| RedRox
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I have posted this link before in other threads, but it seemed like a natural for this new sub-forum. While it is not specifically an SBD related article, much of the SBD way-of-eating is very compatible with many of the recommendations for improving your serum cholesterol measurements. Not really surprising given the original purpose of the program was for cardiac patients. So for those who have chosen this plan at least as much for its overall health benefits as the weight loss (although the two are strongly correlated), this is a good summary article of the current thinking of how your diet affects your cholesterol. I'd strongly encourage every one who has read this far to click on the link and read the entire article or at least print it out to read later. There is A LOT of good, unbiased, information in it and well worth your time to read it in its entirety!!
http://www.penpages.psu.edu/penpages_reference/12101/12101658.HTML |
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Fri Aug 13, 2004 4:42 am |
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| Cetaganda
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Thanks for sharing this article. I thought it was very interesting and that it supports the value of the guidelines of the South Beach Diet in reducing serum cholesterol.
Now I have to learn a *lot* about blood lipids and how statins work and whether or not any studies that purportedly show that lowering serum cholesterol actually significantly reduces one's risk of having a heart attack or stroke or increases one's likelihood of living longer (and in good health). And I believe that the risk of adverse side effects from statins may be underemphasized by doctors.
I'm very skeptical of any positive study that is funded by a pharmaceutical company as they have a conflict of interest and a strong $$ incentives to find evidence in their favor. With the latest recommendations for LDL to be at 100 or below for someone who has not had a heart attack and 70 or below for someone who has, almost everybody in the world who can afford to pay for the statins (expensive meds) or have their insurance company or government pay for it might potentially be put on statins. I imagine that this resulted in a round of cheers in the pharmaceutical industry and their stock holders. But does it really benefit the consumer?
My knowledge of one person's experience with using a statin in increasing dosage from 10 mg to 40 mg (in the absence of the benefits of the South Beach Diet = weight loss, eating good carbs and good fats, getting more exercise) produced the following results:
Significantly lowered total cholesterol from 280 (before statin) to 197 with 40 mg of statin. Total cholesterol at 20 mg was 212. As increasing dosage increases one's risk of very seriously damaging side effects, the decrease in total cholesterol to 197 when dosage was doubled seems unwarranted.
Slightly lowered triglycerides from 145 at 10 mg to 143 at 20 mg to 128 at 40 mg
Significantly lowered LDL from 156 at 10 mg but only down to 141 at 20 mg & 132 at 40 mg
Lowered HDL (the good cholesterol) from 45 at 10 mg to 39 at 40 mg ... an undesirable effect.
With increasing dosage the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL stayed
about the same. But the lowering of HDL (the good cholesterol) is of concern.
I look forward to seeing the effect of the South Beach Diet once weight loss occurs and exercise increases.
Thanks again for the article. |
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Fri Aug 13, 2004 3:50 pm |
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| RedRox
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Interesting info Linda. Part of my purpose for choosing SBD was to avoid a lot of expensive meds like Lipitor and Prevocol that many of my friends are now taking. In just 1 month on SBD I saw a very large reduction in my triglycerides (from 330 to 130), an increase in HDL from 31 to 40, but also an increase in LDL from something like 119 to around 140. If you crunch the numbers it resulted in a reduction in total from 214 to 204. Unfortunately I have not gotten tested again since getting well past Phase 1 where I was eating a lot of eggs and now am eating a lot more oatmeal and other higher fiber foods which I am hopefull may turn the LDL numbers around a bit. If the LDL number had just stayed constant and the other two numbers had changed as they did, I would have had a total number in the 185 range! I remain hopeful that I will end up in that range by the time I stabilize into P3.
As a side note, my oldest brother had a mild heart attack in June at the relatively young age of 54 (I'm 48 ) and was also diagnosed with Type II diabetes. His cardiologist lives in the same neighborhood and he has a good friend from college who is also a physician, although I don't know his specialty. Needless to say, he didn't get to choose his eating program (a variation of the Meditteranean diet last time I asked) and is now on multiple meds for both cholesterol and the diabetes. I only bring this up because I mentioned I was trying to avoid statins and he commented that both doctors and many in the medical community are now taking them prophylactically (as a preventive measure without exhibiting risk or symptoms) just to keep their LDLs as low as possible. I guess you can afford to do that if you are A.) making a physician's salary or B.) get drug samples delivered to your office on a regular basis.
My goal is still to avoid them at all costs if possible, but it is just a reminder of the western medical philosophy and the very large influence of the drug manufacturers that many physicians now seem to put statins in the same category as a small aspirin on a daily basis to avoid potential heart issues and may begin prescribing them just for that purpose as well. Given that information, my brother doesn't really see the need to improve things to get off the medicine, although he understands he needs to drastically change his diet to modify his risk profile given this first occurrence at a young age. It's just a different way of thinking I guess. For me though, SBD seems to hold the key to my personal goals and to the extent I have been able to verify its results to date, seems to be heading things in the right direction. I'm a firm believer in its efficacy to improve my overall health, of which losing 30-40 pounds was a key element, but not an exclusive goal. So far, so good!!! |
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Fri Aug 13, 2004 7:19 pm |
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| Cetaganda
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I thought you might be interested in the article at this website:
http://www.wtnh.com/Global/story.asp?S=1796661
I see my doctor tomorrow. I just hope that she doesn't want me to go on a statin because I am diabetic.
I am not at all sure that lowering cholesterol with statins and other medications is the right answer. I prefer more sensible solutions, such as the South Beach Diet and exercise and getting lots of omega3 fatty acids.
What do you think about these new guidelines? |
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Mon Aug 16, 2004 10:30 pm |
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| GG
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I can't seem to lower my blood pressure no what I do. but I hate the bp drugs. I swear I gained 5 lbs in three days on them.
b |
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Sun Aug 29, 2004 10:52 pm |
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| colliegirl
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| BP medecine will definitely cause weight gain. It is my personal belief that it slows the metabolism. |
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Thu Sep 02, 2004 12:04 am |
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| GG
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colliegirl wrote: BP medecine will definitely cause weight gain. It is my personal belief that it slows the metabolism.
oh my god. finally validation. I have asked doctors, pharmacy's the whole world. everyone says. nah. it doesn't cause weight gain.
it does! |
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Thu Sep 02, 2004 4:45 pm |
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| colliegirl
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| GG, after gaining 45# in only six weeks on beta-blockers, I ask my doctor about the gain and he confessed to the truth of it all. Of course I ask why he did not advise me to be careful and to watch what I ate and he replied, "I knew if I told you of the side effects, you would not take the medecine". He was right about that! Unfortunately, the down side to not taking the meds is stroke! So, take the meds and eat right. It has been a very long, slow journey, but I am finally at goal. |
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Thu Sep 02, 2004 7:38 pm |
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