...help, please anyone...needing somebody to help me through recent bloodwork!

(Rachel Lynne Avila) #1

I have been earnestly following keto since mid-July 2018, only a few minimal days of falling off the wagon, (like, about 4 days total in 3.5 months) and I had a recent very bad allergic reaction to something in my eyes which led to a visit to my (new to me) family doctor. I haven’t seen him often and he seems very good and thorough, and since it had been about 1 year since last blood tests, this visit prompted him to request new blood work.

I got a call this past Monday from his office stating that he needed to see me to go over the results, which I started fretting over. I anticipated elevated cholesterol levels as I have learned from listening to the podcasts can be normal. In the past my iron levels have been low, so I figured that may be it as well; I was also worried my liver might show something because years ago I was told I had non-alcoholic fatty liver and was pre-diabetic- which prompted me (more like jolted me) down a journey to health which has ultimately led me here.

I was very successful with a paleo diet but started to be less and less careful with my food and some old habits started slipping back- not to as bad as where I had been, but enough to be noticeable- anyway, back to the present.
I asked for a copy of the results so I could get trusted help to distinguish them- so I ask your help @richard if I may be so bold.

female age 43
Ferritin 65 ug/L
Hemoglobin A1c 5.2 %
Sodium 144 mmol/L
Potassium 4.9 mmol/L
Creatinine 61 unol/L
GFR 107 (estimated)

the Lipids…this is where the problem starts with the Dr…
**Cholesterol 6.28 mmol/L abnormal
LDL Cholesterol 4.68 mmol/L abnormal **
HDL 1.21 mmol/L
Chol/HDL 5.19 risk ratio abnormal
cholesterol non HDL 5.07 mmol/L
Triglycerides 0.85 mmol/L

Urine Creatinine 18.24 mmol/L
Urine Albumin Random
Urince ACR 1.3 mg/mmol

TSH 0.54 mU/L

So that’s that. Before I went to the dr’s I was listening to the 2 Keto Dudes podcast with Dr. Aseem Malhotra and the Big Fat Fix (November 26, 2017) and I was surprised to learn that preventative statin use, for those without side effects, over 5 years, only increases life expectancy of 4.5 days!! OMG. well, guess what the doctor ends up saying? well, without surprise, that I should consider a low level statin dose and that my heart looks like that of a 55 year old from those factors.

I remember hearing that these levels can actually predict longer life but I didn’t know how to explain that to him, but I did tell him that I am opposed to the statin use, based off my understanding of the interpretations of the studies and just want help or clarification.

Should I be concerned?
with deep gratitude to anyone who takes time to read this, and lend some thoughts.

(squirrel-kissing paper tamer) #2

I’m no doctor and certainly don’t want to give you advice but I will tell you that statins changed my father from a big healthy man to a frail, spindly legged man in 7 years. He has had nothing but problems with muscle craps and pain. His doctors didn’t recommend diet change, just kept changing the brand of statin. He’s shorter than my mother now, sleeps in another room because he wakes up with cramps that make him scream, carries a sweat rag around, drinks gallons of water a day. He’s a mess and the only thing wrong with him is high cholesterol and the only med he takes is a statin.

Not sure 4.5 extra days of life is worth the side side effect of these drugs. Wish you the best and I would may be get a second opinion or discuss diet and show some studies to your doc. Hopefully he has the time to consider new information.

#3

If my conversions are right, that’s pretty much “normal” crappy cholesterol, nothing insane or to worry about. Also, the trigs are very good.

For anyone in the states that wants to weigh in that doesn’t want to do the math (rounded)

Total 242
HDL 46
LDL 180
Trigs 75

(Jeff Gilbertson) #4

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(Empress of the Unexpected) #5

I’ve only known three people on statins but they all quit due to side effects.

#6

Yikes, that’s horrible! That must be hard to watch :frowning:

(Janelle) #7

I’m on statins with no adverse effects (that I know of). They have improved some numbers but that doesn’t mean I want to be on them forever.

(Rachel Lynne Avila) #8

thank you for sharing- i know that I definitely do not want to go the statin route, unless for any reason I absolutely have to. What an awful thing to be subjected to for your father, yourself and your family.

i am trying to figure out how to find the studies they talk about in the podcasts so I could show my dr.

(Rachel Lynne Avila) #9

thank you!

(Rachel Lynne Avila) #10

thank you- this is what i got from that site- but not quite sure where to go to figure out what it means, pardon my ignorance.

–==== CholesterolCode.com/Report v0.9.3 ====–
…3.5 months on Keto (less than 20g carbs) ::: 16 hours water fasted…

Total Cholesterol: 243 mg/dL 6.28 mmol/L
LDL Cholesterol: 181 mg/dL 4.68 mmol/L
HDL Cholesterol: 47 mg/dL 1.21 mmol/L
Triglycerides: 75 mg/dL 0.85 mmol/L

–CHOLESTEROL REMNANTS–

Remnant Cholesterol: 15 mg/dL 0.39 mmol/L >>> Lowest Risk Quintile
Remnant Chol to HDL: 0.32 >>> Medium Risk Quintile

Go to https://tinyurl.com/y84u92wm for more on Cholesterol Remnants

–ATHEROGENIC INDEX OF PLASMA (AIP)–

AIP: -0.153 >>> Lowest Risk Third

Go to https://tinyurl.com/ycccmmnx for more on Atherogenic Index of Plasma

–CONVENTIONAL MARKERS AND RATIOS–

Friedewald LDL-C: 181 | Iranian LDL-C: 163
Total/HDL Ratio: 5.17
TG/HDL Ratio in mg/dL: 1.6 | in mmol/L: 0.7