The FastDay Forum

[Debs]

I stopped taking statins in September as I was interested in seeing if fasting would make any difference to my cholesterol levels. When I first had them tested in 2004 my cholesterol level was 8.3, there was an immediate panic and I started taking statins. My last test in October 2012 showed that the levels had normalised but I was very wary of taking statins. I did a bit of research and then the ABC Catalyst program was shown which queried the notion of high cholesterol necessarily being a problem. I spoke to my doctor who confirmed that there was scant evidence that taking statins would bebenfit someone of my age with no unusual family history of strokes or heart attacks.

Prior to having the blood tests I had been doing ADF for three weeks followed by a week of normal eating.
So, compare and contrast:

Oct 12 Feb 14
Cholesterol 4.9 7.7
Triglycerides 1.8 3.9
HDL 1.5 1.3
LDL 5.4 2
LDL/HDL ratio 3.6 3

Clearly my 'good' HDL has gone up slightly, which is good. My tryglycerides have also plummeted, again a good thing. My LDL though has shot up. I have no risk factors, non smoker, no cardio vascular problems, ok blood pressure. My cholsterol figure though has sky rocketed so clearly in my case, fasting has changed the figures around, and left me confused!!!!!
Perhaps a medic or @carorees will have a comment, but I am just putting it out there as, unlike MM, it has affected my numbers very differently!

Also forgot to mention that my Vit D came back low as well, 32ng/mL, not bad considering I work in the desert!!! Going to do a bit more research on this one too.

@Debs, I'm a bit confused by your table, the way it's set out it looks like your HDL has gone down and your TG has gone up? Could you check it before I comment, thanks, darl.

[Debs]

Blast and dammit, the table didn't come out as I set it out!

Oct 12
Cholesterol 4.9
Triglyc 3.9
HDL 1.3
LDL 2
Ratio 3

Feb 2014
Cholesterol 7.7
Triglyc 1.8
HDL 1.5
LDL 5.4

Ratio 3.6

I should say I am not bothered, I was just interested i nwhy the trigly would go up.

@Debs your Triglycerides are reading lower for February at 1.8 than October at 3.9: is that right?

Deb, I would ask for a retest or a redraw, your right, they dont make sense...

[carorees]

When you are fasting your blood lipids are bound to be different from when you're feasting because you can't burn fat if it isn't being transported around the body to where it's needed.

This paper found that total and HDL increased and triglycerides decreased during fasting: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23220077

[Debs]

From what I can see the triglyciderides and HDL going up isn't a problem, I just have to decide whether I want to take statins for the rest of my life as I do have a genetic predisposition to high cholesterol. I do know that I felt a bit fuzzy headed when I was on them and I was not keen on continuing.
Thank you for the paper carol.

Debs, I have a naturally high cholesterol level, 7 whatever that means, I have no other health issues and my G.P. Sees no reason for prescribing statins which is just as well as I will NEVER, EVER take statins. I have to watch, everyday what they have done to my husband on a permanent basis, NO THANK YOU.

Ballerina x

[Debs]

Mine is naturally high too and my Dr is the same. I would rather not take them either.

[quote="Debs"] I would rather not take them either

I think you will find the answer in hidden in your statement somewhere

ballerina x

Hi debs i find cholesterol stuff confusing,but my gut feeling,like Bal and yrself,is keep off the statins. So much stuff prescribed...more about drug company profits rather than our welfare.
I hate taking blood pressure meds and when i get my weight down,will come off them..
My Bp is sky high if i dont take them,so am at risk of strokes..but i hate the side effects of the meds i am on. I am determined to get off them tho GP assures me i will be on them for life,but we will see about that! X

CM, as you are having other health issues it makes sense for you to be on statins so long as you are free from side effects. Women like Debs and myself, particularly me as I am over 50, cough, gain nothing from taking statins, we are just contributing to the drug companies profits. I would recommend anyone interested in cholesterol to read Malcolm Kendrick's book, 'The Great Cholesterol Con' very informative and liberating.

Ballerina x

Hi Bal,My cholesterol is low,under five, so i don't need statins..its the bp meds i want to get off and is one of the big reasons i want to lose weigh..when i was two and a half stone lighter than i am now,my bp was fine,so hopefully will be fine again later this year! X

Hmmm, still a confusing pattern! Really great that TGs are down so much, and HDL us marginally up - I think Peter Attia says that higher LDLs aren't necessarily a problem, it depends whether they're the smaller denser particles (not as good) or the larger fluffier particles (better). To my knowledge, that differential test isn't available generally in Australia. Did you have the blood test after your week of refeeding? If so it'd be interesting to repeat it after a couple if weeks of ADF. In the end, it's just a snapshot of a moment in time. But with my conventional medical hat on, I would say 7.7 total is getting up there. I guess it might depend on whether you have a significant family history of cardiovascular disease. Just my 2 cents' worth!

I reckon the quite low vitamin D level might also be affecting it. Low vitamin D has been associated (not necessarily causally yet) with heaps of diseases including MS, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and breast cancer, to name a few! So strange, don't you go outside much in the Pilbara? It's much more consistent with a Taswegian's sun-exposure than a West Australian's!! If it was me I would definitely consider supplements at that level, certainly since at this time of year, you would be around your maximum yearly level. I'd be taking at least 5000 IU per day & repeating it in a couple of months. I would be aiming to get it up above 75 micrograms. Again, just my opinion!

Good luck sorting it all out!

Sorry CD I must have misread your post, thought you were on statins, and yes, hopefully your BP will come down as you lose weight. Isn't life a bummer? Why can we not all just be healthy and not have to worry about it. I am very grateful for my own good health and feel bad for hubs when he is not feeling well, which is most days.

Ballerina x