u/Present-Contest8035

▲ 3 r/Cholesterol+1 crossposts

High LP(a), 4 weeks progress on lowering LDL with diet

https://preview.redd.it/0ggyt6353mvg1.jpg?width=1227&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=023cd2a908ba72aacb0b195fcee5bb57d5472a13

https://preview.redd.it/plezaxk53mvg1.jpg?width=1198&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9c6a14e57cf1ce408daa07d926f730b37b634a05

35F. My LP(a) was measured at 190 nmol/L four weeks ago. I found this subreddit and implemented <10g saturated fat per day and >40g of fiber per day, aiming for high soluble fiber sources. Notably, I was already vegan before, but I cut out things like coconut milk and vegan cheese and ice cream. I added daily oatmeal with chia seeds and flax seeds and most days get one or two servings of beans. I also added 4 days per week of cardio (I was doing none prior).

After these 4 weeks of diet changes, my LDL dropped from 104 to 85 but ApoB is basically stable (from 76 to 78). I also measured hsCRP this time and it was 0.5 mg/L.

None of my parents or grandparents have had heart attacks; all grandparents lived until at least late 80s and two are still alive at late 80s/early 90s with no evidence of heart disease.

I'm looking for feedback from this sub:

  1. would you go on statins with these numbers? I'm not opposed to medication but if I can afford to wait for LP(a)-specific ones, that would probably be my preference.

  2. is ApoB likely to improve from these lifestyle changes but is just a lagging indicator? I was surprised that I achieved a drop in LDL but not ApoB. Since ApoB is the better risk indicator, it feels like the changes aren't effective.

  3. is it likely a preventive cardiologist would see me? I have some social anxiety around how to even make an appointment when I don't currently have heart disease.

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u/Present-Contest8035 — 5 days ago