#1013

He said in one of his last episodes below 60 should suffice.

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#1015

I think I have said before that I have flip-flopped on statin use many times. It seems like there is always new information and sometimes old information that discourages the use of statins. Currently, I am not taking statins. The fact that rapamycin has raised my lipids, especially triglycerides, is still a concern for me. I am now using niacin to keep my lipids in check and I am soon going to have my bloodwork done and see where I am now.

These are from the same article. You can see how confusing it can be.
(bold type is mine)

"A pooled analysis of 8 randomized trials in primary prevention populations showed that statins did not reduce overall mortality, indicating that lipid-lowering therapy with statins should not be prescribed for true primary prevention in women of any age or in men older than 69 years"

"While previous analyses of data from randomized clinical trials provided evidence that statin therapy produces only a modest (12%) reduction in all-cause mortality21 or no reduction at all,7 the present and other observational studies22,23 indicate a 40% to 50% reduction in mortality after consistent statin therapy and an even more dramatic reduction among older24 and hospitalized25 patients"

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#1017

Exactlyā€¦ got constant nagging to go on statins because my LDL-C was above 130ā€¦ the high norm.

After my Coronary Calcium Scan and a zero scoreā€¦ along with recent articles on the benefits of higher LDL-C in patients 60 years plusā€¦ my physician saidā€¦ Huh? My bad. Youā€™re better than good.

Looking forward to out living the nay sayersā€¦ :blush:

2 Likes
#1018

This is the best I could find on comparing ApoB with Non-HDL-C

5 Likes
#1019

I would love to see some of these articles you mention. I googled but was unable to find. Please link, if possible. Thanks.

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#1020

Is there a one statement on cholesterol that is universal for everyone? I donā€™t think so. Like diets. There is no perfect diet - we have so many differences and phenotypes. Just look at diets of Inuits verses Europeans verses American Indians and desert dwellers or islandersā€¦ and on and onā€¦ totally different diets and all thrive.

So a few links - not a problem Googling terms like HIgh LDL-C good and such.

Just stating High LDL-C as we age might be beneficial. Rapamycin increasing LDL- C in those taking the drug - there are thoughts it can be protective in Matt Kaeberline and Peter Attiaā€™s conversations.

Now I expect some push-back, but one size does not fit all. There is hugeā€¦ big money to be made on statins and other pharmaceutical treatmentsā€¦ and to raise panic on above normal LDL-C is a goal.

I am not saying for some it isnā€™t bad - am sure it is, but more and moreā€¦ science is questioning the absolutes of high LDL-C being bad - particularly in older persons. Dig around and the benefits of statins are being questioned more and more. Also, some of this was posted in the topic by @rivasp12 in a reply on Aug 13,(Rapamycin and risk of cardiovascular disease - #787 by rivasp12)

So here you goā€¦Link between high cholesterol and heart disease ā€˜inconsistentā€™, new study finds
March 14, 2022
link: Link between high cholesterol and heart disease 'inconsistent', new study finds -- ScienceDaily

Lipoprotein Power ā€“ LDL and the Immune System link: Lipoprotein Power ā€“ LDL and the Immune System ā€“ Cholesterol Code

High cholesterol may protect against infections and atherosclerosis link: https://academic.oup.com/qjmed/article/96/12/927/1533176

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#1021

New recommendations from Harvard Health Letter:

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#1022

Thereā€™s now much debate about the value of HDL in the prevention of CAD. It would seem that the Function of the particles is more important than the absolute levels. This would explain the lack of efficacy in HDL raising interventions like niacin.

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#1023

WOW! Thanks for this Paul!
Kind of like what I indicatedā€¦ there is not an absolute on cholesterol numbers.

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#1024

Still another indicator of cerebrovascular disease: triglyceride glucose index
Triglyceride Glucose index (TyG}= Fasting triglyceride (mg/dl) Ɨ fasting glucose (mg/dl)]/2
You can calculate your own TyG index using the above formula.

Once again there is a negative factor associated with rapamycin. The fact that rapamycin raises triglycerides is still disturbing to me. My index is ~9, which is too high. The easiest way for me is to continue to lower my triglycerides. I will also be trying to lower my fasting glucose which I think is harder to do than lowering my triglycerides.

4 Likes
#1025

Youā€™re right, thereā€™s no absolute answer here. Itā€™s far from settled.

#1026

As an aside, Iā€™ve previously mentioned doing soleus pushups on a regular basis for the past 3-4 weeks .
Iā€™ve lost 5 lbs now and an inch off of my waist.
Iā€™ll get around at some point to seeing its impact on my lipids and glucose.

3 Likes
#1027

Since being on rapamycinā€¦ 2 plus years, my visceral fat is completely dissolved. I have gone from a 34 in. waist to a 31 in. waist. New pants and new belts.

Like my college size again. Shredded with abs and I donā€™t do ab exercises or pushups. Maybe I should?

3 Likes
#1028

Speaking of HDL function, early time restricted eating, corresponding to circadian rhythms, increases HDL cholesterol efflux functioning. No meds required. No side effects.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/oby.23564

2 Likes
#1029

This is interesting. It appears that Small HDL size is related to increased longevity. Greater longevity with more small Hdl particles:

Supporting this is this study showing an inverse relationship between Hdl particle size and total mortality:

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-65100-2

Unfortunately, time restricted eating Increases Hdl particle size. Itā€™s complicated.

2 Likes
#1030

Low HDL-C is a risk indicator whereas a higher than-normal HDL-C confers no additional benefits.

ā€œIn fact, the total triglycerides/HDL-C ratio has been considered a marker of insulin resistance [23,24] even in normal-weight adults [25], being a better indicator than HOMA-IR for metabolic syndrome [26]. The use of 1H-NMR to study the lipoprotein profile allows a wider view of lipid metabolism, including HDL particle number, size, and lipid content.ā€

1 Like
#1031
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#1032

Could you provide some detail about your soleus pushup routine? How long is each session? Do you use any weight? Do you do them fast or slowly?

I saw a video that made it sound like special equipment and monitoring were needed. Is that so, or are you managing in a simpler way?

#1033

more likely conclusion is that triglycerides are just a proxy marker too and that lowering them pharmacologically doesnā€™t fix the underlying issueā€¦

#1034

Triglycerides May be simply a marker of insulin resistance, but not causal.
Itā€™s interesting that the fibrate group had increased levels of LDL and ApoB but didnā€™t have an increase in cardiovascular mortality compared to placebo.

1 Like