Hi all, I'm new on this forum. I've been browsing people's threads and realized how far away I've gotten from modern-day ideas about cholesterol. I usually hang out over at the paleolithic forum. People eat plenty of saturated fats there, and believe it's healthy.

I have a few loved ones who were told by doctors they had high cholesterol, and a few were prescribed medication. But my own research seems to show that high cholesterol = good health. Here are a handful of articles suggesting the same thing. What do you think?

A CBS news report about a village of people with excessively high cholesterol, but live long lives:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006...=Health_2274452

Cholesterol is vital for vitamin D production:
http://www.cholesterol-and-health.com/Vitamin-D.html

"Facts" about cholesterol from the author of the "Cholesterol Myth" himself:
http://www.ravnskov.nu/cholesterol.htm

An article on a reputable site about the "phony issue" of cholesterol.
http://www.westonaprice.org/knowyou...fats_phony.html

If you don't take these articles seriously, neither do my loved ones. Whoever equated cholesterol to bad health really succeeded in their campaign. Unfortunately, I feel strongly that fats and cholesterol are healthy. We ate them for millenia prior to "modern science".

Well, I didn't buy it. And I've gone toe to toe with my doctor refusing to take them!
My numbers
Date.....TC......LDL......HDL......TG......TC/HDL <4......LDL/HDL <3......TG/HDL <2
6/29/06.212.....139.......60......65.........3.53.............2.32........... .......1.08
9/14/06.235.....150.......75......51.........3.13.............2.00........... .......0.68
10/30/06.230....150.......67.....64.........3.43..............2.24............ ......0.96

The jump from 139 to 150 was when he put me on a diuretic and iron pills. I've since quit taking both. I'll get tested again in a few months. I do wish my weight would go down.

Teresa, your numbers look excellent to me, assuming you think they are important. HDL is high, tri's are low, and your ratios are awesome. It honestly seems like a lot of docs just look at the total, without even bothering to look at the individual numbers.

And on one of the tests, either the 2nd or third, my FBG was 100 and he didn't say a word about it! According to the web, 100 is pre-diabetic. It's also a sign of insulin resistance. No surprise there. But, yet, not a word. Just wanting to write me a script for "something". Um, NO

Amazing . I had a fbg of 102 back in mid-2004, and mildly elevated cholesterol readings; the doc I was seeing at that time said my blood sugars were okay, but let's get you on a statin for that cholesterol. Well, my fbg was in the 300s last December. I wish I would have known about low-carb at the time, and focused on the truly dangerous part of my blood work, the pre-diabetes; I likely could have avoided becoming diabetic.

My FBG is really the only reason I'm "submitting" to another test. I've been on low carb for several years. I'm not sure what I ate the day before the test though. I have wine if the restaurant is one that serves it, and I'm not sure if that could have done anything. Regardless, I want to keep an eye on it. I would think it should hold or improve as my weight goes down. *cross fingers* I would ask him just to do the FBG, and maybe I will. I think he's going to want to "keep an eye" on my cholesterol. He wanted me to come in EVERY month. I told him no, he was going to drive my health insurance up. And since I have NO intention of taking a statin, it was pointless. I hadn't noticed my FBG yet though..

You should fast for 12 hours before the test and you better get H1C done (not fasting) test. FBG and H1C will give you good idea where you stand in terms of diabetes and IR. If you are good with your dr, ask him for fasting insulin in addition to FBG and H1C. This is the ultimate testing for IR and diabetes.
HTH

Daryl,
My FBG jumped from 108 to 157 in 2 years, and I wish I new back then what was my FBG, the stupid nurse just told me over the phone that my lc results are good (back in 2002 then it was <110) and I did not bother to ask for a copy of blood work. 2 years forward (2004) my FBG=157. I wanted to kick myself and the nurse, but legally, she was right, she did not see any "flags" on the paper.

Hi Dina. This just shows that those in the medical profession are not gods, they are prone to mistakes, and lack of knowledge like anyone else, but I hate that we are the ones that pay for it .

One thing I have to say, I saw my doc yesterday, and he did NOT insist on a statin (yet ); he said, "let's see how much your diet can help first". Blew my mind!

I did fast, they said I could have coffee, but I didn't on the last test. The first one, I didn't even know I was supposed to be fasting and I had had coffee with splenda and heavy whipping cream, but no food.

I have no problem with asking for it, but getting it might be another story. According to either Atkins or Eades (sorry, I can't remember right now) the insulin needs to be handled carefully and quite frankly, I'm not sure they will. I'm considering seeing an endocrinologist as I also have a low body temp and other hypothyroid symptoms. My blood test for that came back negative and he didn't look at my neck or anything.. And said my ratios weren't good..

WOW. He's a keeper! Really. Mine doesn't even believe what I tell him I eat. His recommendation? Eat less...

-----delete

Yeah, maybe lol. He doesn't know 100% what I eat, so if I told him about the steak, eggs, bacon, cheese, etc, he might faint.

Where did anyone get the info that a FBG of 100 is pre-diabetic? That is very close to a normal reading.

Q: How does the FPG test define diabetes and pre-diabetes?


A: Normal fasting blood glucose is below 100 mg/dl. A person with pre-diabetes has a fasting blood glucose level between 100 and 125 mg/dl. If the blood glucose level rises to 126 mg/dl or above, a person has diabetes.

http://www.diabetes.org/pre-diabetes/faq.jsp