mrfreddy

a CT angiogram wont reduce anything, it just tells you how much calcium you have in your arteries, which indicates whether or not you have any plaque.

so, if you are worried enuff about CHD to take statins, why not do a test like this to find out if you should even bother?

SSP

re: CT Angiogram
I've already had one, and a treadmill stress test.

But, are you suggesting that everyone get one as an alternative to statins? And, what does one do with the results? If the results are "moderate blockage indicated", or "significant blockage", then are you saying statins are OK? What if the results are "no blockage", but one has a family history of heart disease and high cholesterol? Your simpleton recommendations kind of break down when it comes to large populations and cost-beneift analysis.

re: statins
I take niacin instead, mostly for financial reasons (I'm self-insured with no deductible).

BTW - you've not addressed the cost-benefit issues at all.

ModoVincere

Imaging is not treatment. Statins are a treatment for hypercholstremia. One can have hypercholestremia and no blockage at this time. Taking a statin to reduce the LDL fraction would be adviseable to help prevent future blockage.

Now, there are some people who can not tolerate statins. About 1 in 7000 people will experience a negative side effect from this drug class. If monitored proplerly by their physician, elevated liver enzymes will be found or if they are one of the few to suffer rhabdomyolisis, then elevated CPK will be found. This of course assumes that one has a follow up blood test about 1 month after beginning a statin treatment. If this test is not done, then perhaps its time to look for a new doctor.

Bottom line, at this time, the medical community associates elevated cholesterol with elevated risk of CHD and Statins are the most effective treatment to lower LDL cholesterol. The medical community considers statins to be safer than elevated cholesterol.

kmckay

"Bottom line, at this time, the medical community associates elevated cholesterol with elevated risk of CHD and Statins are the most effective treatment to lower LDL cholesterol."

What about diet? Is it just not effective for some people or is it some people cannot consistently adhere?

mrfreddy

the problem I ran into is that the medical community doesnt understand low carb nutrition. I happen to have high LDL (201!), but since it's mostly the large safe kind, and since I have low trig. and high HDL, and especially since my CT scan reveals a very low chance of CHD, why should I even consider taking an expensive and dangerous drug?

Even my doctor had to agree, but I had to do the CT test to convince her...

slowandsteady

Yes, and yes. For example, my grandfather, in his 80s was discovered to have high cholesterol and blocked arteries. He changed his diet and was religious about it. Result: no change in cholesterol.

If you are caught early enough with high cholesterol, diet may help. But if you have been fed fatty foods for 80 years...don't count on some oatmeal to bail you out.

mrfreddy

I'd wager your grandaddy could improve his cholesterol if he cut the carbs instead of cutting the fat...

ModoVincere

The medical community uses the terminology "non-compliant". The average layman reads this term and interprets this as saying that he/she did not follow the doctor's advice. What it really means is that desired the results were not acheived, whether it was due to the person not following the medical advice, or the medical advice not working in this person's case. In a D&E non-compliant patient, statins would be the first line of medical treatment to lower said cholesterol.

Of course, the patient and the doctor need to talk it over and discuss any issues. I for one am not sure of the efficacy of giving a statin to someone who is 80 years old unless there is a secondary factor such as existing CHD. But then again, I'm only a student at this time and not a doctor or pharmacist.

slowandsteady

He already ate a low carb/high fat diet. That was the problem. Grandmother's cooking consisted of tons of fat, meat, eggs, typical 50's style cooking. That is how he ended up needing a quadruple bypass.

mrfreddy

you mean, he never ate biscuits and gravy and toast and taters and cookies, like my grandpappy did, along with the bacon and the meat?

slowandsteady

Well, I didn't ask for his food diary or anything. But, knowing my grandmother's cooking...it was mostly meat, eggs, and fat. Sweets were for holidays only. I don't think having a piece of pie three times a year hurts much.

But regardless, I would never say a specific diet is "bad" because one person that I knew ate that way and was ill. There is however, plenty of peer reviewed literature out there that does say this type of diet is bad for the cardiovascular system and that(plus my own research as I am a scientist) is what I base my opinions on.

kmckay

So what did his carb intake look like on average in terms of volume and composition?