Thankyou both, am sitting in our hotel watching everyone else eat a shedload of food and feeling a bit hard done to. Am full, but if BSD food. How do the rest of the world manage?

JackieM, just noticed your question about normal ranges in France. They are lower than in the UK. Firstly, if you wonder why I know all my numbers exactly, well in France you are the patient of the lab where the blood is taken, not your doctor although he gets your results, and you get your own set of results which you are meant to keep for years and years. On the results paper are your results along with the accepted norms in brackets at the side and your last results for comparison. The highest accepted norm for total cholesterol in France is 4.5 – so yes, a lot lower is accepted here.

I’m a very tidy (raucous guffaws of laughter from my lads) or I should say tidy-minded person which is why I thought I’d post an update on my cholesterol levels here rather than in the April challenge.

I went for my second follow-up Hba1c test last Thursday and my results were posted on my medical record yesterday which I was able to access electronically. My Hba1c has gone up 1 point from 35mmol/mol (Nov 17) to 36 mmol/mol (April 18) but is still well within the normal range i.e. below 41.9 mmol/mol. (My original Hba1c on Type II diagnosis in August 17 was 106 mmol/mol). Even though it’s gone up a point I’m delighted as I’ve been experimenting with what I’ve been eating (though all still BSD and <20g carbs) and reduced significantly the number of times I’ve been testing my bgls.

However, my total cholesterol level has increased.

On diagnosis in August it was 6.2 and this latest test it is 6.7. (It wasn’t tested for in November). About an hour after seeing my results I got a phone call from my GP practice saying I needed to come in to discuss my cholesterol levels with the practice nurse urgently. My appointment is tomorrow morning. I suspect I’m going to be offered statins (they were mentioned at my initial post-diagnosis meeting with the practice nurse).

So, I’ve just been reading up ‘a bit’ (so read with caution) on cholesterol this evening and looking at the breakdown of my results. I thought I’d share what I found on here:

Total cholesterol
My total cholesterol has gone from 6.2 to 6.7. Both numbers are high and I do recognise that. But according to Ivor Cummins who has done a lot of reading in this area the value of Total Cholesterol as a measure on its own has been questioned – The Cholesterol Conundrum – and Root Cause Solution – 44.56) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuj6nxCDBZ0
Also, when I looked at the .5 rise between August and now .4 of the rise was in my HDL (good cholesterol) and .1 was in LDL (bad cholesterol).

HDL/Triglycerides
My HDL has gone up 0.4 and my triglycerides have gone down from 1.8 to 1.3 – both good things. Jeff Volek identifies that when people follow a low carb diet that triglycerides go down followed by a rise in HDL – this happens ‘consistently’ and are positive changes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ-deF9I31s

LDL
In the same snippet, Volek also talks about LDL (bad cholesterol) and how the impact of going low carb on LDL can be quite variable – it can decrease, increase or stay the same – he thinks genetics might come into play here. (Mine is currently .1 up on Aug 17). But he says what is consistent is that the LDL particles tend to shift from smaller to bigger particles – which researchers identify for various reasons is a good shift. (Cummins also mentions this as does Jason Fung).

Stephen Phinney in the same interview gives the reason he thinks LDL can increase for some people and it connects to what ChilliWhizz quoted on here; in getting rid of fat cells you are releasing some cholesterol (including LDL) and the rise in LDL in people, particularly as they lose larger amounts of weight, is a function of the body getting rid of the cholesterol that had previously been retained in the fat cells. He also says that once the weight loss is complete and weight stabilised for a period that they generally see the LDL come down https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNfjkTyBUdQ (nb there’s a slide at the end of both Volek’s and Phinney’s snippets which usefully sum up what they’ve said).

Finally, Ivor Cummins (I’ve read it elsewhere also) says that the LDL figure on its own is not that valuable, it needs to be taken in the context of the other factors, and that some of the ratios, e.g. total cholesterol/HDL ratio, triglycerides/HDL ratio are better in predicting Heart Disease risk. My ratios are all OK (i.e. within the recommended levels) – some having improved from August ratios.

So, all in all, a seemingly mixed bag of results.
So, if I’m offered statins tomorrow do I take them or not? Well, I’ve decided to listen very carefully to what is being said and then decide. But at this point my inclination is to decline them, wait until my weight has stabilised, see what my cholesterol etc is and then reconsider. Meanwhile, I’m going to keep researching – just not tonight!

Marie123 I dont know what your diet consists of but know you have been on this site for a while so going presume you follow the low carb way of eating. My advice would be to ask your practice nurse to give you 3 months to do something about the high number even though I would say it is not dangerously so but your doctor also knows you better than I do and if you have any other risks like previous history / family history of stroke, heart disease, diabetes etc. If you have not then get looking at what you eat carefully and make sure you get plenty of good fats. Cook with rapeseed oil or a little bit of coconut oil (if you can stand the taste) as they are both good for raising HDL but not affecting LDL. Eat an avocado each week – I have half at a time – one half on a poached egg breakfast and save the other half for later in the week which is have with either grilled halloumi salad or grilled bacon salad. (leave the skin on the second half, put the stone back in, sprinkle with lemon juice and wrap tightly in clingfilm and it shouldnt go brown) What else, oh yes, nuts – eat a small handful every day – only 5 or 6 almonds, 10 pistachios or 5 or 6 walnut halves – particularly walnuts are good for lowering the LDL. You might want to have porridge for breakfast 2 times a week (no more and only 25g) topped with flakes almonds and half a Greek yoghurt. Remember things like seeds and pulses are good for you too. Type ‘what to eat for good cholesterol’ into Google and it will come up with good ideas, but be aware some are higher in either carbs or calories than we accept on this plan so you have to be careful how much you have but a little of everything will do no harm. Another thing good for cholesterol is exercise, try to fit some in if you dont already. Finally, take an omega 3 or 6 supplement and maybe a Vit B complex – any multivit will give you all you need.
Let us know how you get on.
I have lowered my LDL but struggling to raise my HDL as I already do or eat all the things I should. I would be happy for any ideas

I so forgot to mention Olive Oil and olives. I now never use bought salad dressings but use 2 tablespoons of Greek yog, 1 teaspoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and a dash of pepper. That is what I put on my salad. I try to eat a couple of olives each day although they are not exactly to my taste as I find them a bit salty but I rinse them first.

Marie, I am in the same position. LDL has risen alarmingly but HDL and triglycerides are both in the ideal range, as are the ratios. My GP was strongly advocating for statins and was not pleased when I declined.

There are cardio health cholesterol calculators, ill post a link as soon as I get to my big computer.

In addition to Sunshine’s excellent advice I am having daily organic apple cider vinegar containing the ‘ mother’ , there is credible research showing it can lower LDL. You can use it sprinkled on salads or in a dressing; I take it as a shot because I don’t really like it, followed by some yoghurt to protect tooth enamel. The recommendation is 2tblsp daily.

Good luck!

Hi Marie, this is an Australian site for checking out cholesterol and cardiovascular risk: http://www.cvdcheck.org.au/
You may have already found it but Diabetes UK has a ratio calculator: https://www.diabetes.co.uk/cholesterol-to-hdl-ratio-calculator.html which I found comforting- although my total cholesterol is 7.5, the ratio to HDL still puts me in the ‘healthy’ range.

Thanks sunshine-girl and Mariet for the information – it’s really helpful.

sunshine-girl – thanks for the extensive reply. I almost added to my post that I would be looking at what people on here had been eating who had already managed to lower their cholesterol levels and you were first on that list so you’ve just saved me from trawling through – brilliant.
N.B. The first time I had olives I thought somebody had made a salad with grapes in it – what a shock. I didn’t like them then, but I don’t mind them now.

Mariet – thanks so much for the links. I visit the diabetes.co.uk website but had never noticed this ratio calculator. So, I double-checked my figures and yes, my total cholesterol/HDL ratio is 3.72 = healthy. (Interestingly, I also typed in my figures from last August and my ratio was 4.43 = possible risk of heart disease. So, a higher risk then even though my total cholesterol number was lower in August). So, good news. Aren’t calculators great!

I also used the Australian calculator. This turned out a touch more thought-provoking. I forgot to click yes to ‘do you have diabetes?’ when completing it and so my initial score was 3% = low risk of developing heart disease in the next 5 years. I then realised my mistake, clicked yes to diabetes, and it came back with a message in red ‘Diabetes and age 60 or over indicates an increased absolute risk of cvd and doesn’t require numerical calculation’. Oh dear.
Aren’t calculators rubbish!

Anyway, it is what it is – and I did like the site, and had a thorough mooch around the resources and FAQ’s so it’s all good. I’ll seek out the apple cider vinegar (I think I’ve seen it with the ‘mother’ on Amazon or I’ll try a health food store).

My very good news is that at my review meeting yesterday with the practice nurse she has told me I don’t need to have another Hba1c for 6 months, and if my results are still in the normal range then I’ll only get them tested once a year thereafter. As predicted, she did want me to go on statins but after some discussion she agreed to wait and get everything re-tested at 6 months, too. So, time for me to stabilise my weight and make the dietary additions suggested.

Thanks again both for your help – I’m going to keep researching the whole cholesterol topic so if I come across anything I think might be helpful e.g. on increasing HDL, I’ll post it on here. xx

Thanks for this information. I’ve printed it off to send to my friend who’s cholesterol reading was 9.5 (much to her shock) and the doc prescribed statins last October. She took them for a couple of months until the prescription ended, but they made her feel so ill, she stopped them and has not been back to the doc. She has since then, given up alcohol (3 months). This info will be really useful for her as she’s very supportive of BSD, not that she needs to lose any weight, but she and her family do need to eat healthily. Isn’t it odd how results can differ – my reading last September was 5.9 and yet I was carrying around an addition 8 stone. xx

Hi there – Marie123 I am going to be untidy and say hello as a leftover from the April 4 week challenge or positive threads.

Am subscribing to this as am most interested as my cholesterol is massive (9.6!) up from 9.2 when I first asked for it to be measured post BSD and up from 6.4 a few years ago.

I have no other risk indicators, so have declined statins but I do think about it a lot. I read somewhere 85% cholesterol is made by the body, it is created to try to heal things. That doesn’t take me any further forward, though Jason Fung (him again) seemed to suggest high cholesterol in itself is not a proven big deal – especially for women over 50 (I’m 48.5, so nearly there).

Ho hum, will follow with interest.

Ps my friend is pre-diabetic with a fatty liver but her cholesterol is fine. Bah.

Hi JackieM – the first time I had a bad result about 20 years ago (aged 45) it was 11.5 and the doctor said I should be dead. I asked what was the best thing to do to reduce it and she said ‘start with different parents’ – mine in known as familial cholesterol. Cholesterol is not in itself a bad thing, it is the building block of the body and also digests lots of vitamins etc. It is the LDL that is bad and not necessarily from food. How long were eggs demonised – not any more. LDL works more like a fat (think lard) and it coats the lining of the arteries until it causes them to narrow so much that blood has to pump much harder to get through making the heart weaken. Also, bits of the fat can flake off and go to the heart causing heart attack or brain causing a stroke. That’s the bad news. I have been on statins for many years (20) and have had no bad side effects except the occasional leg cramps. They are not a bad thing if they suit you but this diet is the only thing that has really reduced my levels.

Hi sunshine-girl. Good to hear that statins suit some people. I guess having always eaten carbs and now finding they don’t suit me has made me sceptical about lots of medical orthodoxy. I forgot to get my LDL/HDL readings last time, I will do that on Monday. My good cholesterol was v. good last time I checked but still lots of bad too. I’ve been on a high fibre diet since I got the initial 9.2 reading, lots of walnuts, macadamia and pecans, avocado, seeds, green things, but also meat and dairy. No other risk indicators I am aware of, people in my family tend to die of cancer or old age not heart attacks or strokes – not even my dad, who had a dreadful life of smoking, saturated fat and no exercise. It was the diabetes that got him.

In the news today re. lowering LDL:

The multiyear study, published this week in the International Journal of Epidemiology, looked at more than 81,000 Seventh-day Adventists in the US and Canada, a group that is about evenly split between vegetarians and meat-eaters.

The researchers found that Adventists between the ages of 25 and 44 who ate more protein from meats increased their risk of developing deadly heart disease twofold, while those who consumed more nuts and seeds instead helped their hearts, decreasing their risk of developing the same deadly heart problems threefold. People apparently didn’t have to eat much red meat to see the damaging effects or to consume many nuts to see benefits.

“A wide variety of nuts, eaten in small quantities each day, will lower blood LDL cholesterol — the bad cholesterol,” Fraser said.

About 10 to 14 mixed nuts a day was all it took. The study shed some new light on the idea that it may not be the fat but rather the protein that makes nuts so heart-healthy.

But dietitians also think there may be something extra-special and helpful about the protein that we can get from nuts. Walnuts have tons of omega-3 fatty acids, which are great for heart health, and hazelnuts, pecans, and almonds are also great choices, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Plus, nuts eaten whole have a decent amount of satiating fiber in them, to help keep you full for hours.

Luvtcook – I do love nuts! In fact I think I crave them more than anything when I don’t eat them. Am finding my double cream craving is wearing off and can take or leave meat but I actively miss nuts and seeds if for some reason I don’t have them. Perhaps my body is telling me what it needs?

M Y fatty liver friend is a vegetarian, maybe that’s why her cholesterol is ok.

Thankyou for posting x

Sorry this response is so late. I’ve been away for the weekend, came back late Monday and then decided to start spring cleaning – big mistake! Complete chaos at the moment.
Luvtcook, thanks for that information. When I started reading around about cholesterol, HDL, LDL, as mentioned above, I did come across a couple of references to the positive impact of plant-based foods as opposed to animal-based foods so I’ll check that study out.
Jackie – I also came across the Jason Fung stuff which seemed to show what you were saying about higher cholesterol in older women in particular – so again, I’m going to check it out. I remember you posting about your cholesterol results. Did you check out your HDL & LDL numbers on Monday? How did you get on. Also, once you get them, it might be worth checking out the ratio calculators Mariet mentions – they’re very interesting.

So, for the next 6 months I’m going to implement all the suggestions above and will see what the outcome is at the end of September. Meanwhile if I find anything out I’ll post it on here.

Jackie – totally unrelated but I know you like drama, etc. I went to 2 performances at the Theatre by the Lake in Keswick at the weekend. One was Streetcar Named Desire which was pretty good (although sadly no Marlon Brando – a teenage crush of mine). The second was called Hymn to Love; it was about Edith Piaf and had 2 cast members. One was the pianist – who had a non-speaking role, and the woman who played Piaf who stood up in a tiny space (The Studio) and just held everyone captive for an hour and a half non-stop. Fantastic.xx