Cholesterol & High Blood Pressure Pills Do all diabetics need them?

Congratulations on the fantabulous results! You must be jumping for joy!! :slight_smile:

As far as the meds, as always, it’s a yes and no answer. Your doctor has been following the studies, and is being cautious with you, which I think is a good thing! :slight_smile: However, the studies have not been done on people following a truly low-carb diet – there isn’t even a consensus out there as to what a low-carb diet IS. When studies are done on people with diabetes, the question is always WHICH people with diabetes?

So it is really unknown at this point, at least in terms of large studies, whether low-carb diets and good numbers such as you have, reduce the risk of complications or not. It IS known, however, that in people at high risk (and doctors consider all diabetics to be at high risk) that these drugs have been shown to reduce incidence of complications.

So you doctor is playing a betting game. The good part is that he’s trying to bet in your favor. :slight_smile: What you have to decide is where do YOU come down in this game? When it comes to statins and ACE inhibitors (and ARBs), most people tolerate them with absolutely no side effects at all, and they have been in use long enough that they are known to be pretty safe drugs. But on the other hand, a very few people DO have side effects, which, if caught early, can be eliminated by stopping the medication, but which can be dangerous if ignored. (This is true of ALL drugs).

So you have several factors to consider – it’s not all pro or all con – you could go either way. Simplified, side effects are unlikely, but you may not really need the drugs. C’mon, dear, place your bet – it’s Las Vegas time!