Holy Cholesterol

[Nathans_Dad]

It is true that most acute MIs are caused not by anginal type lesions that slowly block off an artery, but by smaller plagues which have a thinner fibrous wall and thus rupture more easily. Once they rupture, all the cholesterol inside is exposed to the bloodstream which causes a clot. The clot is actually what blocks off the artery, hence the use of "clot busting" drugs to open arteries back up during a heart attack.

The ones we fix with angioplasty and stents are usually the ones that cause anginal chest pain, that is chest pain with a certain level of exertion. That's more of a supply/demand issue with exercise. Sometimes those rupture too, but not as often as the smaller ones.

During my residency the chair of the program (a well known cardiologist) was working on using an ultrasound probe you could pass into the artery to see how thick the wall of a given plaque was. Then you could pick out the thin walled ones and do prophylactic treatment on them. Never heard what came of it...maybe he is still working on it.

[livi]

Are you guys having regular prostate check ups too ?

[on-ramp]

anyone try CholestOff with good results?

Just got a bottle from CVS, gonna start taking it along with my low sat fat diet and daily exercise.

also got a bottle of Flax Seed oil.

[snowman]

Its a real good idea to ask your doc before you try to many things unless your real good at researching them yourself. Look up everything, look for drug interactions, yes even for fish oil and flax seed oil and especially some product that a health food store makes. Some of these things can have real bad interactions if your taking other meds, some can have contamination issues, some can cause allergic reactions or other serious conditions. Generally you shouldn't have a problem, but some people have had real doozies becaues they didn't understand what they were doing.

Bottom line, just because you can buy it at Costco, Sams Club or the health food store, don't assume it can't hurt you.

[on-ramp]

just got my results back today. after 6 months of strict diet/exercise, with low sat. and no trans fat meals, I'm down to 212.. I was at 293.

my LDL this time was 159 and HDL was 34 (too low?).
they said keep doing what you're doing. I said, no problem. so no statins for me in the near future, hopefully..

[gassy]

Good for you on-ramp!

[snowman]

My doc is upset because my ldl is 105!! He wants to see 95 or lower, like 90. My hdl is 25 or so. He wants me to add red rice yeast to get the ldl lower. To bad I can't use any Statins, I wish I could. Red rice yeast seems to be a problem as well, so I guess sometimes you are just SOL.

If you can use statins USE THEM for crying out loud. Who cares if you need them, its the results that count. I wish I could have statins in my future. Strict diets? Who the F needs them. They are no fun and do not do as good as a statin without all the pain.

As to trans fats, WTF does that have to do with your cholesterol? Almost NOTHING. Sodium, NOTHING, your diet, not much, your genes, everything, but you can't change that. Your CARB intake is much more important than your fat intake. You make your own cholesterol, from the carbs. CUT DOWN ON CARBS!!! Fat is important, but not as much as CARBS!! Try to keep carbs to 50 or less per meal.

Why Carbs? Would you eat raw sugar? Do you eat bread? Its the exact same thing as raw sugar, pure carbs. There is no such thing as good carbs and bad carbs. Carbs are well, carbs. Some are good, in fact necessary, but they are just like fat. Some are good, more are bad. Learn about carbs from the diabetes association. Atkins was on the right track in avoiding carbs, but to the excess.

Do nothing in excess. Thats the bottom line.

[JavaBrewer]

Originally posted by dmoolenaar
Well I got the results and they are not pretty.

LDL = 205
HDL = 93

I was on 1000mg of Niaspan and the doc bumped it to 1500mg. I started taking a 325mg Asprin at night and it seems to greatly reduce the flushing I was getting ~ 2:00 am.

To further muddy the water my blood pressure has jumped signifigantly and was 150/90. I re-checked it at the pharmacy the other day with the same result.

Finally, my weight has increased to a rather portly 209. I'm 43 and freaking dying here...

Work has/is been pretty stressfull lately and I haven't slept well in many months. I have not kept up with the exercise routine and feel wasted most of the time.

Wife and I sat down and started to draw up a game plan. Red meat once a week, cut/limit fats where possible, develop a real-world plan for solid and consistent exercise, reduce weight to 190, drink way way more water, and reduce stress.

My new life kicked in over the Holiday break. Not much has changed yet but my attitude is getting better. Went on a great solo mtn. bike ride on Saturday, epic really, and then had a great run on Sunday. Monday is my *off* day but I can't wait for Tuesday.

Well the Niaspan is a no go for me. No change in my cholesterol, 290, even with the bump to 1500mg. Add to that my BP has gone higher, tested today at 170/80 - though I checked this at Ralphs pharmacy in the free sit down cuff thingy. Time to revist the doc and generate a new strategy. Oh and to update I have lost weight, now 195, and am running 3 miles 4x weekly. Knees are starting to hurt but I otherwise feel stronger. Getting old really sucks. I'm starting to think that I have crap for genes and like my mom will not last much past 65.

[snowman]

Genes SUCK.

LDL, HDL, Try the fish oil, 1000mg PLUS flaxseed oil, 1000mg, BOTH are necessary to work. If you can take statins, EG Lipitor, TAKE them.

Do not let the doc off the hook on BP. Keep trying BP meds until you find one that works. Thats how its done. Not much on science, just try and see if it works. BP can kill you, so do not let it go for long. There are a dozen differen't kinds of BP meds, so don't take no for an answer, get it down to 120/80 or better. If you don't you are not getting your moneys worth out of the med. And if you doc dosen't agree, get another, its your life.

If your in an HMO, sorry, your dead.

[JavaBrewer]

Anyone have info on this Russell Blaylock character and his subscription wellness report?