Colesterol and statins

[CXRAndy]

Anyone used a home cholesterol test/kit ? I've not a clue but was looking to buy one for a family member..saw a few but thought I'd ask.

I used letsgetchecked kit about 4 years ago. Send vile of blood sample. Got results in a few days.

I also used their glucose HbA1C kit too

 

[Dogtrousers]

Think it's pretty standard to prescribe a statin for anyone who's had a TIA irrespective of their cholesterol levels.
Statins do more than just lower cholesterol. They can also stabilise existing plaques, and have a protective effect on the arterial lining, etc.

After my TIA I had a chat with the consultant about statins, and without going into detail, this was broadly the thrust of what he said. Not a million miles off anyway.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

After my TIA I had a chat with the consultant about statins, and without going into detail, this was broadly the thrust of what he said. Not a million miles off anyway.

Thanks to both of you that have said this

good to know there was a reason - I was not really in a frame of mind to ask much at the time!!

 

[T4tomo]

Its a whole can of worms, cholesterol levels.

The overall cholesterol number is not the important figure, its the HDL to LDL ratio that more important. Below 3.5 is excellent, below 5 is ok.

Also the triglycerides figure is important, it indicates how much free lipids(fats) are circulating around your blood stream, less than mmol/L < 2.3 is fine.

The key ration is Serum Cholesterol (so called Total Cholesterol ) / HDL Cholesterol (not LDL/HDL) and yes Below 3.5 is excellent, below 5 is ok.

Your HDL (so called good cholesterol) level should be above 1.0 for men and 1.2 for women.

 

[yello]

Your HDL (so called good cholesterol) level should be above 1.0 for men and 1.2 for women.

Looks like they say 1.45 mmol/L for men here in France. Mine's 1.34. That's according to my last results in 2023. My total ratio was 3.8. Triglycerides were 0.83. Looks good to me.

 

[Red17]

Not sure if anyone has already posted the link but Qrisk3 calculator can be found here.
Qrisk3
Interesting to play about with it to see what drives the numbers

 

[bobzmyunkle]

Interesting to play about with it to see what drives the numbers

Age - don't get old.
I did look into cholesterol on the good old interweb. What a rabbit hole that turned out to be. Anyhow last time I had mine checked my 'good' cholesterol was reassuringly high.
Retired now, the corporate world no longer cares about my health, no routine checks. I'll believe the last figures I got for a while longer.

 

[Wheelspinner]

Interesting comparisons... my total ratio hovers around 3.0 - 3.1, triglycerides about 0.7, yet I get lectured by the cardiologist to do more to reduce it.

 

[CXRAndy]

The key ration is Serum Cholesterol (so called Total Cholesterol ) / HDL Cholesterol (not LDL/HDL) and yes Below 3.5 is excellent, below 5 is ok.

Your HDL (so called good cholesterol) level should be above 1.0 for men and 1.2 for women.

My good cholesterol HDL is 1.9

 

[CXRAndy]

Interesting comparisons... my total ratio hovers around 3.0 - 3.1, triglycerides about 0.7, yet I get lectured by the cardiologist to do more to reduce it.

If you don't have any other complications then you're probably good to go. High blood pressure, cardiac and arterial issues it could be different.

 

[kingrollo]

Bump.

But of eye opener for me. Lipoprotein A blood check this week after a recent heart attack.

Mine came back as 147.3 nmol/L which puts me in the high risk group. It's genetic and as of right now there isn't much that will shift that number downwards. I was most likely born with 147.3 and will most likely die with 147.3.

Interesting though that when you are told you have genetic high cholesterol - they don't mean you have geneticly high LDL - they are talking about high lipoprotein a - but it isn't often measured as there in no treatment for it.

High lipoprotein a is a risk in its own right. Even if your other cholesterol scores are good (which they can be even high lip a) you are still at increased risk .

Have a nice afternoon all.

 

[mjr]

Interesting though that when you are told you have genetic high cholesterol - they don't mean you have geneticly high LDL - they are talking about high lipoprotein a - but it isn't often measured as there in no treatment for it.

Are you sure? I have genetic high LDL and normal Lpa.

 

[kingrollo]

Are you sure? I have genetic high LDL and normal Lpa.

To be honest no !

I have low LDL even before statins. They couldn't understand where all the plaque in my arteries was coming from. GP said maybe it's genetic - so I asked for tests to prove disprove/prove genetic cholesterol levels - LPA was the test I was given.

 

[mjr]

To be honest no !

I have low LDL even before statins. They couldn't understand where all the plaque in my arteries was coming from. GP said maybe it's genetic - so I asked for tests to prove disprove/prove genetic cholesterol levels - LPA was the test I was given.

Interesting. I think I was LpA tested because the treatment differs if it's high. I thought the most reliable way to confirm genetic high cholesterol is gene profiling and look for known causes, which seems to take a long time to get done, and of course can only confirm it, but not disprove it because experts think not all possible genetic causes have been found yet.

Most of the time, the Broome criteria are a good enough guess.

 

[presta]

what about people who are on their own??

Take a recorder.

You only have to read the leaflet in the box or read this https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/statins/side-effects/ to know that there are lots of potential side effects.

And that his quack's a liar.