Cholesterol-lowering medication: Yes or No?

[westofyou]

I'm a non meat eater and I have to take Simbastatin because my body generates a small level of cholesteral that pushes me over the limit.

[Hoosier Red]

To answer that question, I think one would need to go into the explanation of how high levels of cholesterol can contribute to various diseases. If you want, I can do that.
Before I got into school, I often wondered about that relationship.

Actually I'd be interested in this.

[SMcGavin]

I'm also not satsified with the cholesterol-heart disease correlation.

Here's a famous study from 1971: http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/abstract/74/1/1

Abstract concludes with this:

Risk of coronary heart disease in men can be estimated using any of the lipids evaluated: however, none proved more useful than an accurate total serum cholesterol.

There are likely hundreds of studies performed since then with similar conclusions. More specific to the exact topic at hand, there are well-known studies showing that statins reliably decrease your cholesterol levels. This is not a new correlation still being worked out, this data has been around for a long time and it's extremely well-established and accepted by the medical community. It's evidence based medicine - people don't get prescribed a statin because theoretically it should work, they get prescribed a statin because studies show it makes you less likely to have heart disease.

If your cholesterol is high and your doc prescribes you a statin, for the good of yourself and your family, please take it.

[macro]

Excellent discussion, folks, and thanks! I'm still listening to everything you guys are saying. I'm not sure when I'll be going to the doctor, but it will probably be soon.

[ABEsolutely]

Drugs are the easy way. But there are almost always other methods that aim you towards a better long-term healthiness, regardless of your condition. I'm sick of drugs being crammed down everybody's throat (literally) at the drop of a hat.

[westofyou]

Drugs are the easy way. But there are almost always other methods that aim you towards a better long-term healthiness, regardless of your condition. I'm sick of drugs being crammed down everybody's throat (literally) at the drop of a hat.

True, but in my case I don't eat meat, I don't eat junk, I exercise a lot and still have to take it.

It's just not that cut and dried.

[BSUFB]

I have a strong family history of cholestroal and my level was at 198, got it checked last week after 6 months of working out and watching what I eat, lost 35 pounds. When I got it check last week it was down to 152.

[Reds Nd2]

A very timely discussion for me as well. How much can one expect to benefit from excercise alone? From what I've been reading at webmed. com and the American Heart Associations website, the benefits from walking alone could be very beneficial in lowering my triglycerides and raising my HDl. While drinking excessivly and smoking were both mentioned as being bad for your cholesterol, nothing was said about how much improvement one could expect from ceasing those activities. Does anyone have an opinion on how well the Omega 3 fish oil capsules work?

[Will M]

Drugs are the easy way. But there are almost always other methods that aim you towards a better long-term healthiness, regardless of your condition. I'm sick of drugs being crammed down everybody's throat (literally) at the drop of a hat.

some people lack certain genes to properly metabolize lipids. they can eat super healthy, be at a perfect weight & exercise every day and still have high lipid levels.

my father in law had a pre statin LDL of 500 (!).
my wife's LDL was 360 at age 40. she lost 30 lbs, exercised every other day & ate super healthy. one year later her LDL was 352. her LDL is now down below 130 on a statin. she will live much longer with an LDL of 130 than an LDL of 352.

i know of no physician who recommends drugs to lower lipids as the first step unless your lipids are sky high (say a total cholesterol of 400 with an LDL of 280). physicians recommend lipid lowering drugs after a trial of diet and exercise has failed. why? Evidence based medicine tells them that this will lower the patients risk of heart attack, stroke & death. pretty simple.

[Will M]

A very timely discussion for me as well. How much can one expect to benefit from excercise alone? From what I've been reading at webmed. com and the American Heart Associations website, the benefits from walking alone could be very beneficial in lowering my triglycerides and raising my HDl. While drinking excessivly and smoking were both mentioned as being bad for your cholesterol, nothing was said about how much improvement one could expect from ceasing those activities. Does anyone have an opinion on how well the Omega 3 fish oil capsules work?

weight loss and exercise are the best way to raise HDL (good cholesterol). statins do not do this (they lower LDL).

i honestly don't know how much exercise raises HDL. i suspect it does not lower LDL much if at all if you are already at an ideal weight. (diet, weight loss & drugs do).

Your best way to look at your cholesterol is Total cholesterol divided by HDL.
(Total cholesterol = LDL & HDL & TG/5). The lower the number the better. Under 4 is generally good.

Omega 3 fish capsules are generally used for patients with high triglycerids (not high LDL). they work great in some people & don't do squat for others. talk to your family physician, internist or cardiologist before trying them.

[westofyou]

A very timely discussion for me as well. How much can one expect to benefit from excercise alone? From what I've been reading at webmed. com and the American Heart Associations website, the benefits from walking alone could be very beneficial in lowering my triglycerides and raising my HDl. While drinking excessivly and smoking were both mentioned as being bad for your cholesterol, nothing was said about how much improvement one could expect from ceasing those activities. Does anyone have an opinion on how well the Omega 3 fish oil capsules work?

I quit smoking 20 years ago and have to say as hard as it was it was the best thing for me ever, it enabled my exercise to become about 80% easier and that in itself is a good thing to help lower those cholesteral items that effect you.

[ochre]

Here's a famous study from 1971: http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/abstract/74/1/1

2,282 men and 2,845 women
That would seem to be a solid sample size, but do we know which population this was culled from? I'm guessing it may not include people who were unlikely to visit health care professionals in the 14 years leading up to 1970. The problem, from my perspective, from what I've read is that this population isn't necessarily comprehensive (and, unfortunately, I'm not interested in paying to read this nearly 40 year old study). If it missed a statistically significant population (I don't know that it did, just saying), wouldn't some of the conclusions be less authoritative? Might it really be saying that those factors have been proven to correlate to instances of heart disease in the population of adult males and females that are likely to seek out medical care? Wouldn't the people Rojo, for example, is mentioning (people that live to an old age without much in the way of medical care) have been missed in this study? Assuming that the availability of health care is also a contributing limitation to the population being sampled in this study, wouldn't that also, possibly (I really don't know, just speculating) indicate there was a potential bias towards more of an urban population?



I'm not trying to say, whether, or not, these drugs are effective. I'm just trying to get some more info on how this study, in particular, was conducted and the background on the population from which the sample was derived.

[SMcGavin]

I don't mean to downplay diet and exercise - by all means, try that before going on medication. But the important thing is to keep the cholesterol low. If you can do it on diet and exercise, that's the ideal solution. If not, there's no shame in controlling it with meds.

ochre, the study I linked is part of this one if you want to check out more about the methodology:

http://www.framinghamheartstudy.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Framingham_Heart_Study

[Reds Nd2]

weight loss and exercise are the best way to raise HDL (good cholesterol). statins do not do this (they lower LDL).

i honestly don't know how much exercise raises HDL. i suspect it does not lower LDL much if at all if you are already at an ideal weight. (diet, weight loss & drugs do).

Your best way to look at your cholesterol is Total cholesterol divided by HDL.
(Total cholesterol = LDL & HDL & TG/5). The lower the number the better. Under 4 is generally good.

Omega 3 fish capsules are generally used for patients with high triglycerids (not high LDL). they work great in some people & don't do squat for others. talk to your family physician, internist or cardiologist before trying them.

I didn't post any numbers earlier because frankly I was afraid someone would tell me I was already dead and didn't know it. After using your formula though the numbers ,except for triglycerids, don't appear to be that horrible. These are the numbers the Dr. gave me. I don't know why he didn't list LDL. Total cholesterol 249, HDL 29, and tryglycerides are off the chart at 549. If I calculated that correctly then, my LDL should be 110. Cholesterol seems a bit high and low but not shockingly so considering a diet thats not tooo bad and lifestyle that isn't as bad as it once was but still not what it could be. What concerns me is why my triglycerides would be so seemingly out of whack with the other numbers?

And I just found the note on the drug the Dr. was wanting to prescribe. It's not a statin but prescription Omega 3 (Lovaza). Any reason why my triglycerides would be that high?

[Reds Nd2]

I quit smoking 20 years ago and have to say as hard as it was it was the best thing for me ever, it enabled my exercise to become about 80% easier and that in itself is a good thing to help lower those cholesteral items that effect you.

I quit smoking for about three months earlier this year. It made a big difference in how I felt. That nictotine is some really nasty stuff. I've been discussing with my fiance about giving it another try.