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should I take a statin? what are alternatives?

Posted by mpetermax @mpetermax, Apr 16 9:53pm

I was given a statin by my doctor and my total numbers are 221 and my average is 2.9, LDL 136 and HDL 77

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leeosteo | @leeosteo | Apr 22 4:03pm
In reply to @sueinmn "@mpetermax You are correct, your numbers are not "terrible." But in addition to LDL and total..." + (show)
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@mpetermax You are correct, your numbers are not "terrible." But in addition to LDL and total cholesterol, there are other factors the doc uses when recommending steroids - your overall health picture and all your risk factors - age, weight, blood pressure, health history, any evidence of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), family history of heart disease.

There is actually a tool many use in deciding on the recommendation - a questionnaire that once completed gives your 5-10 year risk of a cardiac event, with and without statins. Did your doctor share this with you?

In my family, there is a big history of statin-intolerance, so when my numbers looked like yours, I avoided the recommended statins for about 10 years, controlling my weight, diet and exercising, and the numbers stayed steady. Then age stiffened my arteries, and illness and pain reduced my exercise, the numbers started to rise and my primary pushed harder for me to use statins. I gave them a good try (3 different ones, over a couple of years) and had terrible side effects to all of them. I thought that was the end of it - until I had an episode that sent me to the ER, where testing revealed a moderate coronary blockage. Now I use 3 drugs to lower my cholesterol, keep my blood "slippery" and manage chest pain - perhaps if I had not been so stubborn, I would not need all them.

What is this all about - YES, by all means try diet and exercise, and if it works for you great. But if it doesn't work (and it does not for many people), or if it works for a while and then things change, please stay open to the idea of medication to help.

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@sueinmn , hi. Do you have a link to the questionnaire that once completed gives your 5-10 year risk of a cardiac event?

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Nanci | @kildaren96 | Apr 22 9:46pm

Look at adding foods from the portfolio diet to what you eat. I already eat a lot of these but am going to add in some more. I do take 1 Cholestene brand red yeast rice capsule and 1 Cholestoff brand plant sterol at breakfast and dinner and one Solaray brand Berberine capsule at breakfast. These brands have been vetted and are the top choices from ConsumerLab. I have a genetic mutation that says I’m likely to get that muscle wasting issue if I take statins. Red yeast rice is a natural low grade lovastatin but I seem to tolerate it fine as I don’t take much of it.

A one page info sheet on the Portfolio diet foods is attached. Take a look at it; look up Portfolio diet online for more information.

My total cholesterol is 156, LDL 90, HDL 48, triglycerides 132, all in the green. ApoB is 79 (60-117 is normal) LpA is 14 (normal value is under 29). Chol/HDL ratio is 3 and LDL/HDL ration is 1.88. All really good numbers although I’d like to get my triglycerides down more. The NP I saw last week at my yearly check in with my electrophysiologist shocked me when she said she wanted me to take a statin to get my LDL under 70, better yet, under 50. I don’t have heart disease although I’ve had two discrete Afib episodes, 11.5 years apart, both after a very stressful situation and testing said that my heart was healthy with a slightly leaky valve. My last Afib episode was 6 years ago. I’m 75 years old and no doctor, PCP or Electrophysiologist has ever told me to go on a statin. I see my PCP, who is also a gerontologist, in 2 weeks, and I have a bunch more labs to take this week. I’m going to get her opinion but frankly, I’m not planning to go on a statin. I AM planning to incorporate items on the Portfolio diet that I’m not already eating, to see how much lower I can go with just diet changes. I walk a mile a day with my dog, albeit with a rollator as spinal issues make it hard to walk without assistance but with my all terrain rollator, I can walk easily. I also try to do my online chair yoga 2 to 3 times a week and am looking into doing water aerobics at our local pool.
https://ccs.ca/app/uploads/2020/11/Portfolio_Diet_Scroll_editable_eng.pdf

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Sue, Volunteer Mentor | @sueinmn | Apr 22 10:07pm
In reply to @leeosteo "@sueinmn , hi. Do you have a link to the questionnaire that once completed gives your..." + (show)
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@sueinmn , hi. Do you have a link to the questionnaire that once completed gives your 5-10 year risk of a cardiac event?

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@leeosteo Sorry to say, not right now. I am on the road without my main computer, and cannot find itin my bookmarks. Perhaps you can look here:
https://professional.heart.org/en/guidelines-and-statements/prevent-calculator

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Sue, Volunteer Mentor | @sueinmn | Apr 23 9:07am
In reply to @itasarah "Thanks for being right to the point. I get all these emails with all kinds of..." + (show)
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Thanks for being right to the point. I get all these emails with all kinds of words and I’m just tired of reading. Yes what I need is more exercise. I just don’t feel like doing it.

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@itasarah Maybe you are thinking of "exercise" the wrong way. My grandparents never "exercised" but were busy and fit into their 70's. They would laugh at all the "gym rats" today and tell them to do some work.

You can work a lot of exercise into your daily routine, once it's there you won't even thinkabout it.

Here are some examples:
Take the stairs. Instead of stepping into the elevator, walk up and down-my office was on the3rd floor for years, and I almost always walked, unless carrying heavy stuff. When I moved to the fourth floor, it took a few weeks to get used to the extra climb, but eventually I did.
When you go to pick up your mail, take a brisk walk around the block first - that's a quarter mile or so. Do the same between TV shows inthe evening, and when you get back inside dosage stretches while you watch - TONS of videos to show you how.
When you do housework, do it as fast and hard as you can- make a mental game of it. And another nasty chore is done.
When you go to the grocery store, leave your cart (out of the way) at the end of each aisle, walk to your items and carry them back. Make 2-3 trips if needed. Bonus- the cart is not within reach to throw in impulse items.
Grab your drink or snack and a friend and take walking breaks instead of sitting at work, even better a quick lunch and a longer walk.
Take the "long way" when you can -park far out in the parking lot, walk to your boss instead of texting, keep your snacks put away far from where you relax at home.

There, you just added at least an hour a week of exercise without joining the gym! After a few weeks you can consider adding dedicated exercise time - bicycle, aerobic, weights, bands, swimming, or whatever a couple times a week.

What can you think of that you can start today?

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johnjp | @johnjp | Apr 26 10:51am

@mpetermax It’s all very confusing. Docs and pharma are pushing statins but beware, side effects can be horrible, and studies reveal as many as 40% or more of patients quit due to significant side effects.

But here’s some helpful facts for you: your hdl is your friend. HDL carries the bad cholesterol out of your system and a higher HDL number is VERY BENEFICIAL. Your HDL score of 77 is phenomenal. This gives you an ldl to HDL ration that is well under 3. This is an important indicator, in your favor. It is likely you have no cardiac or arterial plaque building up. Get a CAC scan. This is a test that measures your plaque. If you have no plaque, you do not need a drug. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Finally, an apolipo B test will tell you if you have inflammation going on in your arteries, and it can be a precursor for problems in the future. It’s a simple blood test and your doc should order both these tests. If your apoB is under control, and you have a low CAC score, run, don’t walk, just watch out for that bus! But your cholesterol isn’t what will get you. Good luck!

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71young | @71young | Apr 27 9:22am

Has anyone previously taking crestor been advised to switch to Leqvio? My cardio is suggesting I switch, but I am not convinced I need to do this. I am not having side effects from a daily dose of 40mg Crestor(the highest dose), and my ldl is below 50 with my hdl hovering around 77. My cac came back at a whopping 430, but my nuclear stress test showed less than 70% blockage. I would like to be convinced that it is in my best interest to switch to Leqvio. Is it less harmful overall? More convenient, yes given the 2 shots per year but I've also read about adverse reactions by a few members on this thread, and the main talking points supporting Leqvio is that it is the go to drug for those having difficulty lowering their ldl while on statins; a problem I currently don't have. Any advice would be helpful. Thank you.

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