Bayrat, I don't know about you, but a saint I'm not. I have no idea how much you drink every week, but a triglyceride level of 130 would be considered quite good by most standards. It's higher than what the average low carber tends to run, but not out of line at all. I wouldn't say that you need to swear off indulging in a glass of wine now and then, but just keep in mind the effect that alcohol has and if you see your triglyceride levels creeping up, take it as a sign that it may not be a bad idea to cut back a bit.
Don't know if you noticed it or not, but alcohol and statins don't tend to mix well at all and that may explain in part the bad reaction you had to that drug. Not that I like statins or think they're a good idea, but sometimes we can cause a certain amount of our own problems inadvertantly.

Lisa,

I like wine most nights with dinner, quantity varies. I told my doctor I drank wine with dinner, they (interns too) seemed not to have an issue with that when we discussed statins.

I can tell you that over the last month or so I have increased my physical routine quite a bit. Not only do I exercise on my Nordic Track every morning but now I ride at least six miles on my bicycle after that (weather permitting). I crave to go more but my knee and shoulder that started to go south while on Lipitor are still giving me problems.

Still feel like an old man sometimes, but it is getting better albeit slowly!

I've read several articles concluding that cholesterol is actually NOT what indicates or causes heart disease.

Here's one of them:
http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag97/july97_cover.html

Thanks Robin, another interesting twist. Fortunately I take the supplements suggested in your article so I feel better already . Seriously though, heart disease does run in my family.

Hi Bayrat!

Have a look at the cholesterol articles here:
http://www.theomnivore.com/articles.html

and here:
http://www.second-opinions.co.uk/cvd_index.html
esp. the one about fibre.

Fibre is not such a big necessity, esp. when you're eating low carb and getting enough fat. And cholesterol is not generally affected by what we eat - we make about 80% of what we need.

The numbers indicating "high cholesterol" - much like the numbers indicating high blood pressure - have come steadily downwards over the years.

Listen to your doc, do your own research, and do what feels right for you in your gut.

Cholesterol synthesis is altered by what foods we eat. Energy intake, how often we eat, macronutrient ratios and so on...

We also need no additional cholesterol from diet

I see the studies that show little or no correlation between hypercholesterolemia and heart disease. But there are also a lot of studies that show less heart disease if cholesterol is controlled. Homocysteine is now thought to be an agent of heart disease. By reducing cholesterol through diet or statins, it may coincidentally be lowering homocycteine levels as well. So for me it makes sense to continue controlling my lipids through a low-fat diet.

While high homocysteine has been correlated with poor health, lowering homocysteine by taking the vitamin triumvirate of folic acid, b6 and b12 did not affect health. Homocysteine seems to be a marker, rather than a cause.

The same thing could be said for cholesterol, that it's elevated presence portends cardiac disease. Are there any studies that show the B-vitamin therapy protects against heart disease? I take Niacin and pantothenate (B6)to control cholesterol. Folate, B6 and B12 aren't much different, I'm guessing.

It all still makes me believe that a meatless diet is safest.

Care to share with us how you arrived at this conclusion?

I think a meatless diet is the reason my thryoid went to hell. I was a STRICT vegan for 4 years and every year my health got worse and worse.

Now that I have started eating meat again I feel better than I have in years. I truley believe that a meatless diet is not the safest diet at least not for everyone.

Everyone is different. The Atkins approach caused my cholesterol to go up. But I still see the value of low-carb. Last night I scanned over 100 abstracts on homocysteine. It looks like this may be more dangerous than cholesterol. There were several reports of cardiac disease in patients with low cholesterol but high homocysteine. Cholesterol may come from animal fat but homocysteine comes from meat. Homocysteine may be the nidus that allows cholesterol, even low cholesterol, to initiate atherosclerosis.

If anything, it confirms in my mind that meat is unhealthy for me. Like I said, everyone is different.

I agree -- everyone is different. I'm not worried about cholesterol at all -- but with both parents and only sibling type 2 diabetics -- I do worry about triglycerides. I personally think homocysteine and CRP are more relevant than cholesterol -- BUT THEY ARE STILL JUST LAB NUMBERS. Crp raises with inflammation and sometimes you WANT there to be inflammation as part of a healing process. I just had bloodwork done -- my homocysteine is 4.6 and I eat red meat at least once but usually twice PER DAY. My CRP is .2 HDL: 104 LDL 130 Triglycerides: 55

Just an FYI - my husband has had a cholesteral that has never been below 200 since the first time he was tested 17 years ago. He is almost 40 now. His mother also has high cholesteral - from what I understand, always has. My DH mother is in her 70's, has been on & off the meds and has done diets per docs orders and not. My DH (and mom) - skinny as a rail - eats tons of carbs and butter laden products, loves steak and drinks beer and diet coke like water. DH mom looks great, is active and seems very happy with life.

I guess my point is we never really know if the diet/medication is helping us or hurting us long term. We rely on others to tell us how our body feels instead of trusting ourselves. That seems so wrong to me. Yet, even I know I have done that too - it is human nature.

Whatever your decision, you live with your body every day, not a doctor or anyone else on the list. I would advise you to trust your body's messages to you and literally "go with your gut". I truly feel our bodies tell us what to eat and let us know when something is not right - we just choose not to listen.

Hope that helps and I feel for you and what you are going through,

shortone

True, everyone is different, but it is my understanding that high homocysteine levels are not caused by eating meat- in fact the opposite may be true.

Vegetarians have HIGHER homocysteine levels than meat-eaters.