Cholesterol levels...

hopper1

I just did a workplace wellness programme, through my company. Had my cholesterol measured, amongst other things...

Total Cholesterol=4.0mmol/L
HDL=1.33mmol/L
TRG=0.92mmol/L
LDL=2.65mmol/L
non-HDL=3.07mmol/L
TC/HDL=3.3
GLU=4.89mmol/L

BP= 120-129
Resting HR=43bpm.
I was given a 10 year CHD (coronary heart disease) risk of 2%...

Not bad at 48

Previous Cholesterol check was 17 years ago at 15.8 :shock: Way off the scale!!!

SteveR_100Milers

That's a good result! My overall result is 6.5

ilm_zero7

i would love to get to 4.0 on the cholesterol scale - well done

SteveR_100Milers

I have debated the merits of lowering cholesterol when undertaking so much exercise with my GP. I was taking statins to lower it slightly, and fenofibrate to lower my triglyceride levels which were very high; and since I stopped taking them my speed and TT times have just dramatically improved. I'm sure there is merit in the argument that any adverse effect of high cholesterol / lipids in the blood (athersclerosis for example) is offset by the level of exercise, which probably burns off excess fats as an energy source, and also improves the elasticity of arteries etc. It's seems logical that pumping blood faster around the body and constantly using the fats up in the bloodstream are less likely to 'stagnate' which is part of the mechanical process of atherclerosis.
Anyway, whatever it is, I prefer to not to take them as my times are now getting half decent, so something must right.

deptfordmarmoset

BP= 120-129

That can't be right, unless it's 2 systolic figures. If the 2nd figure is diastolic you're breaking the laws of physics.

hopper1

deptfordmarmoset wrote:

BP= 120-129

That can't be right, unless it's 2 systolic figures. If the 2nd figure is diastolic you're breaking the laws of physics.

Actual BP is:
123/66

Seanos

Was 120-129 your life expectancy?

Guz

I take statins and got my level down to 3.2........

However it makes me feel worse on the bike and getting round even on the club run is a struggle when the hills kick in.

hopper1

Seanos wrote:

Was 120-129 your life expectancy?

That'd be cool...

SteveR_100Milers

Guz wrote:

I take statins and got my level down to 3.2........

However it makes me feel worse on the bike and getting round even on the club run is a struggle when the hills kick in.

If you train and race (or just ride at your anaeroboc threshold) for more than 5 hrs / 2hr a week then try not taking them. Bet you feel full of energy and start flying again. Mine went from 6.5/7 ish to 5 after taking 10mg of atorvastatin daily. Even taking them every other day still completely messed up my metabolism, and taking COq10 doesnt ofset the effect (this is what is depleted naturally when you take statins and its crucial in the matabolism of glucose in the muscles).

There is a reason why my cholesterol / lipid footprint is "high"; its the natural default metabolic setting for my body. I'm happy to believe that cycling will mitigate the potential long term side effects of having a genetically high level. Time will tell I guess!

deptfordmarmoset

SteveR_100Milers wrote:

Guz wrote:

I take statins and got my level down to 3.2........

However it makes me feel worse on the bike and getting round even on the club run is a struggle when the hills kick in.

If you train and race (or just ride at your anaeroboc threshold) for more than 5 hrs / 2hr a week then try not taking them. Bet you feel full of energy and start flying again. Mine went from 6.5/7 ish to 5 after taking 10mg of atorvastatin daily. Even taking them every other day still completely messed up my metabolism, and taking COq10 doesnt ofset the effect (this is what is depleted naturally when you take statins and its crucial in the matabolism of glucose in the muscles).

There is a reason why my cholesterol / lipid footprint is "high"; its the natural default metabolic setting for my body. I'm happy to believe that cycling will mitigate the potential long term side effects of having a genetically high level. Time will tell I guess!

That, Steve, is a very interesting post for me. I think I've simply let the medical people dictate to me - Simvastatin. I'll look into it - I've been worried about my stamina levels recently.

EDIT: mind I'm an old fücker so it might just be age....

SteveR_100Milers

deptfordmarmoset wrote:

SteveR_100Milers wrote:

Guz wrote:

I take statins and got my level down to 3.2........

However it makes me feel worse on the bike and getting round even on the club run is a struggle when the hills kick in.

If you train and race (or just ride at your anaeroboc threshold) for more than 5 hrs / 2hr a week then try not taking them. Bet you feel full of energy and start flying again. Mine went from 6.5/7 ish to 5 after taking 10mg of atorvastatin daily. Even taking them every other day still completely messed up my metabolism, and taking COq10 doesnt ofset the effect (this is what is depleted naturally when you take statins and its crucial in the matabolism of glucose in the muscles).

There is a reason why my cholesterol / lipid footprint is "high"; its the natural default metabolic setting for my body. I'm happy to believe that cycling will mitigate the potential long term side effects of having a genetically high level. Time will tell I guess!

That, Steve, is a very interesting post for me. I think I've simply let the medical people dictate to me - Simvastatin. I'll look into it - I've been worried about my stamina levels recently.

EDIT: mind I'm an old fücker so it might just be age....

Well, its not going to affecxt any outcome by stopping taking it for a couple of months. See what happens, note your times, and keep a proper diary. You might find a huge difference after only a couple of weeks off. Remember, drug companies have invested gazillions into statins, so the medical profession is under a lot of incentive to prescribe them without much analysis or thought. Remember a GP is simply a jack of all trade doc, clever yes, but certainly not the font of all knowledge. Challenge them, though not many like that but its your life not their's.

ratsbeyfus

I've come to this thread late but am really interested in it. I'm on rovustatins for high cholesterol (again, down to genetics, and a fetish for Pringles)... I never knew they could have an impact on energy levels... I didn't notice any change in energy levels when I started taking them (but then again I'm always knackered as I've got two young kids and I teach in a primary school) but I'll definitely be looking into this and taking it up with my GP. Thanks for the info.

Foucault

You might find the following article interesting http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/artic ... terol.html

SteveR_100Milers

well the daily lira (anag) isn't the last word in medical reference; just google exercise intolerance of statins. That and wiki COQ10 and metabolism.

EDIT: though having read it it is interesting if a little gee whizz. GPs will tell you that statins work on the basis of statistical field trials, and you can find that evidence on the web. The number of instances of muscular problems is very low, and for many people maybe statins are a benefit if you drink and eat too much with no exercise. If you exercise regularly then its possible that they really do inhibit you.

Since I stopped taking fibrates and statins I have smashed my TT times - by over 3 minutes on a 25, and 2 minutes on a 10. These are not small changes, they have been step changes, certainly not explicable by training alone. Like I said before, you have nothikng to lose by trying a short term experiment. Why not stop taking them for a couple of months and see what happens, after all they are drugs that work over years not immediately.

Valy

43bpm - that's pretty good. How much do you train normally? :P

SteveR_100Milers

Mine is 46...nothing special. My MHR is only 166

Valy

SteveR_100Milers wrote:

Mine is 46...nothing special. My MHR is only 166

166? How old are you?

SteveR_100Milers

44.
MHR is not age related its genetic.
There is enough in these forums to tell you that.

Valy

SteveR_100Milers wrote:

44.
MHR is not age related its genetic.
There is enough in these forums to tell you that.

I see. THe common perception though...

What was your highest MHR that you can remember?

SteveR_100Milers

Valy wrote:

SteveR_100Milers wrote:

44.
MHR is not age related its genetic.
There is enough in these forums to tell you that.

I see. THe common perception though...

What was your highest MHR that you can remember?

Not being funny, but I already quoted it in an earlier post: 166 BPM, recorded sometime in December 2008 during a track sprint after a pursuit having been last man of four. I was well and truly f****d in scientific terms, in fact any terms you would like to quote.
I remember it vividly, along with the other 3 or 4 close readings prior to it. Forget any 220-age formula for calculating it, its long been proven meaningless. The only way to know it is to properly test it. I'm not really that bothered by it, hence just noted the highest ever reading during the time I wore an HRM. Long since given that up
anyway why do you ask?

hopper1

Valy wrote:

43bpm - that's pretty good. How much do you train normally? :P

Training is varied...
Max HR is 191bpm 48 years old!

Valy

The reason I asak.. I'm ust curious. Or nosey!

So in other words your max HR is your max HR from the youthful days to the older days? I may do research on the interweb.
____________________

I see, very detailed reply. :P

hopper1

Valy wrote:

The reason I asak.. I'm ust curious. Or nosey!

So in other words your max HR is your max HR from the youthful days to the older days? I may do research on the interweb.
____________________

I see, very detailed reply. :P

I average around 8.5 hours per week, of mixed efforts, long rides, etc.
Did my HR max test in May, so very recent.

D

SteveR_100Milers

My MHR was discovered about 2 years ago, haven't bothered with an HRM in the last 18 months so no idea if its changed. No idea what it was when I was in my 20s as I never measured it then either.

Wheelspinner

Hmm... some interesting experiences here.

I'm now 48 and there's a family history of high cholesterol and also heart troubles. Grandad dropped dead at 52 from heart attack, father had angioplasty at 60 despite having been fairly cautious all his life and healthy (although he lived till 81 in great shape really).

This year I had some odd chest pains, and ended up having a coronary stent done for an artery estimated at 90% blocked, although at least a "minor" one.

Cholesterol used to be almost 7 (total) about 3 years ago, then was down to 5.7 at time I had the surgery done in February this year. Prescribed Lipitor (atorvastatin I think?) and six weeks later my total cholesterol was down to 3.7, so it worked fast.

Max heart rate seems to be about 172 these days, or at least that's what the Garmin tells me.....

I also have noticed that the longer I've taken the Lipitor, the less speed I seem to have on the bike, although overall endurance seems normal. But I just can't seem to generate the same sustained speed.

Weird.

Given I've actually had heart surgery, I'm slightly less inclined to quit the pills as a test, but worth considering.

What I have noticed though is there are plenty of side effects to the damned things. My entire life I've never suffered indigestion, even after a scorching curry, and now I get it from mildly spicy food. I can't take the tablets in the evening, as if I do and have even 1 glass of wine, I have palpitations and more heartburn.

I even had to stop taking glucosamine, as that made the nausea and indigestion VERY bad. I don't get much of the muscle aches and pains, although my partner does, on a different statin medication. But, the one physical problem I do have is joints that are a bit creaky at times, and a dodgy back, so the glucosamine was a worthwhile thing.

Frankly, I hate taking the statin pills, and am undecided yet whether to give them away altogether. I will have a follow up test in a few months time and provided my cholesterol is still well inside the "desirable" range, might give them away as a test.

WHen I can, I average a few hundred training km a week at most, work permitting, and am in pretty decent shape. TBH, having the stent placement done scared the cr@p outta me. I was for many years in my 20s and 30s a super-fit athlete, and although these days I am merely in what I'd call "good" shape, I still felt life was being bloody unfair by giving me the heart problem. For now, the cardiologist seems to think everything is fixed and fine. He asked if I did any exercise, and when I explained my routine, he was almost shocked that I had any problem at all.

Velonutter

At nearly 51 my Cholesterol is 2.8, I'm a vegetarian and can't eat any fried or fatty food, resting HR is 48/49, I was doing 200-300 miles a week, but now down to 125-175.

Max I have had my HR up to is 171, but usually up to mid 150's

SteveR_100Milers

Wheelspinner wrote:

Hmm... some interesting experiences here.

I'm now 48 and there's a family history of high cholesterol and also heart troubles. Grandad dropped dead at 52 from heart attack, father had angioplasty at 60 despite having been fairly cautious all his life and healthy (although he lived till 81 in great shape really).

This year I had some odd chest pains, and ended up having a coronary stent done for an artery estimated at 90% blocked, although at least a "minor" one.

Cholesterol used to be almost 7 (total) about 3 years ago, then was down to 5.7 at time I had the surgery done in February this year. Prescribed Lipitor (atorvastatin I think?) and six weeks later my total cholesterol was down to 3.7, so it worked fast.

Max heart rate seems to be about 172 these days, or at least that's what the Garmin tells me.....

I also have noticed that the longer I've taken the Lipitor, the less speed I seem to have on the bike, although overall endurance seems normal. But I just can't seem to generate the same sustained speed.

Weird.

Given I've actually had heart surgery, I'm slightly less inclined to quit the pills as a test, but worth considering.

What I have noticed though is there are plenty of side effects to the damned things. My entire life I've never suffered indigestion, even after a scorching curry, and now I get it from mildly spicy food. I can't take the tablets in the evening, as if I do and have even 1 glass of wine, I have palpitations and more heartburn.

I even had to stop taking glucosamine, as that made the nausea and indigestion VERY bad. I don't get much of the muscle aches and pains, although my partner does, on a different statin medication. But, the one physical problem I do have is joints that are a bit creaky at times, and a dodgy back, so the glucosamine was a worthwhile thing.

Frankly, I hate taking the statin pills, and am undecided yet whether to give them away altogether. I will have a follow up test in a few months time and provided my cholesterol is still well inside the "desirable" range, might give them away as a test.

WHen I can, I average a few hundred training km a week at most, work permitting, and am in pretty decent shape. TBH, having the stent placement done scared the cr@p outta me. I was for many years in my 20s and 30s a super-fit athlete, and although these days I am merely in what I'd call "good" shape, I still felt life was being bloody unfair by giving me the heart problem. For now, the cardiologist seems to think everything is fixed and fine. He asked if I did any exercise, and when I explained my routine, he was almost shocked that I had any problem at all.

I wouldn't do anything without your GP consent, given your history I think it might be dangerous. There is a lot of bad press against statins, but they do statistically have a beneficial effect.

jc4lab

At 5.4 my doctor is going mental at my refusal to go on statins with his bouncer receptionist giving me the grief on his behalf..Heard so much about the bad side.of statins.Anyone not in favour of them?..

SteveR_100Milers

jc4lab wrote:

At 5.4 my doctor is going mental at my refusal to go on statins with his bouncer receptionist giving me the grief on his behalf..Heard so much about the bad side.of statins.Anyone not in favour of them?..

I presuem you do mean are there people who do not advocate the use of statins?

In which case, quite a number, including some doctors - google it and you'll find enough material to read to keep you busy for weeks. My GP's view is its pointless at less than 6 for most people as they can change it with a lifestyle change: diet, exercise etc. My level dropped to 5.5 after taking 10mg a day, so I would challenge your GP to give you sound scientific reasons backed up with evidence applicable for someone engaged in high levels of aerobic activity. They can't because no-one has done the reserach on athletes, it's all been done on Mr sedentary overweight western Mr and Mrs Average.

keef66

Fascinating stuff.

A quick and basic cholesterol test at work put me at 9 point something, and the next one was off the scale.

Both parents had heart attacks, mum's second one fatal, so I was in five star panic mode.

Went to GP who in turn sent me for a fasted blood test / lipid profile. He seemed most concerned about triglycerides which were at 8.2 and mentioned putting me on fibrates. I said I'd try better diet / more exercise first.

Next blood test showed I'd got the triglycerides down to 4.5 and improved the LDL:HDL ratio in the right direction, so I've stayed off the pills.

Supposed to do another test after 6 months, but that was 2 years ago. Really must get round to it.

I too think that there must be a good reason for the body to be putting those things into my bloodstream, and provided I eat sensibly and stay fit I'll be OK. Hopefully.

Must get round to writing a will.