2nd Apinion

[Paulbfast]

Statins : numbers needed to treat and personal decision-making | The BMJ

Here's a link to a letter in the British Medical Journal about decision making around statins. It includes the concept 'Number Needed to Treat' NNT, which, as you might expect, is an estimate of the number of people who would need to be treated with a drug, or a surgery, for 1 person to benefit.

Your doctors can advise you about treatment but the decision is down to you. I don't take statins either but try to eat lots of greens and fruit, use fish oil supplements to improve my omega 3 intake, which I believe is beneficial based on epidemiological evidence. I also follow a strength training program to optimise my muscle mass and metabolic activity - and because it puts me in charge of my own health and fitness
Regards,
Dr Mike

The author has abut the same Q Rick Calculator factor as I do. Mine is 14. I supplement with Krill oil and have tested my Omega 3. It is about half of what is ideal. I will work on increasing "greens" and fruits and decreasing sugar. The nature of this will depend somewhat on the new blood test results.

[Paulbfast]

You're doing better than me. If I had 187 and not much plaque, I'd definitely stay off them.

I think that they make me dumber and affect my short term memory. Or, that could just be age.

Thanks! I am dumb enough as it is.

I will follow up after my new blood test results are in.

[Jonathon Sullivan]

Nobody can answer this question but you. You have known CAD, the one setting where statins MIGHT help a LITTLE BIT. And you seem to be well aware of the downsides of statins as well. Until your new blood tests are in, keep doing what you're doing, including educating yourself. Then make a decision. It's yours to make, not your doctor's.

Here's some more stuff to gnaw on:

Statins for Heart Disease Prevention (With Known Heart Disease) – TheNNTTheNNT

[Paulbfast]

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Statins for Heart Disease Prevention (With Known Heart Disease) – TheNNTTheNNT

Thanks. I think at this point I will make dietary modifications depending on the blood test results. The "heart scan" is two years old so I will get another. We will find out if there really is some magic in that iron bar!

[Paulbfast]

As I expected the blood results are similar.

Cholesterol 184
Triglyceride 93
HDL 42
Cholesterol - Non- HDL 142
LDL 123

Triglyceride made a 20 point jump but LDL wne down 14 points.

I don't have the HGMA1C test results yet.

A very modest change in diet will bring the Triglycerides down. The last year (Tim Ferriss type test) I have eaten whatever I wanted and made no effort to have a good diet. Pre-workout supplement was a cinnamon roll with cream frosting of course.

I will continue to train and work on gaining 10 pounds. I am adding in some additional protein.

Great workout today. Squat 250x3x2 - I remember when 250 was a 1RM.

THANKS everyone.

[Paulbfast]

<shouts of joy> Ha!

HGBA1C 5.5 - It dropped .1
Ave fasting blood sugar dropped to 111

Barbell is strong medicine!

[Paulbfast]

Today's heart scan results - total calcium score is up to 284. A 55 point increase from two years ago. The bulk of it (253) is in the "Widow Maker" artery (LAD). Since the last year I ignored any dietary interventions I will take some steps to correct that. I will resist taking the statin drugs until it is over 400 (which may be to late! But who knows!).

[Al Copersino]

Paul - I've been on a statin for a few months since my calcium score showed up very poor (as per the MESA study, I had a 25% chance of a coronary event occurring in the next decade; I'm just shy of 51).

My cardiologist says there's early evidence that a low dose of a statin can potentially stall and maybe reverse some of the hard plaque build-up - they don't know yet, but early indications are positive.

I take rosuvastatin, 10 mg, every other night (a low dose since my cholesterol numbers are fine now that I've cut out snacks between snacks). I haven't experienced any pain in my legs or elsewhere. And it hasn't impact my training - to the best of my knowledge.

- Not SSC, MD, PhD, etc. Just a 51 year old on a statin.

[Paulbfast]

Paul - I've been on a statin for a few months since my calcium score showed up very poor (as per the MESA study, I had a 25% chance of a coronary event occurring in the next decade; I'm just shy of 51).

My cardiologist says there's early evidence that a low dose of a statin can potentially stall and maybe reverse some of the hard plaque build-up - they don't know yet, but early indications are positive.

I take rosuvastatin, 10 mg, every other night (a low dose since my cholesterol numbers are fine now that I've cut out snacks between snacks). I haven't experienced any pain in my legs or elsewhere. And it hasn't impact my training - to the best of my knowledge.

Thanks for the info. Do you know what your coronary artery calcium score (Agatston units) was? I will be very interested in your score a year from now.

My MESA results are a 14.7% chance in the next 10 years. How is your blood pressure. I increased my calcium score by 25 (it increased 50 over the last two years) and my MESA result on increased 1%.

How long have you been training?

Thanks again,
Paul

[Masher]

Today's heart scan results - total calcium score is up to 284. A 55 point increase from two years ago. The bulk of it (253) is in the "Widow Maker" artery (LAD). Since the last year I ignored any dietary interventions I will take some steps to correct that. I will resist taking the statin drugs until it is over 400 (which may be to late! But who knows!).

Hi Paul, my Agatston score is in the upper 80s, but I am also much younger than you. I'm in the 90th percentile (in a bad way) for my age group when it comes to artery calcification. The tendency toward pre-diabetes + heart disease is an unfortunate genetic combination that we both seem to share. Losing weight and getting in shape is great but it isn't going to stop heart disease progression. If I had your numbers I'd be on a statin for sure, even a low dose is helpful to stop inflammation. Your heart scan is showing you trending in the wrong direction, and that train isn't going to stop due to diet and exercise I'm afraid. I have another heart scan scheduled in 6 months and if I see numbers trending the wrong way I may be right there with you.

I've found Dr. Ford Brewer's videos (John's Hopkins Preventative Medicine) on YouTube very informative since they focus exclusively on disease prevention:
YouTube