sides of the family it wasn’t a surprise. Blood pressure tipped over to high a couple of years ago.

It was a no brainer for me because of how high my cholesterol was, my body could not have kept that up. Surprised my blood was able to move around at all! I haven’t had any issues with the statins.

In my case it was because I wanted to go on Roaccutane for my acne but this is unusual I imagine. I’ve also had it tested as part of a general health check (private)

I have familial high cholesterol and hypothyroidism.

I take 40mg of Simvastatin with zero side effects.

@minipie thank you. I'm assuming my blood pressure is ok or they wouldn't accept my bloody donation - don't think I've had a blood test since I was pregnant (we don't get health checks)

I have hypertriglycerideamia (sp) which means up until I was 45 or so my cholesterol was good, hdl and ldl were good but triglycerides were high. This meant my ratio was within normal limits. Since hitting 50 bam everything went haywire so now am on rosuvastatin 10mg and also a low dose fibrate - fenofibrate 67mg. My profile has been amazing so much so I halved my statin to trial it and within 3 months was rising dangerously so back up I go. I don't have high blood pressure, I am a stone overweight, hbac1 normal range

I can’t remember why initially. Might've been because I mentioned my dad’s. Then more recently it was part of an overall health check.

I developed severe heart failure after getting viral myocarditis and I’m taking statins despite having low cholesterol as a precaution.
I haven’t experienced any side effects from any of the medications I’m on.

I though this podcast on statins was an interesting discussion of the evidence
https://open.spotify.com/episode/2eu4exKHwKDxfw8221cZQk?si=nVvFBGdiQt6PhcLl-IM1IA&t=276

One study mention found that people who already had heart disease who took statins every day for 5 years saw an increase in life expectancy of 4.2 days.

If you have a less than 20% risk of heart attack or stroke in the next 10 years (use an online risk calculator) the statin data shows a 1% prevention benefit but no mortality benefit.

Mine is similar to yours OP and I had a message from GPs saying I had low risk due to the above calculation and they just recommended health changes such as diet not statins but to check it in a year. (I'm 47).

I have done a genetic test in the past which says I would be high risk for side effects from statins (23andme) so I want to avoid them anyway.

I think my ratio was a little lower than you maybe 3 as the HDL is quite good. I intent to exercise more as it was better when I did, I have been sedentary recently.

Mine was at one of those health checks we get offered at age 40, think they are offered every 5 yrs.

Interesting it was around 50 as I have heard thinks can change around menopause with some of those things. It's good you're aware of the problem. I have the APOE4 gene which is looted to higher cholesterol also, but the HDL ratio seems pretty good so they don't seem to concerned yet.

I went to my GP because I was covered in xanthomas, these are small yellow spots. They were in the creases of my hands, wrists, elbows, around eyes etc. I had loads of them. They don’t itch or anything like that, basically my body did not know where to put all the excess cholesterol so stored it under the skin.

@quizzys do you mind saying what the procedure was? I have been diagnosed with afib, and am on beta blockers as well. The cardiologist mentioned an ablation - is that what you've had? How was it? Thanks.

I take them and have no side effects at all. I have very low blood pressure, but highish cholesterol which is genetic. They have helped bring down the levels.
No history of any heart issues in the family at all though.

Thank you for all these replies still digesting, still deciding. I was anticipating gp"s perception to any other viewpoint as being from youtubers! There are many qualified people who are trying to make sense of the connection between just high cholesterol and heart disease. I feel like GPS advise you on what's best for the entire population but some of the authors out there questioning an automatic link are encouraging each individual to query if high cholesterol is a risk for them. So many all saying the same. Malvolm kendrick, assem malhortra,

Thank you for this thread op.

I'm 49, have PCOS, T2 diabetic fairly well controlled, normal BP, non smoker, practically tea total but am overweight with very limited mobility due to arthritis.

My total Cholesterol was 5 and my "bad" cholesterol was 3 so the GP practice nurse has suggested statins.

I'm worried about the side effects, mainly the aching joints when mine are already painful (and the possibility of even more brain fog!).

I've overhauled my diet to tackle the cholesterol issue but I'm not sure mine is high enough to warrant statins?

It's so difficult to know what to do isn't it?

Has had anyone had itchy skin as a side effect of statins?

Have you asked for a c-reaction protein test or
A cardiac artery calcium test first @SisterMonicaJoan
I've been googling away and those are two tests that would give you a better idea if stations would benefit you or not.

It seems like they benefit a percentage of people who take them but do nothing for most people who are persuaded to take them.

I want to see my doc's face when I ask for a cac test and a c reaction protein test.
If the doctor says no no no I don't need these tests then do I really need stating.

What we're your issues @prou
Did you have high cholesterol and other risk factors too? How long have you been on them? Do you take the lowest dose?

Familial cholesterol ( but also hideous family history of heart attacks , stroke and vascular dementia ) Tried to bring my cholesterol level down with diet but decided in the end on statins. No side effects ( terrified as I have a balance disorder and that can be a side effect ) wish I’d started sooner as worried about what damage I may have done

@Thegreatgiginthesky (great song) 4.2 days or years?

@NotRomanticBreak No it wasn't an ablation although that can be a very successful procedure for Afib. I am unable to take blood thinners like Eliquis (which you may be taking) due to a previous gastric bleed. An ablation requires blood thinners so that was out for me!

I was so fortunate to be selected as a candidate for a reasonably specialised procedure called - wait for it..... Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion, you can google it, but it's where a device called a Watchman is inserted in the left atrium to stop clots from travelling and causing stroke. That means I don't have to take blood thinners ever now. The clots form from the Afib misfiring apparently! The Afib itself while scary and often debilitating at times is not absolutely life threatening on its own, but the risk of stroke is high and that is the danger with it.

I can recommend the Atrial Fibrillation Support Forum on Facebook of which I'm a member. There are people there from all over the world but the issues are the same worldwide. Many members have had ablations and you can read of their experiences and ask questions. They are very helpful I found. Just a suggestion.

I hope you are doing OK and if you want to ask me anything further, please do.

I work in cardiology and honestly you’d be a fool not to take them.