Cholesterol Clarity: What The HDL Is Wrong With My Numbers?

[Gabriel Suarez]

There is still a remaining culture and perspective that doctors know everything and their word is as good as the Word of God. This needs to change, because their knowledge is often limited and dated.

I wrote about my experience a few years ago. I was on a hard paleo cut and weighed in at 175. My bodyfat was single digit. A yearly trip to the doc my insurance covered and he told me I was overweight. I grabbed the skin on my abs and pulled on it with a wrinkled brow. "Overweight? What do you mean?" He pulled up a BMI chart saying that for my height I should be 150 pounds. I said something untypable that my male member was only ten pounds of weight and that I would need to remove one of my arms to make weight and got dressed while he explained it to me, leaving him mid sentence.

I do think its important...specially as you age, to have a good doc...but underline good. Good means he exemplifies what you want to be. Mine is in his sixties and fit as hell. He is all about keeping your bad-ass-ness into your older years not about aging gracefully on the shuffleboard courts.

As well, the majority of simple things can be self diagnosed today and then if further action or any uncertainty exists, take it to the doc. But on anything, it is on you to educate yourself so you can have an educated discussion with your doc, not be given orders that might be antiquated. Your care is a team effort, not a mandate. I know there are docs here..if I have said anything totally wrong, please tell me. I am not a doc, bit I am very well studied on subjects that pertain to me.

[Gabriel Suarez]

I feel great without statins, and I've now reached an age group (65+) where higher cholesterol is associated with lower mortality.

Its important to have an understanding of the ratios of the various types of cholesterol too. A "total cholesterol" number is sort of irrelevant...it is the numbers on the various types and their ratios that is important.

Another matter is the longevity and mortality issue. Much of modern Medicine seems focused on staving off death at any cost. So a dude that is kept alive in a nursing home for 20 years (70 to 90) is seen as a success. There is a new POV in medicine that focuses not on longevity at all costs, but on quality of life. It is that focus that I think serves people like us best.

[JLB]

One more takedown of statins. http://annals.org/aim/article-abstra...tional-studies

[JLB]

http://www.zoeharcombe.com/2010/11/c...hat-you-think/

Cholesterol is vital for the brain, central nervous system and memory functions (hence how the side effects of statins include memory loss, mental confusion and people generally just not feeling themselves). Even though the brain is only 2% of the body’s weight, it contains approximately 25% of the body’s cholesterol. The vital connections between nerve endings in the brain, which help to conduct the electrical impulses that make movement, sensation, thinking, learning, and remembering possible, are largely made up of cholesterol.

[Soren]

Recent checkup. Age 53, 6' 212lb. cholesterol 180, trig. 71, non-hdl chol. 129, chol./hdl ratio 3.53, ldl 115, hdl 51......I need to read the book again. My Dr. seems to be pleased with the numbers. I eat eggs, red meat, butter, bacon, mostly cutting down on carbs. Still enjoy an occasional pizza.