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A lot of it has to do with genetics. For example, myself. I have astronomically high cholesteral. It is an inherited trait. None of the statins do anything for me at all. I’ve even been on statin ‘cocktails’ of 3 or more at a time; nothing. In fact, some of the medications just boost the numbers higher. Even when I was in marathon shape and only eating steamed rice and veggies my numbers were off the chart. I’m lucky though, because I also carry a gene that blocks heart disease and hardening of the arteries. So does my mother and half of my siblings. The other half have normal levels of cholesteral. My uncle (mum’s youngest brother) doesn’t have the gene that blocks heart disease. His numbers are waaaaaay off the scale and he had a quadrupal by-pass surgery when he was 32. His kids are monitored very closely, especially his sons, to make certain that if there are going to be any problems for them that they are nipped in the bud.
My hubby has, as our family doc puts it, disgustingly low cholesteral. We’re hoping the boys get an even balance. Hubby’s mum has numbers like mine; her dad died of athrosclerosis of the brain; hardening of the arteries in the brain. It acted like Alzheimer’s.
I’m not certain I put a lot of faith in the numbers that the medical community want you to have to be ‘healthy’. I know my doc despairs over ever getting my numbers anywhere near ‘normal’. At this point, I don’t do alot about it. I have other things to worry about. When my doc gets really insistant and wants to try a new med on me, sometimes I’ll try it other times I dig in my heels and say no. What’s the point of dealing with nasty side effects when the meds do nothing or raise my levels?
just my 2 cents 😀
tdm
I know Chris deals with cholesterol and feels like a guinea pig at times when they want to try stuff out on him… 🙄
Actually, the stents aren’t all *that* new, but they are becoming pretty common. There’re at least 2 different kinds; a plain little mesh kind and a kind that’s coated with medication called a drug alluding (not sure of the spelling…) stent. Last August, my husband had one of the coated ones put in on the back side of his heart. He’d been feeling “off” and when he called me and told me how he was feeling, I mentally hit the panic button (didn’t let on to HIM about that, tho…) and told him to go to his company’s infirmary. They sent him to our family doc, who sent him to the hospital. Shorter version is the cardiologist followed a hunch and they found the artery that was about 90% blocked. They put a stent in, and the symptoms went away. I’m very thankful the blockage was found BEFORE he could have the heart attack that was evidently lurking just around the corner.
And I’m another one with the genetically high chloresterol…….bleah. 😕
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