So, you kept up with 40 mg atorvastatin throughout this test? And you exercised 5x/week, kept your carbs at 30 grams per meal while only eating one meal per day yet also keeping saturated fat to a minimum. Did I get all that right? - Yes that is correct and when you look at my weekly home testing you will see some variations as I tested different foods, polyphenols, Chromium Picolinate (See other thread) and increase in Vitamin C/E as well as different levels of hydration. Each one of these takes some explanation but my post was long enough as is for starters.
I am wondering why you didn’t get an NMR lipid panel that shows particle counts and measures the actual number of LDL particles instead of using an equation to calculate them. - I did not go the NMR route because NMR/MRA, GGE, VAP tests are all based on relative concentrations which are good but I don’t totally trust. My results were done by Quest using ION Mobility test which are the actual numbers without any calculations using absolute concentration which should be more reliable. We can explore this further but here is a quick basic read:
http://education.questdiagnostics.com/faq/FAQ134
the small dense pattern B is concerning - Yes, that is the most concerning LDL indice along with LDL Peak size but I think in time that can be managed into tolerance over time. I just had to throw everything I could at my LDL-C to keep my doctor from increasing my statin from 40-80mg and since I easily beat her 70 mg/dL requirement, I have advised her that I soon plan to cut my dose from 40mg-20mg and then re-test in a few weeks.
I’m curious to hear what your doctor concludes from this, if you don’t mind sharing. - I sent all my results including home test and Quest to her this morning and should hear back early next week and of course, I am always willing to share anything that might help this community that has helped me so much in our united goal to help each other improve where able. I also always post my profile stats because that gives an individual a better idea if what I try may be applicable to him/her.
I would just get the hsCRP tested again as that looks like a total outlier considering you detected no inflammation symptoms. - This one freaks me out so probably will re-test within 1 week - 10 days.
I remain skeptical of using statins to depress LDL under some arbitrary level - I totally agree and believe there are no studies that show a decrease in LDL-C actually has more than a very minimal possible impact on LDL-P. That is the next test I proposed to my doctor to cut my statin from 40mg-20mg and look at the resulting changes in LDL-P. My guess is that LDL-P will not noticeably be affected and the statin industry knows this so kept that information to themselves in order to keep pushing the LDL-C relative risk looking good for their product sales. Their all cause mortality results don’t support taking statins for most patients which is why we don’t see much of any trials after the September 2004 legal changes in how trials are done and supported.
I also agree that for some patients pleiotropic effects kick in which is why you can’t just say don’t take statins.
My long term goal, as in the next 6-8 months continues to be to totally eliminate my statin while at the same time reducing cardio vascular risk. The problem is mostly that statins are promoted as one size fits all and even more than YDMV, cholesterol has even more variables. What I have also learned in this process is how closely Blood Glucose relates to Cholesterol and the importance, I believe, of standard deviation as it appears that the nasty small dense particles reek havoc every time BG rises rapidly which is what I am testing with flatlining after meal(s) see:
CHROMIUM PICOLINATE FLAT LINES AFTER MEAL SPIKE