I just had blood work done and results back today. I’d love your thoughts. Looks pretty good. LDL is definitely too high — I’ve been taking 1,000mg of citrus bergamot to try and lower it, but not working much (it was 172 in January and now 164). Triglycerides are good.
Some background: I have one kidney, so eGFR is pretty important for me. I also have been working out hard with heavy weights (no, I do not look like a muscle-bound dimwit, but definitely much stronger, great endurance, and stability — I look/feel healthy and athletic) so my BUN and protein levels tend to be a touch higher. I eat low carb with higher protein, but I’ve been bad lately (a few ice creams here and there with family, and a great omakase last week).
I’m not yet taking Rapamycin because my LDL is likely too high. I’ve been thin
Here is what I received today.
More in next post.
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Actually looks similar to mine. Probably similar to a lot of people in our age bracket…
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AnUser
#6
Yeah that’s just a waste of money.
Bring out the big guns and nuke it with PCSK9i maybe. Or statins. Of course with a doctor because of your medical history.
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Yeah. I think the Citrus Bergamot may be overhyped.
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DougNW
#8
Your HDL is awesome. You should ask for your APOB next time. Your LDL-C looks high. Are you on a statin? Dr Attia talks a lot about the benefits of statins in his book and website.
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The citrus bergamot was “prescribed” by my physician (who is awesome, by the way) as a way to try to get the LDL down without a statin. I assume I’ll need a statin at some point soon to lower this, but I’ve been irrationally stalling on this (believing citrus bergamot and cocoa could lower it). Now I’ll have to sit down and evaluate what prescription I should ask for (statin or PCSK9 inhibitor, and which one). Ideally I can find one that works well with bimonthly Rapamycin use (and low side effects, and cheap).
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I should have mentioned I am 53 (pertinent info).
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For full disclosure i was overweight on-and-off since my 30’s. Only diet that worked (including fasting for a straight week) was Atkins, but the weight came right back immediate after stopping. But I was “healthy” in that I was limber and could hike/ climb stairs without issue for long trips, but had no muscle and still overweight. I had cancer and a kidney/adrenal removed four years ago. After that I gave up sugar for a year (as an anti-cancer attempt, but also to lose weight) but still ate carbs and I gained weight. So then I went “keto”, again as an anti-cancer diet as well as to lose weight, and I dropped close to back what I weighed during grad school. It’s been almost three years and steady low weight.
By the way: I am told I look at least a decade younger than my 53 years — skin is very good (aside from vitiligo), full thick hair, now-athletic build with some visible muscles, comfortable/limber stride/movements, great endurance/strength, fast reflexes and mental response, I fit into my clothes from grad school, etc. I feel fantastic (I can’t say I look fantastic because I clearly was never a model, but when I stand next to people my age the differences are striking in many cases), so I’m hoping Rapamycin can just carry this feeling/physiology forward “indefinitely”. My father recently died and had sarcopenia for roughly 15 years and it looked miserable to exist — I’m working out to prevent this (1), as well as healthspan (2) and longevity (3). If I last until 100 but feel great through 95, that’s a huge win in my book. And if I last to 180 but feel great through 170, I’d take that, too……
My “stack” is:
o. Low-carb diet with extra animal protein. All whole foods (no processed junk).
o. Feeding window between 5-9pm most days
o. Four day water (coffee) fasts every 1.5-2 months (ok, I sometimes have a glass of wine too)
o. Substantial exercise with heavy weights 4x per week (deadlifts, squats, benches, pull/chin-ups — all to failure and breathing very hard; 60-120 flights of stairs 3x per week; jumping/bike sprints 1-2x/week, etc)
o. 6g glycine in morning coffee (2 cups)
o. 15g collagen in same morning coffee
o. 3 tsp coca in same morning coffee
o. 1mg Finasteride. Daily (I started taking this in July because when I started heavy weights in January I saw “symptoms” of raised T including my front hair started to thin; my hair is thick and good again now so this seemed to solve this for now)
o. 5000 U vitamin D every two days (I may go back to 5000 daily if my blood work comes back in normal ranges: do you think higher D was contributing to higher T alongside the heavy exercise? — they were both coincident. )
o. 1000 mg citrus bergamot daily for LDL (appears useless so likely to ditch this for a real statin)
o. 100mg NACET daily (supposed to be equivalent to 2g NAC because of bioavailability)
o. 12 mg astaxanthin. Originally for sun protection (I make Casper look tan) but there seem to be other longevity effects.
o. Just yesterday started 5g creatine (and probably placebo because I haven’t built it up in my muscles yet, but my workout was very intense)
Things to add:
o sounds like I may be due for a statin or other method to lower my LDL. I might start rapa first to see where LDL goes naturally.
o. Rapamycin: planning every two weeks?
o. Thinking about using a quarterly/half-year course of Nattokinase to clean out the plaque, and maybe lower levels all year for LDL, blood pressure and platelet control.
o. I have 1kg of beta-alanine I planned to take to “clean out” AGEs, but haven’t yet taken it (I don’t like to start too many things at once). Will probably start this coming week.
o. Thinking about taurine. Doesn’t seem to be much downside.
o. Planning on making a strongish DIY vitamin A based skin serum to use nightly.
o. I might experiment with some peptides, particularly the recovery and growth oriented hormones. BPC-157, GHK — there’s a mix the body builder call the “Wolverine” because you recover so quickly from injury. Also the work of Dr Faye (?) on rebuilding the thymus for longevity/healthspan is intriguing — he has admitted his last results weren’t spectacular but thinks he knows why. I’m curious to follow this.
o. I have a friend who is an artist and ex UFC fighter (but really an intellectual with a great physique) and he is encouraging me to “microdose” testosterone for men’s health / body composition / etc. I’m not onboard but definitely thinking about it.
o. I’m also thinking about starting metformin or acarbose even though I am low-carb: the ITP results are highly convincing even though I am not a mouse. I don’t want to be taking many things with side effects if possible. Maybe pulsed with rapa if I don’t fast in those days?
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People in the keto community keep pushing that LDL is a conspiracy: there’s also very little research on longevity in keto diets (really only mixed diets) so it is possible there is a slightly different action (or stronger correlations in this group). BUT given the many correlations of LDL and ASCVD, and the fact that it is a disease with virtually zero markers to watch before it kills you, Dr Attia’s recommendation of drastically lowering LDL is probably prudent. I’m looking into how I can lower my LDL substantially from 164. And to perhaps reduce any damage I’ve already done through Nattokinase. I may try Rapamycin first to see where LDL heads naturally and then treat it from there.
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What’s the thinking behind this? I’m not familiar with any ability to clean out AGEs attached to body proteins.
I like your plan overall. It’s good to have a plan.
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I’m happy to share this personal info with the community, as I am grateful for others who have done the same which helped me think about my own bloodwork and plans (both similar and different from mine) including (but not limited to) @desertshores , @DeStrider , @约瑟夫_拉维尔 , @Agetron . , etc.
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My understanding from the literature is that carnosine can reduce AGEs (which ideally should improve elasticity of blood vessels, skin, and other connective tissue). Below is one review that suggests this, but there’s been a good amount of other research on this.
In total, 36 studies met the inclusion criteria. This included 19 in vitro studies, 15 animal studies and two human studies. All but two of the studies indicated that carnosine can prevent the formation of AGEs. The findings of this review indicating that carnosine has anti-glycating properties, and may hinder the formation of protein carbonyls and the cross-links induced by reduced sugars; however, there were few human studies.
From other reports I’ve seen, taking beta-alanine rather than straight carnosine increases serum carnosine levels to a greater extent. If you’re interested I’ll try to find the paper in my poorly-organized electronic mess.
My guess is the AGE is driven by average glucose levels. Even the ketoamine HbA1c has reversible elements if slowly, the aldimine is reversible (if tested for which is sadly a bit random and unpredictable).
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Low current serum glucose levels are a positive for fewer AGEs being formed currently. But I was a sweet-eater for much of my life and perhaps higher carnosine could help “clear this out”? — I’m all for health “self-improvement” projects.
Besides: I already bought the 1kg bag of beta-alanine, so unless there is a downside….
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Downside to beta alanine for me was an incredibly itchy rash.
It also blocks Taurine absorption, so wait about 4 hours after taking it before taking Taurine.
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Good to know: I am allergic to “ incredibly itchy rashes”.
Regarding timing, if I remember correctly, beta-alanine and taurine also competes with glycine but not creatine. So I’d be taking 6g glycine in the morning, 5g creatine and Xg beta-alanine midday before a workout, and 5-10g taurine before bed?
I’m obviously making a bet that taking amino acids as signaling molecules is safer than pharmacological compounds. I hope I’m right.
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Bicep
#20
You could take 100 mg IR Niacin 3 times a day with very little discomfort and the upside would be big IMO. Lower LDL, particularly small dense, and increased NAD.
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