Citruskiss......here's a link to more information you may wish to read regarding cholesterol.

http://www.spiked-online.com/Articles/0000000CAE78.htm

Excellent article - thanks so much.

I just got a lipid panel done, and the conditions got me to thinking. Lipid panels (and cholesterol tests in general) are done fasting for twelve hours before the test.

Since the body manufactures cholesterol from carbohydrates (as well as by other mechanisms which are, I think, less efficient), the cholesterol levels found in a fasting test would be, I'd assume, substantially lower than what the body normally experiences (except for short periods, such as early in the morning).

If the cholesterol hypothesis (that elevated cholesterol causes to heart disease), and because, I would assume, people vary in how they produce cholesterol from various diets, a fasting cholesterol test would not tell much about what levels of cholesterol the body actually experiences, most of the time. Unless the two are very well correlated.

Anyone know about this?

Cholesterol level go up after eating; as do blood glucose, insulin and many other body chemicals. How much, when, and what type of foods your have eaten affect the levels. The fasting levels are measured because they are the baseline 'stable' levels that should be within certain limits. Everyones average cholesterol levels are higher than the fasting levels that are measured, just as your average blood pressure is higher than the resting level that is measured.

Must reads:

The Cholesterol Myths by Dr. Uffe Ravnskov

Overdosed America by Dr. John Abramson

Site to check routinely:

www.arthurdevany.com

Yes, all this I understood. My point may have been missed. Yes, fasting levels are relatively stable, so measurement of them tells you something about the metabolism, perhaps more than non-fasting levels without a lot of special considerations, such as exactly what was eaten and when and other factors. But consider this:

Suppose that eating carbs elevates cholesterol, above the baseline, more than eating, say, fat. Someone may have an elevated fasting level and have not much more cholesterol in the blood when not fasting, and someone else, perhaps with elevated glucose levels from carbs, has much more cholesterol. Freshly synthesized cholesterol also may differ in density from baseline cholesterol.

My point is that people are being treated for hypercholesterolemia based on fasting levels, when they may not have truly elevated levels; the baseline is higher than "normal," but the average may actually be lower than "normal." Depending on their diet, as well as on other metabolic factors.

Blood pressure was mentioned as an example. Resting blood pressure is an indication, but more definitive is the elevation of blood pressure level with sustained exertion, as in a stress test.

Fasting cholesterol is used, I suspect, not because it is the best measurement, but because it is much easier (and cheaper) to determine. And a multibillion dollar statin industry may be hinging on defective testing....

To do more sophisticated testing would cost more, to be sure. However, statins are expensive. And, of course, the real problem: we really don't understand the risks of higher cholesterol levels; the cholesterol hypothesis is probably oversimplified at best and may be just plain wrong.

Bottom line: I would not consider cholesterol tests to be good predictors of heart disease risk, there are apparently better ways: CRP levels, Cardiac CAT scans, stress tests, etc. I've got cholesterol levels high enough that most doctors would be prescribing Lipitor, but I have very low CRP, an Agatston score of 25 on a Cardiac CAT Scan, my HDL/LDL ratio is good, my triglycerides are low, I don't smoke, I'm not overweight, and there are a host of reasons to think I'm low risk. And still most doctors would be saying "Lipitor." It's insane.

Thanks everyone for continuing to post - I'm hoping it helps others out too. I'll have to look for "Overdosed in America" - sounds interesting.

As for an update - you'll be happy to know that once my husband stopped the Vytorin, he was able to stop the prescribed 2x500mg Naproxen per day pain medication he got from the rheumatologist. In fact...the bottle's still lying around somewhere, but my husband doesn't need it anymore and hasn't found the need to refill it either. While on the Vytorin, he could barely walk at times, he was in so much pain - but of course, this was all put off to his osteoarthritis taking a turn for the worse.

Furthermore, despite the fact that my husband started LC'ing several months ago, he wasn't really losing a great deal of weight. Once he stopped the Vytorin, he went on to lose 22 pounds in the space of about two months, and this is with all kinds of frankenfoods and more than a few 'cheats'. The gorgeous shirt I bought him for Christmas is now way too big...

Anyway, thanks again for all the support and information during this transition off statin medications - I really, really appreciate it.

Sara

PS - post away...I've learned a lot, and I'm sure others have too...

My Dr was not in so blood work was done by LPN who also decided I need to take Lipitor ,My cholestrol was 290 which tells me nothing ,I decided after researching the drug I will not take it.

I'm sorry to hear about your husband's pain. Is he LC? My arthritis pain is so much better after giving up all grains and sugar. The more I read about statins the less I would ever consider taking them.

Any advice from ex-statin users?

Thanks a bunch.[/QUOTE]
I went cold turkey on the advice of my home care nurse 10 years ago. The pain resolved almost immediately but the weakness continues to this day, in fact seems to be getting worse. These drugs are a tragedy. I would say stop before it's too late. Don't rely on your doc as they get their info from the drug salesmen. As for their conscience it is removed in the second year of med school.
be well
Art

These recommendations are the result of pressure from the drug makers, the best cholesterol number for longevity is about 240.

I would never stop a med without talking to doctor. Just so your chart is accurate.
Ftr, my mother had an angioplasty with a cholesterol of 117 and 15 years later a quadruple bypass with a cholesterol of 112.

The plural of anecdote is not data but cholesterol is not the end all be all predictor some make it out to be.

When I was diagnosed with type 2, my doctor put me on a bunch of meds. I inquired about getting off them when I lost weight. He told me he always put his diabetic patients on a statin even if they do not have high cholesterol. The other drugs I could go off of when my numbers improve.

That sounds like money issues to me.

That sounds to me like getting someone with perfect eyesight to have Lasik - just in case.

Men in my family tend to suffer from heart attacks - but just the ones who are fat. The skinny ones never have heart or stroke issues. FWIW.

Are you going to quit the statin anyway, deandean? If you don't mind me asking.

Just ween off them . No need to tell your doctor, They want use all to die, I'm convinced.