Help to understand blood test results...

[Jefferson]

This is good information - thanks to all of you responding.

Thank you Aragorn for writing the exact same questions that were running around my head.

Just to clarify, it was my grandfather (mother's father) who died at 61 in 1970 of a heart attack. My mother is doing fine, cholesterol is normal, just some high blood pressure. (My father had an angioplasty at age 53, he didn't sleep much, worked all the time, literally never exercised, and was stressed out)

Remember my resting pulse is 52 with good blood pressure readings.

Supplements
Morning:
- warm salt water
- L-Arginine
- sometimes NAC
- sometimes milk thistle
- Zinc high dose 50mg
- Vitamin D high dose usually every 2nd or 3rd day
- Vitamin B complex every few days
- Niacinamide a few times per week
- Selenium and Copper once in awhile
- fish oil, usually tablets, but for past few weeks the Norwegian Zinzino fish oil, one tablespoon in the morning
- Glutathione: was taking it fairly regularly, but now it is 1-2 pills per week

Evening:
- magnesium power mixed in crystal water
- used to take potassium with this, but ran out a few months ago and haven't restocked
- just started 2 x 1.9mg tablets of Melatonin yesterday.

During day:
- a few drops of iodine (lugols), which I stopped for awhile between October and January, now I take it every few days


Food Source
- I can only source grass fed organic beef where I live (can't get butter from these suppliers as all of the 'dairy' goes to feed the calves
- no access to grass fed pork, lard, or butter
- the Omega 6 to 3 test did show 8,6:1 and this could be because of my staples are from grain-fed animals

Sleep
- varies: over past few years I usually have an average 3 times per week a broken sleep (4 maybe 5 hours straight, then awake for 1-3 hours, then a second sleep)
- problem arises when I have to get up early for work, or to get the kids up for school, I can't get the second sleep, or it is interrupted by my alarm
- the other days I sleep through the night, maximum 7 hours
- I have energy throughout the day with good focus and not needing a nap even on a small amount of sleep (eg. 5 hours)
- during week, when it is possible, but especially during the weekend, I will sometimes 'force' myself to have a short nap, as I know sleep is good for rejuvenation, but I do not seem to need these naps. I do this 'make myself nap' a few times per month.

Challenging the Doctor on Cholesterol
Thank you for the reminder Joe, so I don't go down that path. I gently "planted the seed" as the doctor seemed genuinely interested in the new research. I left it at giving a few links, and being firm by gentle in my decision to deal with the cholesterol using natural means and not taking the statins, as well as emphasizing to doctor that I need to know what is causing any possible inflammation. I want to keep the doctor on my side which may help me getting the deeper tests mentioned in this post.

Niacin and Berberine
I've started the Berberine and the Niacin will start today.

Timing and Biggest Meal at Breakfast
I'm not sure how biggest meal could be at breakfast (asparagus, sweet potato, other healthy veggies for carbs), unless it is just some protein like beef or pork with some fat, and 2-3 egg yolks, saving the healthy carbs for lunch and supper). But I can experiment here.

Limicol
Thanks Adaryn, and I ordered a few months supply as I will try this out.

Polymorphism Possibility
I'll get that 23andme test done and we will see if I can glean more info about my genetic 'mutation' / composition. It looks like the indirect method of determining this will have to be used, however.

Action Going Forward:
- list all of the tests worthwhile for me from the easiest accessible (thyroid - ferritin - IgG food intolerance test - PPAR-alpha, PPAR-gamma and FTO genes) to the least accessible (homocysteine, organic acids, DUTCH). Will be challenging to present these to my doctor to see what is available in my country, and which ones are covered by my employer, but I can just buy these myself when needed.
- I will look into the OURA ring and what similar options are available in my country
- I have 2 unopened bottles of DMSA: I did the EDTA chelation in Spring 2013, so I could do some chelation protocol(s) over the next few months to detox metals
- buy near infrared light bulb
- try for the first time the infrared blanket/sauna
- eat more wild non-farmed fish, and do not consume extra fat, determine what saturated fats I can take in, along with monounsaturated olive oil. I will completely eliminate the MCT / Coconut oil
- zero tolerance with dairy
- zero tolerance with vegetable oils (i.e. no store-bought mayonnaise, no dressings if eating out, no foods cooked in vegetable oils at work or anywhere else)
- zero tolerance with alcohol
- potentially increase frequency of physical exercise
- schedule the natural healer to look at physicality issues in my neck, and also emotional


What I see here is more disciplined rigor being required - not easy for me, but an excellent exercise for my own development. It looks like I have not been careful enough. I have had such great energy throughout the days for the past 7 years, no other symptoms (i.e. plumbing excellent so I thought I had fats at right level as when I each to much fat, diarrhea/obvious looseness would result). I've been years without cravings, and only having 2 meals a day without feeling that harsh hunger (seldom feeling 'hungry' so to speak).

I am not sure how to deal with the feeling of getting hungry again (or what to do if my energy drops) when reducing my fat intake and my body gets used to metabolizing more glucose. It will be a challenge to find the right balance between glucose-fatty acids - protein. It may be easier since I left ketosis quite some time ago and moved to a more paleo diet (looks like it was 'paleo' with a bit too much fat, so maybe a dangerous combination of relatively high carbs/glucose and fatty acids mucking about in my body).

Therefore, an underlying inflammation could exist that I haven't been paying attention to: if there is oxidation going on, and I have that extra cholesterol, we're talking Atherosclerosis at some point, if I'm understanding things correctly.

I gotta go after this potential inflammation ruthlessly, and adjust my eating accordingly.

Question: those ratios I mentioned above from http://www.hughcalc.org/chol-si.php , do they have any positive meaning in my case?

Thanks to you all for your input!

 

[Adaryn]

Limicol
Thanks Adaryn, and I ordered a few months supply as I will try this out.

Well, here's some good news: it DOES work! The person I mentioned in my previous post has been taking Limicol for 3 months and her recent blood test shows a significant reduction in total cholesterol – from 5.25 g/l, which is REALLY high, to 3.45 g/l – and LDL –from 4.3 to 2.23 g/l. So Limicol seems like a great alternative to evil statins.

 

[Keyhole]

Well, here's some good news: it DOES work! The person I mentioned in my previous post has been taking Limicol for 3 months and her recent blood test shows a significant reduction in total cholesterol – from 5.25 g/l, which is REALLY high, to 3.45 g/l – and LDL –from 4.3 to 2.23 g/l. So Limicol seems like a great alternative to evil statins.

Great news, Adaryn.

I just wanted to point out that "Limicol" does contain red-yeast rice extract, which is essentially the same component as statins. The mechanism is the same - the inhibition of HMG CoA Reductase to artificially lower cholesterol levels. It does not address the underlying reason why cholesterol was high in the first place. Perhaps high cholesterol is protective in specific contexts, or a symptom of something deeper going on. Either way, I would use caution when using anything which inhibits HMG-CoA Reductase.

If the person you are talking about aims to keep taking this, then it might be a good idea to supplement with around 300mg of CoQ10, and perhaps some K2 aswell, since that enzyme is involved in the synthesis of both of these products in addition to cholesterol.

 

[Adaryn]

Well, here's some good news: it DOES work! The person I mentioned in my previous post has been taking Limicol for 3 months and her recent blood test shows a significant reduction in total cholesterol – from 5.25 g/l, which is REALLY high, to 3.45 g/l – and LDL –from 4.3 to 2.23 g/l. So Limicol seems like a great alternative to evil statins.

Great news, Adaryn.

I just wanted to point out that "Limicol" does contain red-yeast rice extract, which is essentially the same component as statins. The mechanism is the same - the inhibition of HMG CoA Reductase to artificially lower cholesterol levels. It does not address the underlying reason why cholesterol was high in the first place. Perhaps high cholesterol is protective in specific contexts, or a symptom of something deeper going on. Either way, I would use caution when using anything which inhibits HMG-CoA Reductase.

Thanks for pointing that out Keyhole. Here's what the website selling the products says:

"Red-yeast rice extract contains monacolin K, an active substance which can, when taken in high doses, cause muscular pain and liver or kidney issues. Thanks to the association and the synergetic action of the ingredients used in Limicol, our lab is able to offer a product containing low doses of monacolin K. The 3 clinical studies that were conducted have confirmed the absence of side effects and the high tolerance of this anti-cholesterol complex." So it seems this product is way less harmful than regular statins.

It does not address the underlying reason why cholesterol was high in the first place. Perhaps high cholesterol is protective in specific contexts, or a symptom of something deeper going on.

This high cholesterol seems to have been caused by the (sudden) onset of type 1 diabetes (before that, cholesterol levels were normal).

If the person you are talking about aims to keep taking this, then it might be a good idea to supplement with around 300mg of CoQ10, and perhaps some K2 aswell, since that enzyme is involved in the synthesis of both of these products in addition to cholesterol.

Thanks, I'll let her know!

 

[Jefferson]

I was able to get some other blood tests done at a private lab (taken April 23, 2018). I've compared the results from 2 months ago:

Homocysteine is high: 16.3 (μmol/l) with recommended range being 5-15 μmol/l


Iron 10.2 (μmol/l) - Recommended Range 9.0-34.0 - I asked for TIBC so this should be it, but ranges seem off.
Transferrin 2.52 (g/l) - Recommended Range 2-3.6
Ferritin 100.4 (μg/l) - Recommended Range 28.0-370.0


Cholesterol is down (doing niacin and berberine, and also am trying that Limicol (with K2 and Q10) for a short while):
Total cholesterol: 7.1 (mmol/l) - down from 8.4
HDL: 1.6 (mmol/l) - down from 1.7
LDL: 5.1 (mmol/l) - down from 6.1

Triglycerides: 0.80 (mmol/l) - down from 1.34

alanine aminotransferase (liver): 13 - down from 17

Thyroid:
TSH (thyrotropic/thyroid stimulating hormone): 0.43 (mIU/l) - Recommended Range 0.40-4.00
Thyroxine, free T4: 18.34 (pmol/l) - Recommended Range 10-21

Any thoughts?

So I will work on getting Homocysteine down: a better job of reducing stress and improving sleep needs to be done. I have been taking quite a bit of caffeine in the form of coffee over the past 4-5 months so that can be reduced. I haven't tested my B levels, but I would guess B12/B6 should be fine, and I could bring in more leafy veggies into my diet for the folate side of things (unless there is a genetic issue with the folates).

I ordered the 23andme test a bit late and still waiting on it.

I'll be lining up other tests. I have to admit, I'm a bit concerned, although confident I'll be figure something out with your help despite the seemingly overwhelming complexity of these matters

 

[Gaby]

I have to admit, I'm a bit concerned, although confident I'll be figure something out with your help despite the seemingly overwhelming complexity of these matters

Sometimes these tests provide the shock that is necessary to take better care and understand yourself better. You're making progress!

 

[Keyhole]

Interesting that you posted about homocysteine, because I was thinking about this issue this morning. Within functional medicine, one of the main strategies for targeting homocysteine is to support its conversion into methionine and/or cysteine via supplements relating to the methylation and transulfuration pathways.

A lot of what you will read about homocysteine (within alternative health circles) is that it is likely elevated as a result of poor methylation. So standard protocol features methyl B12, methylfolate, B6, and perhaps some SAMe or something else to get the methylation cycle spinning faster.

There is a big problem with this, I think. It is targeting a marker (homocysteine), making the assumption that homocysteine is always elevated because of some defect or mistake, and then attempting to artificially fix it.

A lot of research suggests that interventions designed to lower homocysteine have little/no benefit on CVD risk, and in some cases actually may increase risk.

Examples:

Mortality and cardiovascular events in patients treated with homocysteine-lowering B vitamins after coronary angiography: a randomized controlled trial.

CONCLUSIONS: This trial did not find an effect of treatment with folic acid/vitamin B(12) or vitamin B(6) on total mortality or cardiovascular events. Our findings do not support the use of B vitamins as secondary prevention in patients with coronary artery disease.

Lowering homocysteine in patients with ischemic stroke to prevent recurrent stroke, myocardial infarction, and death: the Vitamin Intervention for Stroke Prevention (VISP) randomized controlled trial.
CONCLUSIONS: In this trial, moderate reduction of total homocysteine after nondisabling cerebral infarction had no effect on vascular outcomes during the 2 years of follow-up. However, the consistent findings of an association of total homocysteine with vascular risk suggests that further exploration of the hypothesis is warranted and longer trials in different populations with elevated total homocysteine may be necessary.

Homocysteine lowering with folic acid and B vitamins in vascular disease.

And then there is this:

Homocysteine lowering and cardiovascular events after acute myocardial infarction.
In the group given folic acid, vitamin B12, and vitamin B6, there was a trend toward an increased risk (relative risk, 1.22; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.00 to 1.50; P=0.05).

Not sure if you caught the Health and Wellness show interview with Dr Stephanie Seneff. Her work on sulfate helps us make sense of homocysteine's potentially protective role in cardiovascular health. Sure, sometimes high homocysteine can be caused by poor methylation, but it may also be a protective response to something entirely different. Seneff highlights how easily homocysteine can be oxidised back into a source of sulfur for the vascular system when sulfate supply is low. She sees high homocysteine as synonymous with cholesterol sulfate deficiency, and has written a couple of papers about it. The more I think about homocysteine, the more I agree with her standpoint.

In terms of practical advice, I would work to optimise sunlight exposure (getting a LOT if you don't already/ as long as it is appropriate), epsom salts baths, sulfur rich foods, and possibly an MSM/NAC supplemental regimen.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

Hello everyone!

I've done some blood test and as you can see on the picture below (marked with red) the total cholesterol is high (8.36 => 2.24-6.8) and triglycerides are almost normal (1.88 => 0.68-1.80).



The second picture shows the test for the TSH (2.53 => 0.270-4.20).



Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Gaby]

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

It will help if there's the LDL and HDL too, but from the look of it, you might be dealing with a genetic predisposition to have high cholesterol. You can consider niacin, red yeast rice, metformin or also see what the doc suggests. Making sure ferritin levels stay on range would also help, you don't want your cholesterol to become oxidized with excess iron. Also, see that your diet doesn't inflame your body. I wouldn't be adding extra fat in your diet. A test after the summer would be helpful too, hopefully with the LDL and HDL too.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

It will help if there's the LDL and HDL too, but from the look of it, you might be dealing with a genetic predisposition to have high cholesterol. You can consider niacin, red yeast rice, metformin or also see what the doc suggests. Making sure ferritin levels stay on range would also help, you don't want your cholesterol to become oxidized with excess iron. Also, see that your diet doesn't inflame your body. I wouldn't be adding extra fat in your diet. A test after the summer would be helpful too, hopefully with the LDL and HDL too.

Thanks Gaby for your advice, I'll do a test after the summer.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

It will help if there's the LDL and HDL too, but from the look of it, you might be dealing with a genetic predisposition to have high cholesterol. You can consider niacin, red yeast rice, metformin or also see what the doc suggests. Making sure ferritin levels stay on range would also help, you don't want your cholesterol to become oxidized with excess iron. Also, see that your diet doesn't inflame your body. I wouldn't be adding extra fat in your diet. A test after the summer would be helpful too, hopefully with the LDL and HDL too.

Hi Gaby,

I bought niacin 500mg (100 capsules), and I know it's too much to start with consuming one capsule, so I would like to ask you:

1. What would be the minimum dosage to start with...

2. Should I take it together with iodine...

Thank you!

 

[Gaby]

I bought niacin 500mg (100 capsules), and I know it's too much to start with consuming one capsule, so I would like to ask you:

1. What would be the minimum dosage to start with...

2. Should I take it together with iodine...

Some people get a niacin flush with 100mg, so you might want to consider getting a lower dose to start with. And as we reviewed in the iodine thread, usually iodine is taking together with niacin.

Still, you can begin with one and add the other one later to see how it goes.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

Some people get a niacin flush with 100mg, so you might want to consider getting a lower dose to start with. And as we reviewed in the iodine thread, usually iodine is taking together with niacin.

Still, you can begin with one and add the other one later to see how it goes.

Thank you for your feedback!

I'll start with 60mg (approximately) from one capsule during my breakfast, and I would see the reaction.

 

[onemen]

Hi everyone

Here is the result of my blood test,

Total Cholesterol : 7,54 mmol/L - 2,91g/L
Triglycerides : 0,97 mmol/L - 0,86g/L
HDL : 1,39 mmol/L - 0,54g/L
LDL: 5,71 mmol/L - 2,20g/L

For years I've been quite anxious about doing a blood tests and avoided doing it. Reasons being: mixes of avoiding being shocked about what might possibly come up since diet was never realy close to being decent per the forum standard, alternating between keto-carnivorish with moderate carbs and really crude fast food (burgers, french tacos, chineses food, ...) , my father is a biological doctor quite following conventional medecine, so I wanted to avoid him knowing about my results and prompting impossibly tiresome no win confrontations on the subject of my fatty diet and final reason why I haven't done until now it is telling myself "It's fine I'm still young, nothing bad could possibly happen to me at that age, right?".

I understand my father worrieness on this, he had an heart surgery aortic replacement in his late 30s for an aneurysm. He had me checked for it Aneurysm 2 years ago because he said he started having issues around my age, the result turn out normal, nothing suspicious. Also my father's sister died during a heart surgery, though the cause was that she didn't wake up after the operation.

Well, when my results came, my father had exactly the reaction why I dreaded to do it : "Your cholesterol level is very bad, you need to see your médecin traitant for a solid "prise en charge" because having an atherosclerosis at 33yo is very concerning."

Having been really anxious about it for a day, I found this thread and now I wonder if it"s really that concerning though as I see Jefferson results above and forumites responses... As I understand it, Total cholesterol doesn't tell the whole story, but the LDL level might be dangerous when couple with oxydation from due iron. So checking my Iron levels would be next test to do.

I checked atherosclerosis symptoms on google and the one thing that might match is vertigo? or some sort of dizziness getting up in my head sometimes when i head up really high after head down for some time.

Mum is really anxious about this since my Dad told her my result. I made her take pomergate to help with her high blood pressure and relatively high dose vit C since covid, also she stopped eating dairies and usinfg omega 6 oil and persuaded her to eat real butter instead of vegetable "butter", while my Dad also implemented some of thoses changes but he is still eating whole grains bread, still advocate for limiting saturated fat and meat and persuaded my mum to get the covid jabs. SO she urged me to get to the bottom of this with my expert internet friends or she'll begin reconsidering advisew i've been giving to her about fats and vegetable oils.

Anyway, here's a breakdown of my typical diet, supplements and lifestyle things I've been doing :

Typical "healthy" diet every day :
- Supermarket Meats mostly pork (bad, i know, I've read here that pork fat might have lots of bad inflammatories pufas))
- White Rice
- Chunk of Non organic pastured butter

Lifestyle:
* I only eat 1 time every day in the evening, so I'm effectively on a 24h fast everyday, since 2 years.
* I haven't ate fast food since a bit before last Christmas, though it's always been a struggle of mine. The longest I've been strictly off of it was like 2 months. I suspect my result might reflect my indulgence on it in the last 4 months, so I must stay on healthy diet for 3 months and do a test.
* I try to do Cold shower every day though it's kinda quick in this cold season, less than 2min.

Supplements:
Unrefined Salted - vit C - Glycine mixture every day
Vit D 10KUI/day
Ascorbic Acid
NAC
Selenium
Benfothiamine
Magnesium
I also have Niacinamide in hand, though I only take it when I take occasionnal 50-100 mg Iodine on weekend when I know I'll stay at home and won't be bothered by any detoxing headache.

I'll be grateful for your feedbacks on this.

 

[Gaby]

I'll be grateful for your feedbacks on this.

Check for ferritin, TIBC, transferrin saturation and transferrin. Add CRP and VSG as inflammatory markers and it will give you a better overall picture.