Can't Believe This.

[carolegif]

I went for an mot at the local surgery as it was two years since my last one, I am 67. I eat healthily, only drink at weekends with meals, a couple of glasses at the most. Go to the gym 3 times a week and have a good hour and a half workout.
My BP was 130/73 which is good, but they have told me that my cholesterol is 5.6 and therefore to see a lifestyle nurse. Last time my reading was 4.7. My sugar level us 4.5, weight not changed at 75k which was good.
Pus this a plot to get me on statins?

[anneasquith]

age related ?

[boxtops]

No, not necessarily. The national recommendation is a ceiling of 5 for cholesterol - and my GP asked me to try to treat mine with diet before putting me on statins.

[carolegif]

I am sure this is to do with this thing about putting us all on statins. A while ago, the cholesterol level was 8, then 6.4, then 6 and now 5. OH has tried 3 lots of statins and had dreadful side effects with them all until the doctor told him to leave them. That is why we eat healthily, to keep his down!

[woofgang]

carole, its YOUR choice about whether or not to take medicines including statins. If you don't want to then don't.

[boxtops]

Your score is coming down really well - a diet sheet from the practice nurse won't do any harm. It's a fairly standard thing these days, to have a chat about lifestyle when you have your MOT. The statin thing has gone very quiet, I wouldn't worry about it.

Re your OH - I had terrible pains on statins in the early days, it took me two years to get full use of my arm muscles back. I'm now on a completely different statin, with no ill effects at all.

[mazie]

A daily dish of Porridge is really good for the cholesterol levels carole

[grasscarp]

Dont be bullied. I had a 9 point something reading which I brought down a lot by starting day with porridge. I was given book The Great Cholesterol Con. It is worth a read.

[Sqad]

I agree with grasscarp and the OP.......

This is totally nonsense in my opinion........those blood analysis results are normal.

I certainly would not take statins unless of course her family history was " studded" with heart attacks and strokes.........even then I would think twice.

[crawleyred]

the total is not the important thing - it's the ratio of total to good (HDL) and your overall risk which includes glucose/BP and family history

[carolegif]

Thanks for the info guys & gals, love porridge with dried fruits!

[ethandron]

Ok, so what is it that people object to about taking statins? I'm not talking about side effects, I'm wondering why the objection to taking them?
If I have a medical problem (I have high blood pressure) then if I can take medication to help solve the problem, and potentially help me live a longer, healthier life, I will.
So what is it about statins??

[carolegif]

OH has been on 3 types. First one made his joints ache and he was in agony. 2nd seemed OK until he went for his check and his kidneys were only working at 30% so doctor made him stop them? 3rd lot made him fall asleep all the time. Now he just takes the BP tablets.

[atalanta]

My results are all a good bit lower than yours, and I am a lazy cow. Additionally, my BMI is under 21. I don't even know where the nearest gym is. They are not going to get me on statins.
However, you should get to know the proportions of "good" and "bad" cholesterol in your blood. This is the only thing I can think of which might worry the medics. Unless you have heaps of relatives who have died of heart attacks and strokes. Is your BMI over 25 ? You don't state your height.

[cupid04]

Mr. c refused to go on statins because of the side effects of aching joints etc and managed to bring his cholesterol levels down by eating oily fish several times a week as part of his diet.

[ethandron]

I understand if people have had bad side effects whilst being on statins, I just wonder why some people just won't take them, even if they bring cholesterol levels down and they suffer no side effects, or haven't even taken them to know if they do or not?
We eat a really healthy diet, we do all we can to reduce the bad stuff. My other half started taking statins about two years ago, he's suffered no side effects and they've brought his cholesterol down significantly. Had he suffered any side effects then he would have tried a different statin.
So why are they 'not going to get me on statins' or 'I'm not going on them in case I get side effects' ?? What's the problem in trying them and then deciding??

[woofgang]

Well I can't speak for everybody but my own problem is the way that they have been "marketed" as a "must take", also the frank disbelief from some GP's regarding side effects. My late DH was prescribed them and got the full on achey arms and legs and general flu like feelings and was told plainly "Its not the statins"
It used to be aspirin that everyone got prescribed, now it seems to be statins.