Ode to Aspirin (in iambic pentameter)
by Terry Keelan
To start each day I take one aspirin,
It keeps my heart in fiddle and so fine.
Depending on what kind of mood you’re in,
If you have none I’ll give you one of mine.
Oh, Aspirin, your contents keep me fit,
What is your magical ingredient?
You have a prophylactic benefit,
Or so I’m told, you have not harmed me yet.
But if I have a heart attack today,
And wake up in a strange and unknown place,
I hope that no one there will turn and say,
“You should have drunk more whiskey, just in case.”
For those that may be interested in a more detailed (medical geek-speak warning!) review of cholesterol and diabetes, check of these three sources.
First, a landmark and authoritative study on cholesterol and the benefits of lowering low density lippoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) study, published in 2002, called the Adult Treatment Panel (ATP) III:
This study placed anyone with existing coronary heart disease (CHD) or a “CHD equivalent” in the highest risk group. Diabetes is defined within this report as a CHD equivalent. The study concluded that the clinical goal for this group is LDL-C < 100 mg/dl.
In 2004 this report was updated with the results of several more cholesterol studies completed since the above ATP III came out.
This 2004 update confirms the original findings published in 2002 and adds more info.
Finally, for those who prefer less dense reading on the topic, here is a shorter summary. For the purposes of this article, diabetes places one in the “high risk” category.
I hope I’m remembering this incorrectly, but my Endo told me that my LDL is over 180? I know that it is over twice what it’s supposed to be. But, I’ve modified my diet since that test and am due for another cholesterol screening in a few weeks. Hoping for the best.
I am wicked against medications (I know, sucks being diabetic and anti-medication) and I’ve refused Lipitor by my Endo for the past 5 yeras. I’m 25 yeras old and am not ready to be on so many different prescriptions.
That, and I want to have children and am afraid of being on so many drugs that might possibly impair my ability to conceive and/ or birth those babies.
Sorry this doesnt directly help your question, but I’m against. There are so many side effects listed on these scrips and very little documentation that they actually help in the long run. I’m not much for “just in case” drugs.
[please dont badger me, guys. haha. I’m entitled to my opinion, yes?]
I know, I know, I know… sigh I just. don’t. wanna! And I don’t care if it makes me sound like a 5 year old.
Maybe I’ll grow up to be wise some day, but for now, I’m stubborn and hoping that it pays off in the long run.
Thanks Dave _ . It’s true. I’m terrified of the effects of mediactions. I will try anything natural before taking a drug. I told my Endo that I will consider going on something like Lipitor after I give birth some day. Until then, I’m gonna keep my body in its most natural state.
Good job for you though! Your LDL numbers look great! I’m hoping for similar results on my mid January LDL check up, through diet alone. I know it won’t come down nearly as low as you’ve gotten yours, but I’m going to get it as close as possible.
I’m taking 10mg Crestor daily. At one point I was having some unrelated issues and stopped taking them. There are drugs that you have to taper off slowly, but I think there’s no danger in suddenly discontinuing, or even taking a vacation from statins to see what difference they’re actually making. That’s what I wanted to know. I changed my diet and exercise and also started a statin simultaneously. My doctor advised me that I wouldn’t be able to get my LDL down with diet and exercise alone… he was wrong. I only found out by discontinuing the statin for a while to test the matter.
As I age there are medications that I’ve taken for years but cannot tolerate now. I took Lipitor for quite a few years and later as I aged I started having side effects. There is one other med that I took for years that I can no longer tolerate it’s Hydrochlorothiazide (sp?).
I took simvastatin for a year, but I dropped it a year ago after I decided to low carb. This past year has been very interesting for me. My starting cholesterol levels were very good, but the more I read about cholesterol and low carbing, the more doubts I had. I guess this past year has been a year of experimentation and education.
I think the important things to note are my HDL went up, my triglycerides stayed the same, and my LDL went up.
If you do the calcs you’ll find all my numbers except my LDLs are exempliary. I don’t think they could be better. And there’s no history of CHD on either side of my family. Nobody! But of course my endo wants me on a statin because both my LDL is too high (we met after teh 105 test) and he believes in the studies. I declined saying I wanted a year. I also argued that my LDL number was inflated due to LDL particle size, but he didn’t buy that. It will undoubtedly be a sticking point. Low carbers who pay attention to cholesterol numbers will all say my LDL is in fact over inflated. This is a calculated value; it’s not measured directly. The science seems to support this, but there is only one study that actually compares measured LDL to calculated when triglycerides are very low. It’s the Iranian study: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18426324 Low Tgs are a pretty conclusive sign of a low carber.
Bottom line is I’m happy with my numbers and my diet, and I have no plan to ever go back on a statin.
If you do eat lots of carbs and your LDLs are above teh diabetic limit or your Tgs are high, then yes, go on a statin.
Maybe I do have a side effect …which is painless ,but visible … so I did not put the 2 and 2 together : HAIR LOSS ??, rather than contributing it to the aging process and my Dad’s side of the family genes ?
If you do decide to take it, read the side effect warnings. If you develop leg pain, for instance, stop taking it right away. That is a really bad side effect.
I’ve forgotten the names of the 3 various drugs (and don’t wish to remember them - I pitched them) that works with cholesterol that I was given 3 years ago by a primary doctor (I only took the meds for up to 2 months each). One of the meds caused my blood sugar levels to go very high by morning when prior to taking the med my fasting blood sugar levels were in a perfect range. Another drug made me constantly forgetful - I got to where I couldn’t remember my Hubby’s cell phone number which he’s had for more than 5 years (I call on a daily basis) and other basic information I was starting to forget. I refused to take the drugs and the primary doc said something in the affect that she was getting money from the pharma company for pushing the drug on me (I believe it slipped out of her mouth as she was pregnant, about to pop/give birth, and sick of fighting with me about her wanting me to take the drug - it was constantly a fight between her and I)… After she opened her trap about getting money from pharma over the drug, I quit having her as a primary doc and got a new primary doctor who said I didn’t need the med, he also did blood work on me and found that I was fine. My new doc knows that I will not ever take those type of meds again. My new primary doc now puts in his files that I am “allergic” to those type of meds.
Let me add something to this conversation which was shared by a friend of mine. It is a lecture that argues the widespread prescription of statins hasn’t done much to address cardiovascular disease risk and explains why. It requires you have Windows Media Player installed in your browser to watch the presentation and slide show.
Could you explain why that cholesterol level have stayed at about the same level for the last 100yr. ;yet heart disease is still rising . Can you explain why before 1920 thre were almost no heart attack and almost always it was secondary results such as following scarlet fever. Yet every one ate high fat ,high cholesterol diet .In 1912 the average cocumtion of eggs was on the average of 4 a day and almost everyone used lard but no heart attacts ,why? Why is it that the countries with the highest level of cholestrol have the lowest number of heart attack? Sweden has on the average the highest cholesterol levels in the world. the Australian Aborignes have the lowest cholesterol in the world ;yet the Aborigines have more heart attacks in world . If you believe cholesterol case heart attacks , Why hasn’t the percentage of heart attacks gone done .How about the French Paradox? Maybe they’re putting statins in the wine?
The biggest reason for heart attacks among diabettic is AGEs .Statin have no effect on AGEs .THe best defense is low A1c numbers. The average number of heart attacks among diabetes is 67% . The average percentage of heart attack among diabetictaking statins is about the same. A large portion of this percentage is referring to type2 diabetics .While 67% all diabettic have heart attack ,this is not the whole story .If a diabetic is overweight the percentage goes up to80% and if it is obestity the rate can rise to 98% .Body weight is a much bigger factor.
The main cause of CVD is inflammation.,not cholesterol . When there is inflammation in arteries cholesterol is use as a patch at the site of inflammation. To blame cholesterol for a heart attack is like blaming a fireman for the fire when he shows up at the fire.
Higher doses can affect muscles (although this is only very a remote possibilty i.e. very high odds).
The alternative health community say you don’t need such drugs (but if it runs in the family, its hard to get cholesterol levels down by dietary changes alone).
But the medical evidence stacks up as follows:
You get a pretty good degree of reduction of bad cholesterol and a good reduction in the nasty triglycerides as well.
Another recent benefit is that it is now thought that the statins can stabilise plaques in diseased blood vessels (bit like cementing all the calcium deposits to the blood vessel walls). This way, the calcium deposits cant break off, and if they can’t break off when they get too big, they cant block the blood vessels …so you avoid a heart attack.
The medical community think that if you have diabetes you are at a similar risk of heart disease (and heart attacks) as ‘someone who has already had a heart attack’ and already has progressive heart disease (this is because your metabolism has changed remember, and one resulting effect is that your cholesterol and triglycerdide levels may also become higher as a result.
So the doctors want to see you on statins.
My advice is that if you go on statins, go back to your doctor immedaitely ! if there are any signs of muscle pain. He can then adjust dose, change drug etc.
