cholesteral numbers

A "regular" cholesterol test tells you almost nothing. Even the LDL value is "calculated" from the total cholestrol and HDL. Your actual LDL value is not the one your doctor is reporting to you, and his attempt to label your heart risk at "2%" based on a conventional cholesterol test is a joke. It would be like measuring the air in a cars tires and then pronouncing the car "fit and ready to go".

A much better test is called the VAP test, you can order it yourself for $90 bucks. In that, they give you the actual measured LDL value, and also look at more important values (subfractions) like LPa, LDL particle size, HDL particle size, VLDL, and IDL. These are the real culprits behind plaque being deposited onto and INTO your coronary arteries. Subfractions that do not show up on conventional cholesterol screenings are the reason why people with "normal" cholesterol levels drop dead every day in this county from heart disease. The doctors say "wow, must have had bad genes..."

The VAP test is available here... https://www.healthcheckusa.com/testdetails.asp?productid=77

And information in understand the VAP test is here... http://www.thevaptest.com/Consumers/

And if you need help in understanding what this all means... http://www.trackyourplaque.com/

Chances are your doctor has never heard of a VAP test, and would not even have a clue what it all meant with the results right in front of him. You don't need a doctor to order the test, you can do it yourself and the results are mailed to only you. I started looking into things because my questions were not being answered in standard 10 minute (or less) HMO visits. I started reading by ordering lots of books from Amazon, and discoverd a few gems along the way.

I have paid for several of my own VAP tests, and self interpret the results along the way using the Track Your Plaque book and website (Dr. William Davis), also the excellent book "Before The Heart Attacks" by Dr. Superko (head of the Berkerly Heart Lab). My doctor just looks at the cholesterol numbers and said "what ever you are doing, keep doing it". Another good book is "The Cardiovascular Cure" by Dr. Cooke (head of the vascular unit at Stanford).

The doctor had never heard of the supplements recomended in the books, like l-carnitine, l-arginine, betaine, etc...

OneWayPockets...

 thanks . One Way, you are very well informed, that is great, i will look for those books,. boy ia am really tired tonite, think i will get upstairs and relax. can i be nosy and ask if you all still work.  i just do not have the stamina to go to work anymore.  i applied for Social security disability and they said i do not qualify because i could still do something even if not my past job, really, what a waste of my time. i am only 4 years from regular soc. sec.  glad i have a husband !!!

Hi,I'am from the crohns board and I have high colesterol as well.The last blood work I had done was CHOL-358--TRIG-324--HDL-41--c-LDL-152--CHOL/HDL-6.3--cLDL/HDL3.7.I was put on LOVASTATIN 40mg I go back in a month to see if it has gone down and was also put on a colesterol diet as well.

Dreamgirl, your numbers are exactly like mine were nine months ago. I was o go back for blood work, but bcuz i didn't take the zorcor prescribed, i couldn't go back to the doctor. I have since started zorcor 20 mg along with coq10 and will go to get my blood work done.

I hope my numbers have dropped, so far no side effects worth mentioning. I have been able to exercise bcuz i am in college and it is late when I get home.

Have you tried any of the natural methods to lower cholesterol, such as, flax seed, oatmeal, or sterols in foods/drinks?

Agreed that fiber, especially soluble fiber, can help cholesterol levels in a huge way. Soluble fiber is different than the "roughage" that we associate with vegetables, etc (although we need this insoluble fiber as well). Soluble fiber forms a gel-like barrier in the intestine that prevents cholesterol re-absorption. It is the exact same sort of gel that forms on the side of the pot when you are cooking old fashioned oats. Oat bran and psyllium are excellent forms of soluble fiber. In his book, The Eight Week Cholesterol Cure, author Robert Kowalski is famous for recommending an oat bran muffin. Hundreds wrote the author complimenting him on their big reduction in cholesterol numbers with out prescription drugs...OWP

Hey Dreamgirl,

I had a VAP (Vertical Auto Profile) test done last yr. ordered by my cardio (usually a cardiologist knows what they are) not sure about family dr.

Anyways when I went to my (small town) hospital they had no clue what a VAP test was.  I almost didn't have it done they finally found a doc on duty to tell them what it was!! Thank goodness I didn't have to fast again!!!!  

I have BC/BS insurance and they cover the test!! My cardio said it's not that much more $$ than a regular Cholesterol screening.

Sorry dreamgirl about your chol. numbers.   I hope you get them lowered some.

Mine was as high as 267 once I think that's the highest they've ever been......that was taking no meds.  I just couldn't image what they would be like without medication.....now!!!!

 i went back and read all the stuff again that was said, beleive me, i have done it all, it appears that eating oatmeal doesn't help but i do eat cheerios with blueberries. i also take co-q 10, and 2400mg of fish oil daily, along with raw almonds daily. this has increased my good # but done nothing so far for my bad.  i have recently discover that my thyroid level runs on the low normal side and this could cause bad chol number to be slightly elevate, i am not taking bladderwrack which is nothing more than seaweed.  I have tried the zetia and i have ibs so it did not help that issue, i had to stop, that has been the problem with psysillum too, my ibs is a real problem when i start to take these things, but thanks for all and any input. i have not started the l carnitine and larginie, but i did perchase l lysine any info on that?

1 1/2 years ago, I had a physical exam and found that my total cholesterol was 234. My doctor put me on a generic statin, pravastatin. I was on the beginning level low dose. Six weeks ago, I had another physical (I kept putting off the follow-up), and my cholesterol had elevated to 283. I had gained 15 pounds (stress eating) and my lipid profile was just disappointing. My doctor doubled my statin, and I am to have my levels checked again in six weeks.

I had blood tests done yesterday because I had a pain in my chest (turned out to be a pulled muscle, but had to check it out because of a family history of heart disease). Here's the shocker: All my lab results in the lipid profile were in normal range. My total cholesterol had dropped to 163! I have read that statins will drop the cholesterol most in the first 6 weeks, but I had NO idea this much of a drop was possible. There are other factors involved: I began the Metabolic Research diet taking their dietary supplements (vitamins, flax oil, herbs). I was shocked at the cholesterol results.

That's the good news. The bad news is that my thyroid TSH was triple the normal level. Now I have to have all lipid and thyroid tests run again. My sister has the same thyroid problem, so I don't know if it's hereditary or if it was caused by the statin??? Supplements? I have read that thyroid levels like mine can cause the heart symptoms I experienced.

Does anyone know if statins affect thyroid function? And, if so, is it more important to treat the cholesterol if it means treating the thyroid too? Or should the thyroid be saved and deal with cholesterol in a different way?

I'm so confused.