Re: Ketogenic Diet - Path To Transformation?
Ariadna said:
Cholesterol: 394 mgr / dl (before 226 mgr / dl -24/01/14)
Triglycerides: 56 mgr / dl ("24mgr / dl")
HDL: 106 mgr / dl ("70mgr / dl")
LDL: 277 mgr / dl ('168 mgr / dl ")
Hello!
LDL is formed by anti-inflammatory components which are significantly bigger, and inflammatory components (derived from sugar/carbs) which are significantly smaller. Labs don't subdivide these LDL components. You can indirectly estimate it by seeing your HDL and Triglycerides. If the former is high and the later one is low, such as yours, your cholesterol must have a great deal of anti-inflammatory components. Large fluffy components can raise the LDL significantly, as they are after all, big.
In addition to that, when triglycerides are low, there is a tendency to overestimate LDL cholesterol. This is a technical error. From Stephen D. Phinney and Jeff S. Volek. The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living. Beyond Obesity LLC (May 19, 2011):
Less appreciated are the potential errors associated with low plasma triglycerides, a condition that is highly relevant when interpreting the LDL-C response to low carbohydrate diets since they often result in marked reductions in triglycerides.
For example, a published case report describes a man with plasma triglycerides of 55 mg/dL who had an estimated LDL-C of 172 mg/ dL using the traditional Freidewald equation. But when measured by two separate direct methods, his actual LDL-C proved to be 126 mg/dL.
In a formal study of 115 volunteers with plasma triglycerides less than 100 mg/dL, use of the Friedewald formula resulted in a statistically significant overestimation of LDL-C by an average of 12 mg/dL.
How does this play out if you are on a low carbohydrate diet? Let's assume that a low car-bohydrate diet causes a reduction of triglycerides from 200 to 75 mg/dL with no change in total and HDL cholesterol. As a result, the calculated LDL-C from the Friedewald equation would necessarily increase from 100 to 125 mg/dL. How much of this 25% increase is real and how much artifact? That can only be determined by a direct assessment of LDL-C, which most physicians do not bother to do.
Your iron deposits are low, so there is no extra iron oxidizing your cholesterol. I would be worried if cholesterol came back low or low-ish. Low cholesterol levels can be seen in women who end up with an auto-immune disease.
You can repeat cholesterol levels before your next appointment. Sometimes levels fluctuate by much.
If I were you and depending on the internist and my relationship with him/her, I would either get the statin prescription and then throw it on the waste basket. If I would have time and energy to deal with my internist's ego, I would bring studies and articles such as the report from the President of the Royal College of Physicians telling how a doctor making a case for these drugs can quite easily look ill-informed, biased or just plain stupid in the eyes of their patients (I'm quoting directly!!). Or I would simply not consent and would simply say in a polite way that I want to repeat the tests further down the road after some lifestyle changes.
For more info, see:
Vascular surgeons write a damning report about lowering cholesterol drugs
http://www.sott.net/article/266064-Vascular-surgeons-write-a-damning-report-about-lowering-cholesterol-drugs
Prominent doctors declare their opposition to the planned expansion of statin prescribing
http://www.sott.net/article/280687-Prominent-doctors-declare-their-opposition-to-the-planned-expansion-of-statin-prescribing
The more cholesterol the merrier! Evidence links higher cholesterol with lower risk of death
http://www.sott.net/article/283810-The-more-cholesterol-the-merrier-Evidence-links-higher-cholesterol-with-lower-risk-of-death
We have in Spanish SOTT a great deal of articles on cholesterol. You can use the search function to read some of them. However, I suggest this one if you want to study the LDL particle subdivision with more detail:
Mitos y verdades sobre el colesterol, y las enfermedades cardiovasculares
http://es.sott.net/article/22429-Mitos-y-verdades-sobre-el-colesterol-y-las-enfermedades-cardiovasculares
Hope this helps!
And I can see it only later and then I think "what did you do"... I think I should read and work on external consideration.