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For those of us that are taking rat poison forever, do we tend to have fewer plaque buildups and "bad" Cholesteral levels because of the thinner?
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Gail in Ca
Well-known member
HIgh LDL
HIgh LDL
I am on Coumadin and just recently had my blood work and my HDL and LDL are both high. My cardiologist said he would give me 6 mos to better my diet and exercise more regularly. Otherwise, he will consider putting me on choles.
lowering drug. I don't want to take any more drugs so I am trying to be good.
He said genetics play a big part in levels.
Gail
HIgh LDL
I am on Coumadin and just recently had my blood work and my HDL and LDL are both high. My cardiologist said he would give me 6 mos to better my diet and exercise more regularly. Otherwise, he will consider putting me on choles.
lowering drug. I don't want to take any more drugs so I am trying to be good.
He said genetics play a big part in levels.
Gail
Ross
Well-known member
I'm guessing that Coumadin has nothing to do with cholesterol levels at all. It's mainly diet and genetics.
My cholesterol level actually went up a few when I had my annual in March 2004, about 9 months after my MVR.
However, bloodwork done in March 2005 showed a great improvement in levels. I believe this was due to losing weight and changing to a low-fat, low-cholesterol, higher-fiber. My BP & HR have also improved drastically since March 2004.
I'd like to get my cholesterol levels down a little more with the addition of more fiber to my diet (oatmeal, barley, etc.).
However, bloodwork done in March 2005 showed a great improvement in levels. I believe this was due to losing weight and changing to a low-fat, low-cholesterol, higher-fiber. My BP & HR have also improved drastically since March 2004.
I'd like to get my cholesterol levels down a little more with the addition of more fiber to my diet (oatmeal, barley, etc.).
G
Guest
Don't fall into the trap of thinking that warfarin thins the blood. It slows the ability to form a clot. It has few other effects. Before they understood how it works (back in the 1940s) the only way that you could see the blood was to break the skin. When it bled more than usual it was concluded that the blood was thinner. We now know that this is not true. They also did not understand about effective doses, so many people kept their warfarin at what would be considered today and excessive level. (If they had done INRs many would have been around 8)
ALCapshaw2
Well-known member
High HDL (>40) is GOOD ! It 'cleans out' the BAD cholesterol (LDL).
Usually that results from selecting your parents well (i.e. genetics). People who eat a high fat diet and never have heart problems usually are found to have high HDL. They are the LUCKY ones who won the genetic lottery.
'AL Capshaw'
Usually that results from selecting your parents well (i.e. genetics). People who eat a high fat diet and never have heart problems usually are found to have high HDL. They are the LUCKY ones who won the genetic lottery.
'AL Capshaw'
Lotto tickets of life
Lotto tickets of life
Al,
That was one ticket I have always had(father's side-long life-no heart problems). I always ate lots of butter, cheese, red meat and shellfish. I always had high HDLs and low LDLs and low
numbers 125-149. However, RF runs in the family(mother's side- father died
of RF and grandfather's brother too), so I didn't get lucky
all the time. Never had a weight problem either, but the last several years
A-fib has slowed me down so I have to watch how much I eat.
I been tested for Col. for about 50 years and warfarin a little less- there
has been no change.
Lotto tickets of life
ALCapshaw2 said:
Al,
That was one ticket I have always had(father's side-long life-no heart problems). I always ate lots of butter, cheese, red meat and shellfish. I always had high HDLs and low LDLs and low
numbers 125-149. However, RF runs in the family(mother's side- father died
of RF and grandfather's brother too), so I didn't get lucky
all the time. Never had a weight problem either, but the last several years
A-fib has slowed me down so I have to watch how much I eat.
I been tested for Col. for about 50 years and warfarin a little less- there
has been no change.
L
Lisa in Katy
I had my cholesterol checked for the first time in a routine physical when I was about 24 and it was borderline high. I didn't take it seriously and attributed it to my cheeseburger and chocolate diet. However, I now eat a much better diet and my cholesterol is still borderline high. I still don't take it seriously. My cath before surgery showed completely clean arteries, and my cholesterol had been borderline high for over 10 years, so I don't figure it's harming me. I once read about a place in Italy where most of the residents are related. They all have extremely high cholesterol levels and have experienced no related heart problems. I think heart problems can be attributed to a bad lifestyle, but there are lots of folks with bad lifestyles who never have problems, and just as many people with good lifestyles who do have problems. I refuse to choke down oatmeal (except in cookies 
) for a crapshoot!
) for a crapshoot!
jeffp
Well-known member
I like oatmeal on a cold winter morning....Like Lisa, I gave up worrying about cholesterol. Sometimes my lab results are way low (like 90's) and 2 weeks later 250+, triglycerides bounce from 100 to 500+. I've lost faith in lab tests and statins (I know they cure cancer now) and since I had good cath results, I'm just sticking to trying to get life back to some assemblance of "normal".
G
geebee
All my caths were clear and I had a heart CT scan in 2003 that showed the same clear arteries. These were all with total cholesterol in the 260 range. HOWEVER, my HDL is 55-58. Now my doctors seem to think the HDL is the important aspect of the testing as far as predictions.
I refuse to ever take statins again because I actually like to walk each day.
I have changed my diet over the years from high fat to no fat to low fat to high oatmeal to high vegies to no meat to tofu to.......... None of these have made a bit of difference in my total cholesterol (or even much in the HDL).
Anyway, I can't suggest anything to anyone. I can only make choices for myself and I don't really pay much attention to testing (other than INR).
Coumadin has had no effect either way on my cholesterol that I can tell. However, since I have been on it for 25 years, it made be difficult to say that with total certainty.
I refuse to ever take statins again because I actually like to walk each day.
I have changed my diet over the years from high fat to no fat to low fat to high oatmeal to high vegies to no meat to tofu to.......... None of these have made a bit of difference in my total cholesterol (or even much in the HDL).
Anyway, I can't suggest anything to anyone. I can only make choices for myself and I don't really pay much attention to testing (other than INR).
Coumadin has had no effect either way on my cholesterol that I can tell. However, since I have been on it for 25 years, it made be difficult to say that with total certainty.
