Blood test!

[TT Eric]

Background story : when I was 19, doctor saw that I had very high LDL and low HDL, it runs in the famillly, it was genitic and not from food. So he put me on statins.

I've been around 20 years on statins.

It's now 4 years I eat a lower carb diet and last spring for the first time on statins, I saw my HDL reaching the normal range (it was always under the minimum) and LDL went down into the normal range (was always over the maximum) so I got some hope I was in the good direction.

Now within the last few months I even pushed further eating less carbs, eliminated almost all grains and dairy, sugars, mainly eating meats, fruits, vegetables, whey, olive oil, fish oil, got rid of margarine and went with coconut oils, butter... ETC.

My goals is to reduce or eliminate the statins, especially after all I read about the side effects and what you posted about cholesterol being a protective mechanism against the damage done by sugars and not the cause itself of arteriosclerosis.

But to my huge surprise, the last blood test was worst then the last! LDL is back a bit over the chart and HDL a bit under the minimum. (WTF?)

So here is the results (on 20mg lipitor) and some more :

Glucose 4.8 (3.0-61)
Bilirubin 20.2 (2-20.0)
CK 269 (0-150)
Cholesterol (F) 5.13 (3.00-5.20)
Tryglycerides 0.46 (0.70-2.30)
HDL 1.03 (>1.20)
LDL 3.89 (<3.40)
Cholesterol/HDL ratio 4.98 (0 - 5.00)<- the range changed because it was <4.00 before
TSH 3.76 (0.27-4.20)
B12 1,116 (130-840) <---- this is probably because I take Dessicated liver, I can get up to 25,000% RDA sometime with that! :)
Ferritin 194 (20-300)
White blood cell 4.8 (4.0-11.0)
Red blood cell 4.88 (4.50-6.50)

PH (urine) 6.0 <--- I thought I would be less acid then that, with saliva I'm around 7.0 (?)
Protein (urine) Negative <---- It's normal not to be positive Nitrogen in the morning I guess (?).

Any advice, thoughts ?

Thanks

Eric

[Praetorian]

Are you eating red meat? fish should be wild caught and red meat should be grass fed to get the benefit of omega 3's, CLA etc Dairy such as butter and milk should also be grass fed raw...otherwise the pasteurization kills the benefits. You dont want to drive LDL really low as it is needed for many processes in the body. Cholesterol is not necessarily the enemy here...believe it or not more people die of heart disease every year with low cholesterol then with high cholesterol.

See articles below and see link for video discussing cholesterol fractions.
P

http://www.charlespoliquin.com/ArticlesMultimedia/Articles/Article/815/In_Defense_of_Saturated_Fat.aspx


The Truth About Heart Disease and Cholesterol
The facts and fallacies about this misunderstood fat

by Charles Poliquin
1/9/2012 5:09:03 PM

Dr. Mark Schauss
Cholesterol is a type of fat that has been associated with heart disease for quite some time. High cholesterol will clog your arteries and put you at high risk for a stroke and eventually a heart attack. The result is that cholesterol testing has become a regular part of health physicals, and features on how to lower cholesterol are popular in the media. There is even a book called The 8-Week Cholesterol Cure that suggests cholesterol is some type of disease that must be treated and cured. But does cholesterol deserve such a bad reputation?

Mark Schauss, MBA, DB, the author of Achieving Victory over a Toxic World, has spent the last 28 years researching the effects of toxins on our lives. A regular contributor to the educational programs at Poliquin Performance, Dr. Schauss conducts seminars on lab testing and also recently completed an online, multimedia presentation that will soon be added to the continuing education section of our BioSignature program. One topic Dr. Schauss discusses in this presentation is the significance of cholesterol measurements in lab tests. Here are some highlights:

“Cholesterol has been implicated in heart disease, but it’s a misnomer to call it a marker for heart disease – actually, it’s not. When we start looking at reliable research, we find that cholesterol is NOT definitively linked to heart disease.

“Of course, we do see people with high levels of cholesterol having a propensity for heart attack, but it’s not from the cholesterol itself but from the blockages that it can cause in the arteries as a result of other factors such as inflammation. Further, low levels of cholesterol have been implicated in many different disorders. For example, in 1999 there was a study published in Circulation magazine as an editorial that said those with low cholesterol, specifically levels under 160, had a higher propensity for depression, suicide, accidents and certain types of cancer and stroke.

“One normal condition in which you will find higher cholesterol is during pregnancy. The doctor of a pregnant woman I knew in her third trimester wanted to put her on statin drugs because her cholesterol levels were up – but the fact is this is what is supposed to happen! Cholesterol levels need to be higher as a women goes along with her pregnancy because cholesterol is helping to feed the baby and to get that brain going. Much of your brain is made up of cholesterol, so cholesterol is critical in brain health.

“The next point to consider is that there are basically two types of cholesterol: low density lipoprotein (LDL) and high density lipoprotein (HDL). High levels of LDL are typical a result of consuming diets that contain high levels of saturated fat, but especially trans fats such as margarine and hydrogenated oils. Trans fats also tend to boost inflammation. That being said, low levels of LDL are associated with anemias, hyperthyroidism, lung disease and several types of cellular diseases. LDL is also necessary for the body to remain healthy and to help detoxify itself. LDL takes toxins and moves them to the liver for removal; so if LDL levels are too low, then the body might not be able to remove the toxins. In other words, depressing LDL too much could lead to many different disorders, whereas having LDL levels that are too high could be indicative of toxic exposure.

“As for HDL, there are different types of this fat – but the one I’ll discuss here is the general type. HDL also has been implicated in many studies as being very heart protective. But in terms of lab testing interpretation, the important measurement is the HDL/cholesterol ratio. What is desirable in that ratio is having a higher number for HDL.

“Another measurement that I find very helpful is the triglycerides-to-HDL ratio. You want that ratio to be about 2 or less – in other words, you want your triglycerides much lower than your HDL. People who have high levels of triglycerides are much more prone to heart attack, far more so than people who have high LDL levels, because triglycerides are a very alkaline and as such can cause a lot of damage to the arteries. So the higher the ratio of triglycerides to HDL, the worse off you are.

“It’s also important to understand that triglycerides are where your body stores fat – and you do need fat in your system. That’s why triglyceride levels that are too low pose a danger to your health, as does a poor intake of essential fatty acids such as omega-3 and omega-9. High triglyceride levels are a major problem because they can damage the arteries. When lab test results indicate high triglycerides levels, you want to be aggressive in bringing those levels down quickly. And the best way I know of is by supplementing the diet with essential fatty acids from fish oil.”

Please consider that the above discussion is only a small representation of the quality of practical information contained in our upcoming BioSignature presentation. At Poliquin Performance we are fortunate to have quality researchers such as Dr. Mark Schauss on our team to help educate our trainers in the latest advancements in alternative medicine.

Dr. Pierce's Tip of the Week - Archive

How to Lower Cholesterol Levels Naturally
March 16, 2004

As one of the leading causes of death in America today, heart and artery diseases are treated with essentially the same drugs as 15 years ago. More recently, a higher-fiber and lower cholesterol diet has been advocated by the specialists. This last development is somewhat to no avail, due to the fact that only 1/4 of total body cholesterol comes from the diet, and the other 3/4 are made by the liver. Furthermore, the statin drugs that are prescribed for decreasing cholesterol levels are mildly toxic for the liver and may cause male impotency.

Nature's way of getting the job done!
Ideally, a cholesterol reducing agent will do one of four things:
1) lower total blood cholesterol levels
2) lower LDL cholesterol (the "bad" one)
3) increase HDL (the "good" one)
4) lower blood triglycerides

Fortunately, nature actually provides us with something that performs all of the above called policosanol (PCL) which is derived from bees wax or sugar cane. In a six week study PCL lowered LDL 18-28 percent, raised HDL 7-29 percent, lowered total cholesterol 14-18 percent, and also lowered triglycerides 5-18 percent. Side effects were virtually non-existent. In three clinical studies PCL was compared to statin drugs and did as well, or much better that the statins in raising HDL, lowering LDL, and lowering triglycerides. It also showed the added benefit of lowering systolic blood pressure! Most of the research up to date has been done with PCL derived from sugar cane, therefore we suggest this type for the best results.

Warnings and Recommended Usage
PCL has been shown to have virtually no side effects in several clinical studies. Weight loss, excessive urination, and insomnia were the only side effects noticed in a clinical study conducted with close to 30,000 patients. And only 0.31 percent of those patients reported these mild side effects. It must be noted that pregnant women should not take PCL because of the increased need for cholesterol during pregnancy and also for small children. It is best to take a 10-20mg dose during your evening meal, due to the fact that synthesis of cholesterol is greater at night. Thorne makes a quality product that we recommend.

[TT Eric]

Thanks Prae!

I eat red meat almost every day, exclusively grass fed (till the last day) beef.

I have not access yet to raw dairy, but the consumption is limited (about a cup of skim milk per week, very little cheese and butter).

Organic chicken only.

Dessicated grass-fed beef liver.

Usually eating chicken and beef every day.

Not really eating fish, hate that.

Policosanol sounds really great! Thanks

I heard about red yeast rice too, might be a good idea to use them in combination!

But do you think my triglyceride are too low to add PLC ? I guess it's that low because I eat very few carbs ?

Eric

[Praetorian]

Its difficult to say how you would react to PCL. My suggestion would be to look for a Dr. or Endo in your area that is more in tune with the latest cholesterol ideas...like those put forth by Dr Mark Houston etc....this may take some research but I think its in your best interest. I would want to get off statins as well if it were me.
P

[TT Eric]

Yes that would be nice! In the while I decided to cut in half my medication (doctor agreed) and will try PLC and red yeast rice and get blood test regularly to monitor everything closely.

I wanna get rid of statins.

Thanks

Eric

[Praetorian]

Let me know how things go!
P

[Praetorian]

Here a link to a great book on heart disease by Mark Houston MD.
P

http://www.charlespoliquin.com/ArticlesMultimedia/Articles/Article/810/Poliquin_Bookshelf_What_Your_Doctor_May_Not_Tell_Y .aspx

[TT Eric]

Thanks I just ordered it!

Eric

[TT Eric]

Let me know how things go!
P

Ok got the results yesterday!

For ease, this was the result in April :

Cholesterol 5.13 (3.00-5.20)
Tryglycerides 0.46 (0.70-2.30)
HDL 1.03 (>1.20)
LDL 3.89 (<3.40)
Cholesterol/HDL ratio 4.98 (0 - 5.00)

In April the doctor wanted me to raise my medication, as I said I decided to cut it half and take some policosanol. I did this at first then by mistake I bought another product that had less plc in it and that was the one I used for the last 2 months before the blood test, it might have been even better though (as many studies shown plc non-effective). I was taking with ZMA before sleep :

300mg phytosterol
450mg Red Yeast Rice
15mg Policosanol


New result :

Cholesterol 5.33 (3.00-5.20)
Tryglycerides 0.67 (0.70-2.30)
HDL 1.13 (>1.00) <- they change again the targeted amount
LDL 3.89 (<3.40)
Cholesterol/HDL ratio 4.72 (0-5.00)

Even if HDL is better while the LDL being the same the doctor still offered to raise the statin up, but like I said I want to get rid of it (being on it for 20+ years), so I didn't considered his offer. So all in all I was glad of the results, better HDL, LDL that didn't raised, better ratio and told him I wanted to cut the statins completely, I told him cholesterol is not as dangerous as they believe for someone that doesn't eat lots of sugar and simple carbs, but mostly proteins and fats.

On one side of my family, lots of them are on statins, one uncle dies at 30 from heart attack, one barely survived from one at 28 (dead at 48), grand mother and my father (65) are dead from clogged arteries, but they all had a sugary tooth.

Next blood test is in 3 months, so I will take the same products as above, but will also add some more PLC to the mix (like 200mg more). I'm gonna shop for this today.

Eric

[Praetorian]

Looks much better. I agree sugar is the cause of most inflammation and thus plaque in the arteries...definite improvement and I would continue as you are doing.
P

[TT Eric]

Ok got the result of my last test (done in Dec.)!

Here is the previous test with half my usual dosage of statins :

Cholesterol 5.33 (3.00-5.20)
Triglycerides 0.67 (0.70-2.30)
HDL 1.13 (>1.00)
LDL 3.89 (<3.40)
Cholesterol/HDL ratio 4.72 (0-5.00)

And here is the test without statins :

Cholesterol 8.48 (3.00-5.20)
Triglycerides 0.99 (0.70-2.30)
HDL 1.21 (>1.00)
LDL 6.82 (<3.40)
Cholesterol/HDL ratio 7.01 (0-5.00)

Pretty amazing that when I cut down the statins in half, the LDL stayed exactly the same, but when I removed the statins completely the LDL jumped up. It's now twice the maximum amount recommended.

I told my doctor that my triglycerides are still low and that we don't really know how much of this LDL is VLDL... and I still prefer living without statins even if it's that high according to THEIR charts.

Any thoughts or suggestions ?

Thanks

Eric

[Praetorian]

I would suggest better testing to determine which LDL levels are elevated...I think i pasted a link before on this.
P

[TT Eric]

Ok I'm gonna make some search, I asked the doctor if I could make a test for VLDL and he said no there isn't, probably he meant 'no there isn't one that ohip covers'.

Eric

[Praetorian]

Start with Dr. Mark Schauss...good luck!
P

[TT Eric]

The more I read about cholesterol, the more I believe high LDL levels may not be dangerous, factors such as inflammation, oxidative damage, stress and sugar in the diet are the factors to watch out.

So even thought my LDL is twice the level recommended I prefer eating plenty of whole foods with antioxidants, anti-inflammatories like tumeric, good fats from saturated to Omega-3s, go easy on fruits (because of fructose) and keep the bad guys (VLDL) at bay then going back to statins.

“Half the people who are admitted to hospitals in America with cardiovascular disease have normal cholesterol – and half the people with elevated cholesterol have normal hearts.”

Eric

[kindofabigdeal8]

I have high ratio's as well. Red yeast rice reduced my overall,even with a clean diet I'm never in the normal ranges. Read yeast rice has been compared to lavostatin.

[TT Eric]

Hey Paul! Yeah I've took 1.2g of red yeast rice everyday for that ^test. I have a few days left and then I'll stop taking it, going to get another blood test in about 2 months.

I've raised my consumption of saturated fat (coconut, eggs, butter, bacon, raw dairies), it might not change much the levels of cholesterol but (quality) saturated fat are said to transform smaller LDL into larger, inoffensive LDL.

Eric

[rated_rko]

im going in for my work monday. wish me luck

[TT Eric]

If your diet is in check I would not worry! Low cholesterol levels can be even more dangerous than elevated one. High cholesterol is often a natural reaction of the body to fight inflammation/damages done mostly by sugar and high glycemic carbs which raises your triglycerides levels. So check your triglycerides, if they are low, it is a much more good indicative of risk/health. High levels of triglycerides are linked to atherosclerosis and so, higher risk of heart disease and stroke.

Low carbs diet (that keep insulin at bay) with good fats like Omega-3 (anti-inflammatory) is the way to go for arterial health! And of course avoiding trans-fat. IMO

I'm not afraid anymore of the numbers they give me, I care more about what it's my plate now.

Still I'm going to make a few blood test since I'm experimenting with what I eat and what to see the impact.

Eric