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Why does the Dr. want my cholesterol under 100 with diabetes?
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Default Why does the Dr. want my cholesterol under 100 with diabetes? - 08-22-2008, 01:03 AM

Why does the Dr. want my cholesterol under 100 with diabetes?
   
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Default 08-26-2008, 01:03 AM

You state that your physician wishes your cholesterol to be below 100 mg/Dal but what the physician is referring to is the LDL fraction of cholesterol. Unfortunately your physician is in error as the recommendation from the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel 3 is that a diabetics LDL cholesterol should be 70 mg/Dal. The reason for this is that diabetes is considered a coronary artery disease equivalent. If a person has a myocardial infarction (heart attack) they have a certain probability of having a 2ND heart attack within the next 10 years. A diabetic with no known coronary artery disease has the same probability of having a myocardial infarction over the next 10 years as the individual with a history of having had a myocardial infarction. The major morbidity and mortality related to diabetes is cardiovascular. Thus lipids in a diabetic must be managed very aggressively. If I may be of further assistance please let me know. I wish you the very best of health and in all things may God bless. JR
   
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Default 08-27-2008, 01:03 AM

Heart attack is the number one killer of women and men in the U.S. Each year more than a million Americans have heart attacks, and about a half million people die from heart disease. High blood cholesterol is one of the major risk factors for heart disease. When there is too much cholesterol (a fat-like substance) in your blood, it builds up in the walls of your arteries. Over time this buildup causes hardening of the arteries, the arteries become narrowed, and blood flow to the heart is slowed down or blocked. The higher your blood cholesterol level, the greater your risk for developing heart disease or having a heart attack.

Everyone age 20 and older should have their cholesterol measured at least once every 5 years. There are no signs or symptoms of high cholesterol so many people are unaware that their cholesterol level is too high ? that?s why it is so important to get your levels checked. Ask your doctor for a blood test called a proteioatenile to measure your cholesterol levels.

Total cholesterol ? A desirable total cholesterol number is one under 200.
Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol ? This is the ?bad? type of cholesterol that can block your arteries. You should try to keep your LDL level under 130. If you have heart disease or diabetes, you should keep your LDL level under 100.
High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol ? This is the ?good? type of cholesterol that helps keep cholesterol from building up in the arteries and lowers your risk for heart disease. An HDL cholesterol below 40 is a major risk factor for heart disease. An HDL level above 60 helps protect against heart disease.
Triglycerides (a type of fat in your blood) ? You should try and keep this number under 150

Many things affect the level of cholesterol in your blood ? these are things you can do something about:

Weight ? Being overweight is a risk factor for heart disease and it also tends to increase your cholesterol. Losing those extra pounds can help lower your LDL, total cholesterol and triglyceride levels, as well as raises your HDL level.
Diet ? Eating too much food high in saturated fat, trans fats, and cholesterol raises the level of cholesterol in your blood. Reducing the amount of these fats in your diet helps lower your blood cholesterol level.
Physical activity ? Regular physical activity can help lower LDL and raise HDL cholesterol levels, and helps you lose weight.
Things you cannot do anything about but that can affect cholesterol levels include:

Family history ? High cholesterol can be inherited. Your genes influence how high your LDL level is by affecting how fast LDL is made and removed from the blood.
Age and sex ? Before menopause, women usually have total cholesterol levels that are lower than those of men the same age. As women and men get older, their blood cholesterol levels rise until about 60 to 65 years of age. In women, menopause often causes an increase in their LDL level and a decrease in their HDL level. After the age of 50, women often have higher total cholesterol levels than men of the same age.

There are a number of things you can do every day that can improve your cholesterol levels ? and your overall health. Following a healthy diet and lifestyle can give you the edge in the fight against heart disease and stroke. Here are some tips on how you can take an active part.

Good luck and hope this helps.
   
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Default 08-28-2008, 01:03 AM

Your doctor ISN'T in error. He's following the ADA guidelines, which states an LDL goal of less than 100mg/Dal for diabetics. ADA stands for American Diabetic Association... which is what we use in the US... don't know what other guidelines foreign countries use for diabetes.
   
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Default 08-30-2008, 01:03 AM

A high cholesterol in diabetes makes person more vulnerable to heart diseases.Admiral V K Singh
   
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Default 09-04-2008, 01:03 AM

Not only your doctor!! But I flatly refuse to "feed the Golden Goose" by taking the stat in melds and niacin makes me flush no matter how I take it and that is most uncomfortable. Without warning from doctor I would have thought symptoms of menopause had come back at me!

I took the Statins for a couple of years, but they did not lower my LDL at all nor did they raise my HDL, so I consider them only good for making the fat cats at big pharmacy even fatter and wasting my little bit of retirement moneys.

I have had much better luck ignoring medical advice and eating the fat on steaks, using real cream in my coffee and using butter on my toast! YEAH!! they say it causes cholesterol problems but I find the exact opposite.

The doctors also consider 130/65 to be stroke level blood pressure for diabetics. They want us to be under 115/65 or something. like that.
   
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Default 09-07-2008, 01:03 AM

The ADA guidelines state that the goal for diabetic patients LDL should be less than 100. Some have suggested, although not much data exists, that extremely high risk patients should have a goal of less than 70mg/Dal. To get that low may not be feasible, and there is not as many studies to suggest that it is worth it.

That being said, stat ins do help lower LDL, and gradualistITtes. There is study after study to prove that. As for the niacin flushing, this can be alleviated by taking a 325mg aspirin 30 minutes before taking the niacin, or switching to a longer acting niacin such as niaspan, or a combination of the two.

Also, goal BP for a diabetic is less than 130/80, goal for BPs with hypertension is less than 140/90, and a goal of less than 120/80 for both
   
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