POZ Community Forums
Main Forums => Living With HIV => Topic started by: buginme2 on November 05, 2013, 05:05:23 pm
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Ive worked like hell to lower my cholesterol this past year. At my last visit I was given a warning that if they didnt come down by my next blood draw (yesterday) then a discussion of starting cholesterol meds would be in order. The thought of having to take a pill every day for the rest of my life just isnt something I want to do (yes thats sarcasm).
So through the miracle of clean living I have managed to lower my total cholesterol by 43 points!! Woot Woot. I am safely and securely in the <200 range that I am sure I have staved off statins for at least another year.
So that brings me to my question.
My lab results online show several different categories;
Total Cholesterol Fasting:
HDL/Chol Ratio:
HDL Fasting:
LDL Fasting:
And...Non-HDL Fasting Calc: <<<I dont know what this represents and I have done several google searches. Ive found some articles saying its a new calculation and beneficial in detecting heart disease but I cant find out what it is or what the normal ranges for it are. Anyone have any idea what it is what what the normal range is?
Cheers
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Aren't you on Atripla? Why don't you try another regimen to see if that is the cause?
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I dropped Atripla back in April ( around then). Switched to Complera.
There definitely is a med or hiv component to this (I think). While my cholesterol has come down my glucose is still a little high and there really is no reason for it. I need to get some answers about that. I'm 5'10 and 160, workout every day and eat friggen bird seed there's absolutely no reason for it to be above normal. The cholesterol came down a bit but it hasn't :(
What's as good med to reduce cholesterol and blood sugar levels?
I don't want to survive hiv only for it to give me diabetes and heart disease at 40.
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Fret not! Miss P is svelte, walks everywhere and eats healthy foods yet she had to go on blood pressure medication at the ripe age of 40.
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I dropped Atripla back in April ( around then). Switched to Complera.
There definitely is a med or hiv component to this (I think). While my cholesterol has come down my glucose is still a little high and there really is no reason for it. I need to get some answers about that. I'm 5'10 and 160, workout every day and eat friggen bird seed there's absolutely no reason for it to be above normal. The cholesterol came down a bit but it hasn't :(
What's as good med to reduce cholesterol and blood sugar levels?
I don't want to survive hiv only for it to give me diabetes and heart disease at 40.
Lower blood sugar? Insulin is what is used to lower your blood sugar. As you becoming Diabetic ?
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Does this help?....found online.
What do my test results mean?
Although no clear standards exist for non-HDL levels, most medical experts believe that lowering LDL and non-HDL cholesterol at the same time will cut your heart disease risk.
According to federal cholesterol program guidelines, your non-HDL cholesterol level goal should be 30 mg/dL higher than your LDL cholesterol level goal. For example, if you are aiming for an LDL cholesterol of 100 mg/dL, then your goal for non-HDL should be 130 mg/dL.
If you have diabetes, smoke, have a family history of heart disease, or have other risk factors, your cholesterol levels may need to be much lower. Talk with your doctor about where your cholesterol levels should be.
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Does this help?....found online.
What do my test results mean?
Although no clear standards exist for non-HDL levels, most medical experts believe that lowering LDL and non-HDL cholesterol at the same time will cut your heart disease risk.
According to federal cholesterol program guidelines, your non-HDL cholesterol level goal should be 30 mg/dL higher than your LDL cholesterol level goal. For example, if you are aiming for an LDL cholesterol of 100 mg/dL, then your goal for non-HDL should be 130 mg/dL.
If you have diabetes, smoke, have a family history of heart disease, or have other risk factors, your cholesterol levels may need to be much lower. Talk with your doctor about where your cholesterol levels should be.
Thanks, yes that helps. I was wondering why I couldn't find a normal range, I guess it's because there isn't one. However, I haven't set a goal of what my LDL should be. I'm sure it needs to be lower than it is although I'm quite please to have gotten the total cholesterol in the normal range.
Lower blood sugar? Insulin is what is used to lower your blood sugar. As you becoming Diabetic ?
No, I'm not. However, HIV meds have an insidious ability to raise glucose and lipid levels putting you at a real risk of developing diabetes and heart disease in the absence of regular risk factors. You see, if I wasn't on HIV meds I'm sure my blood sugar levels would be normal (and probably my cholesterol too) since I don't have any other risk factors for it.
Yet here I am, probably in the best shape of my life, very fit and eat very well and still have to worry about it. Yet another one of the HIV gifts.
I've got a week before my doctor appointment and really would like to come up with a plan for when I see him. I've considered a non-standard HIV regimen that may reduce the lipid issue.
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So, I have always heard (and learned) that your HDL is a prime indicator of heart disease risk. A low HDL is a very big risk for heart disease REGARDLESS of total Chol or LDL levels. A "high" HDL is very protective, in fact, I believe I've read (though can't find the source) that heart disease rarely is seen with an HDL over ~60. Remember the HDL acts sort of like a cleaning agent -- helping remove crap from your arteries.
As for the non-HDL Chol calculation -- Total Chol - HDL = non-HDL chol. It is predominately LDL and VLDL (there are some other minor ones, I believe).
As for HIV meds -- many do increase these lipids, but some can improve them. When I started Atripla, my HDL increase by close to 20 and has maintained that level. The Reyataz/Norvir addition, ticked up my triglycerides, but not all that much. Of course, I've been on statins since the early 90's, because the men in my family rarely made it to 50 years of age due to CHD. My father was the first in 3 generations to do so -- he's now past 70.
So -- lipid levels are important -- but do not forget genetics -- family history is a huge sign of risk. People die of heart attacks with "normal" cholesterol levels too!
To me -- taking a statin is just important to living as taking my ARVs (I turn 50 in Feb).
Mike
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Hi Bugin, I had high cholesterol before I was HIV+, and my doctor put me on Lipitor for a little while. I got it down and got off those meds. I am concerned about Atripla as it has an impact on cholesterol. I know, though, for me, the main culprit was too many drive through combos.
It is great that you got it down! Diet and exercise are totally key, and like someone else said there is a definite genetic component, in addition to HIV meds that can impact it.
Anyway good luck. It is good that you are in great shape, and though you have to worry about these things as a result of HIV despite the healthy living your doing, I hope that it's just encouragement to keep doing what you're doing to stay in the great shape you're in (I know that is easy to say). I also dread the fact that HIV medication can increase risk for diabetes and heart disease (which run in my family to boot) and you are right, it is one more shitty thing about HIV.
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As everyone knows, I'm not on meds yet-- but heart risk is heart risk. My cholesterol is around 140. Ok, good. Got my triglycerides down to around 199. However, my HDL and LDL are almost always identical at 35-- sometimes a few points off, but often the same. 35 is great for LDL, but I am suppose to be trying to raise my HDL. I've read niacin and B vitamins help?? Oh, and something called xercise.
Congrats on the improvement and hope you figure out the glucose issue.
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Congrats on the improved cholesterol. I still have problems with cholesterol and triglycerides.
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I had 2 heart attacks before starting on medication for my horrid lipids. I'm currently on Pravastaton and tolerate it quite well. I tried Lipitor but had horrible reactions/side affects and refused to continue it.
I'm convinced my HIV meds contribute to it as my diet is excellent.
Wolfie
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So I'm sitting here in an Irish pub drinking a beer and having dinner at the bar and I get an email from medscape about an article titled dyslipidemia, athlerosclerosis.and cvd in.hiv positive patients. It's 9 pages long and a lot of it it's rather dry but they go into great detail on why HIV itself can increase heart disease and how each medication can as well.
If your interested in how your disease and the medication used to treat you can also end up killing you, take a read. Cheers
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/811580_1
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So I'm sitting here in an Irish pub drinking a beer and having dinner at the bar and I get an email from medscape about an article titled dyslipidemia, athlerosclerosis.and cvd in.hiv positive patients. It's 9 pages long and a lot of it it's rather dry but they go into great detail on why HIV itself can increase heart disease and how each medication can as well.
If your interested in how your disease and the medication used to treat you can also end up killing you, take a read. Cheers
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/811580_1
Is there any way to read it without creating an account ?
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If your interested in how your disease and the medication used to treat you can also end up killing you, take a read.
I can not let this comment go without addressing it.
Stating it this way borders on fear-mongering . With so many afraid to start their meds and looking for excuses to put it off or, in some cases, stop entirely, I think it is irresponsible to say these meds can "kill you". THESE MEDS SAVE YOUR LIFE!!!!
Yes, they have side effects - yes, these side effects MAY cause severe consequences, even death at some point in the future, for some. Not taking them will result, almost universally, in death much, much sooner.
So, I get your point, but your choice of wording leaves much to be desired.
Mike
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So, I get your point, but your choice of wording leaves much to be desired.
Mike
Point Taken
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Is there any way to read it without creating an account ?
I would copy and paste it but it's 9 pages. The information is worth a read though.
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With the FDA moving to ban trans-fats, I will be interested to see studies 5, 10, 15 years out, whether they did see improvements linked to getting rid of them. I was reading how many researchers say they really are terrible for heart health, specifically talking about how they can lower HDL (protective cholesterol).
I saw many products are allowed to say No Trans-fats, if they contained less than a certain amount. But, that can add up. I realize these were really in junk foods that weren't good options anyway. But, I remember many switched to margarine, thinking it was healthier than butter. That's what I use to hear as a kid anyway.