Is there a statin in my future?
68 yr old female. 4 months ago I had my first appointment with a new primary care physician who ordered labs on the spot - after lunch, no fasting. I had just gotten my spouse back home after he spent 2 weeks in the hospital, and I had not been able to eat well during that time, catching whatever I could in the hospital cafeteria. Except for that short period of time I've eaten plant-based, with only occasional fish, dairy, and eggs, for almost 7 years.
I was dismayed to see that my ldl and total cholesterol came in high. Here are those results:
Total cholesterol 213
Triglycerides 100
HDL 72
VLDL 18
LDL 123
The doctor wouldn't allow me to re-test for 4 months. During that time I kept my saturated fat below 10g/day and increased my fiber drastically. I worked out daily and lost about 8% of my body weight.
Yesterday I had my retest, fasting, and here are the results:
Total cholesterol 185
Triglycerides 78
HDL 62
VLDL 13
LDL 110
Yes, improved, but that LDL is not where I want it to be. I'm going to angle for a Lip(A) test next week when I see the doctor. Is there anything else I need to bring up with her? Although I added chia seeds and flaxseed meal the last 4 months I have not done psyllium husk, and I could do that. But it seems to me that diet alone may not fix this. I know that my father took a statin AFTER his double bypass, but I think that is standard, so I don't really know if this is a familial thing. I'm pretty sure my mother never had a statin, and her heart issues were a valve replacement, which then caused atrial fibrillation.
I should add that I like the way I am eating now - I feel it is generally sustainable, although I would like to be able to have the occasional treat that I have pretty much denied myself the past 4 months. I know taking a statin is not the end of the world, but I'd still like to hold it off if I could.
I would value your thoughts.