Do you believe Cholesterol should be low? (Still?)

Posted by CaptainKirk 5 years, 10 months ago to Science
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Dr. Peter Attia WALKS you through the Ancel Keys debacle. Explains WHY it kinda made sense, but how people use their own Cognitive Bias to lie to themselves.

Also, how people held up publishing studies that disproved "accepted wisdom" caused a MUCH LONGER Drought on the information getting out there.

For my part, I have known for a long time that Cholesterol is NOT the problem we have been told. I have 2 brothers, one with a stent and one who had triple bypass surgery. Newsflash, the stent had cholesterol below 160 at the time! While mine has been above 200 since my teens! The other brother had cholesterol below 200...

Again, get a CAC (Calcium Score) and KNOW your risk of a heart attack, and SEE your plaque levels!

Then as you watch this... Ask yourself, HOW MANY TIMES will this keep happening... Climate Change, anyone? When we cannot discuss, and you cannot publish because it goes against "accepted wisdom" (or the hate mobs), we all pay a high price!
SOURCE URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhzV-J1h0do


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  • Posted by $ 25n56il4 5 years, 10 months ago
    Actually, I read a serious article that introduced the view, that cholesterol plays an important role in our bodies. If I remember correctly, it stated when your heart is in trouble, your cholesterol raises to protect the heart. I once did a study for the hospital where I was Director of Medical Records. I noticed elevated blood sugar on nearly everyone coming through the ER. Even accident patients. I questioned an elderly doctor and he laughed. He said, 'my dear, when the body is in danger, the pancreas jumps in to protect it.' My husband had a heart attack and we were immediately told his blood sugar was elevated and he was probably diabetic. I told the doctor to wait until the emergency was over and then test him. He didn't have diabetes.
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    • Posted by 5 years, 10 months ago
      Yes, it has been known for some time. We have a Sugar problem, not a fat problem. We have a FAKE Fats problem, not an animal fats problem.

      Natural foods are good.

      BTW, you should have your husbands A1C Checked, and a Calcium Score done. Those two things will start you looking in the right direction. The A1C is a 90 Day average of your glucose numbers. It's pretty stable (like testing a moving average).

      I wish you and your family the best.

      Remember the 36% reduction of heart-attacks from from 3 in the control group to 2. Its a relative risk %. The truth is, over 1,000 people have to take the drug for ONE PERSON to see the benefit!
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      • Posted by $ 25n56il4 5 years, 10 months ago
        Thank you. That's how I learned he wasn't diabetic. A1C goes back about three months, I think. He did later develop Diabetes II along with Ischemic Heart Disease and died from those two things which were caused by over-exposure to Agent Orange, according to his physicians. On the subject of heart attacks, I always tell anyone who will listen, 'Do Not Delay'...if you have symptoms like nothing before, get to the hospital. Most people go into denial. Fast response breeds good results. Makes the doctors happy to look good!
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    • Posted by exceller 5 years, 10 months ago
      Yes, and cholesterol is needed for proper brain function.

      When you take Lipitor, it cuts cholesterol to below optimal level.

      Look up the many scientific publication on how it contributes to memory loss.
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  • Posted by Charner59 5 years, 10 months ago
    Run, don't walk, to your library and checkout this book. Healing is voltage: the handbook. By Jerry Tennant. Read chapter 7. Thank you Captain K for opening discussion on this critical topic.
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  • Posted by GaryL 5 years, 10 months ago
    Excellent discussion and how about some non medical medical advice. I turn 67 in April and will have my annual check up with blood draw and lab tests. I am not sure what my doctor checks for the blood tests but most importantly "What should I ask him to check for"? I am pretty sure he simply does some standard lab tests but should I ask for specific tests to be done? I had a stent 10 years ago and take a statin and lisinopril daily since.
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    • Posted by 5 years, 10 months ago
      Gary,
      I would make sure to have the following tested. (Do not use these results to get Life Insurance, you can be turned down for knowing too much).

      1) hsCRP and Homocystene -> Inflammation markers
      2) A1C -> 90 day moving average of your blood glucose. Indicates pre-diabetes/diabetes, or healthy pretty clearly
      [Being on a statin significantly increases your risk of getting diabetes, I think 10% get it]
      3) Lipid Profile (HDL,LDL) using NMR for the full detail of the SIZE of the lipo-proteins
      4) Full Liver and Kidney Panel (common)
      5) Pay the $120 and have a CAC (Calcium Score). Get the ACTUAL odds of a heart attack in the next 10 years!
      [Had you done this before, you might have avoided the stent]

      This is in addition to whatever tests he runs. I assume he is checking your Thyroid levels, Triglycerides, etc. etc.
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      • Posted by GaryL 5 years, 10 months ago
        Thanks CaptainKirk, Noted! My plan is to simply go as I am and change absolutely nothing in my diet or life style prior to the blood draw because I believe any changes could skew the test results. If I normally have a beer or cocktail the night before or eat a nice steak dinner with them so be it. Is this the right attitude?
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        • Posted by 5 years, 10 months ago
          Gary, Yes... If you want the truth.
          In my case, I accidentally at like 2-3lbs of bacon the day before and 3 days before my blood work, not knowing about the Feldman protocol. (I fasted the middle day). Had I not fasted the middle day, I would have probably lowered my cholesterol more. BTW, my total Cholesterol dropped over 50 points. BECAUSE of eating excess fats in that 72hr window...

          Now, if I needed to have a lowered cholesterol for work... I would know what to do to lower it. Which is cheating the test. But it points out that the test does not work.

          So, about having alcohol the night before... If you only drink one day a week, then my answer is NO I would not drink the night before my blood work, as it represents 1/7th of your life and probably has other negative marker results. Worse, it could mask something else... Not worth it.

          In fact, one of the reasons they ask you to fast for 12hrs before your bloodwork is to normalize it.
          What I have learned is the longer I fast, the better my bloodwork!

          HTH!
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          • Posted by GaryL 5 years, 10 months ago
            Cheating a test when the test is all about your own health is a foolish thing to do. We have a very standard ritual of sorts every day. I have a beer with my dinner and a cocktail after the dishes are done while we watch a little TV. Been doing this since I retired 20 years ago so it is what it is and IMO makes no sense to change for the test. I always do fast for 12 hours prior to the blood draw and certainly will this time.
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            • Posted by 5 years, 6 months ago
              There is a reason to cheat a test. When you believe the test is wrong, or will be used against you (like forcing a statin down your throat).

              There is ZERO evidence that High LDL is causal in first heart attacks. In fact, most studies show that 50% of the people have High Cholesterol and 50% have lower cholesterol. Their answer: Lower the definition of High.

              Mine: Prove Cholesterol is Causative.

              BTW, How did your tests go?
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              • Posted by GaryL 5 years, 6 months ago
                Thanks for remembering CK. I did have my tests and everything but one proved to be either negative or "Normal". I go again tomorrow morning for a follow up as he feels, his words, I have too much blood and wants to do a test for iron in my blood.
                As I stated earlier I had already reduced the statin and BP medications in half 3 weeks before the initial blood draw and all was within what he thinks are normal limits. The over abundance of iron could be a cause for the joint pain I live with but I was surprised to hear I had no tick born disease as I live where Lyme is prevalent and my dog did have Anaplasmosis. Both her and I have had numerous tick bites as we are quite active with hunting, fishing, hiking and gardening. The term Arthritis seems to be a generic one to describe most joint pains in seniors but there sure could be other underlying causes and a mis diagnosis.
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                • Posted by 5 years, 6 months ago
                  Gary if you have joint pain and arthritis... Consider dietary adjustments. Removing grains and vegetables for a while and see if you notice an improvement. Usually 14-28 days does it. Mine was a little sooner.

                  I made my final goal, and am working on maintenance. I am doing all of my tests this year, and so far, everything is checking out fine.

                  Back to diet. I am still amazed how many people feel better without the grains. For me, I tested Vodka 2 weeks ago. Joints swelled up. Not horribly, but harder to close my hands within 30 minutes of the first shot. Worse after the second shot.
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                  • Posted by GaryL 5 years, 6 months ago
                    Arthritis, They seem to call all joint pain arthritis yet he can't identify through blood tests if or what type I might have. If by grains you mean alcohol based ones I do drink a couple beers typically but if I drink liquor it is only ever tequila. Vegetables are plentiful in my diet as are red meats, fish, chicken and eggs. Weaning myself off any of this would be a rather daunting task I am not sure I am willing to do. This thought of excessive iron might be a key factor and I will know in a couple days. Once again however, there is a pill for that and once again I don't want any more of their freaking pills.
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                    • Posted by 5 years, 6 months ago
                      Gary, having gone grain free (no bread, beer, alcohol, flour, etc) it's hard. But I feel it is more natural. The grains we eat never existed before we tampered with them.

                      And if the pain is not severe enough. Then who cares. A quick side test you can do, is to determine if it is Inflammation related... Have them give you a short term prescription for Prednisone (A steroid), as if you had gout. You take it for about 5 days. If that makes the pain go away, then it IS CAUSED by inflammation. Which would confirm (to me), that it is something in your diet. And maybe worth doing a dietary change for a couple of weeks to see if you can replicate the results on a meat+water+salt (a clean elimination diet)... But MANY people cannot commit to it. It's REALLY hard at first, once you get there and feel better, going back to your old ways are just too obviously bad for you. That's where I am at!
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  • Posted by $ Abaco 5 years, 10 months ago
    I believe that the cholesterol scare is a farce that's been perpetuated by the government-pharma complex. My views weren't always such. While I've not studied it much I have been around long enough to have had several friends harmed by cholesterol meds. One, I believe was killed by them. Have had several friends get on them and come down with diabetes within a few months. Study the pancreas and one can see how this can happen.

    I have worked in health care for some time now, read many more studies than I can remember, and have learned a lot about our modern "health care". I've even ben subject of a couple studies. Love talking directly with the PhDs doing such work. What they say to me isn't what the media tells you they discovered. A lot of conventional wisdom is a farce. I'd sum it all up with two words - buyer beware.
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    • Posted by 5 years, 10 months ago
      Excellent post. When the report your RISK it is an ABSOLUTE % (10% of people get diabetes. Thats 100 of every 1,000 participants). Whereas the beneifts of 35% is RELATIVE benefit (3 events vs 2 events) out of 1,000.

      Meaning you have 1 chance in 1,000 of getting the benefit, vs 100 chances in 1,000 of getting diabetes. And that's big.

      It's why I started posting about the tests that TELL you your risks, like a calcium score, etc.
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      • Posted by $ Abaco 5 years, 10 months ago
        Look at the fact that the incidences of diabetes are clearly on the rise. Then, look at what we American's are doing to our bodies more and more...and, well...you know the rest, I'm sure. Where there's causation there is also correlation. Nowadays people are so stupid they point at the correlation and say, "there's only correlation!" and that's the end of the discussion. In short...buyer beware. Or...be very aware...
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  • Posted by $ 25n56il4 5 years, 6 months ago
    ok guys! I have the most thorough Endocrinologist in Texas! Just had five test tubes of blood work. Annual thing. His nurse in reporting stated that I should recall he only calls if something he doesn't like is in your test. She commented my cholesterol was suspicious? He didn't call me! I do not take Statin drugs ever!
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  • Posted by $ Abaco 5 years, 10 months ago
    Last night I pulled a 1-pound chunk of yellowfin tuna from my last trip. Sliced it into raw strips, piled it on a thin bed of rice, drizzled a little Sriracha and soy sauce and dug in with my favorite IPA. It's so delicious and healthy that I'm surprised it's not illegal...
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  • Posted by $ Stormi 5 years, 10 months ago
    I remember when the statin was introduced, and doctors were pushing it like crazy. Of course, they got trips and perks. Mine is under 200, with excellent HDL, put doc started telling me it needed to be under 100! I knew otherwise. He said he took it,but added in facthe got the muscle wasting disease like it was nothing. I told him the body needs cholesterol. He said it could not be too low, no such thing. I said yes, it can cause a stroke if it is too low. We have agreed to disagree! Notice how BP acceptable figures have increasingly dropped, but BP meds does not CURE the issue. Now it is sugar treatment with more and more drugs being pushed. Ever iice the drug side effects are worse than the disease?
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    • Posted by 5 years, 10 months ago
      Stormi, you are wise...
      I watched them chemically lobotomize my mother, and learned that doctors "practice" medicine on the unsuspecting. NOTHING beats are ER Rooms and Field medics. But don't see them for health!

      Yep, the SIMPLE fact that they DO NOT have to report on TV or ads, using the SAME % (35% reduction in heart attacks and only a 10% risk in diabetes... Sounds great. But if they reported the TRUTH. 100 people will get diabetes for EVERY heart attack they prevent! And only 1 in 1,000 will have the heart attack prevention. Whereas 100 in 1,000 will get diabetes).

      instead they mumble along about "some patients".

      My brother was started on a statin, had muscle wasting, muscle pain, etc (after his heart attack). I FORCED him to read the "insert", he noticed that ALL of his symptoms were listed. He confronted his doctor asking for EACH condition, if the statin causes this... And the doctor said NO for every symptom.

      Then mark broke out the paperwork, where it was all highlighted.

      The doctors said "Who reads that? Nobody does. It's required to be there for legal reasons!"

      OMG: My brother flew down, saw my doctor, got off of his heart meds, and has recovered his heart through proper HIIT exercise. It took a few years, but he is better for it!
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  • Posted by mia767ca 5 years, 10 months ago
    ....this is promoted by the pharma industry...it is not true...inflammation is the culprit...take magnesium...you need cholesterol....low cholesterol is dangerous...
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  • Posted by $ blarman 5 years, 10 months ago
    Cholesterol is the body's lubricant: you need a certain amount for proper function. Just like everything else: too much or too little and things start breaking.
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  • Posted by DrZarkov99 5 years, 10 months ago
    My wife has always had cholesterol levels above 260, but her LDL levels are below the low "normal" and her HDL levels are well above the high "normal." Her doctors are stumped, but all have told her not to try to reduce her cholesterol, since she has good cholesterol levels that other people would love to have. Each of us is as different as our fingerprints, which is why doctors that use genetic mapping to identify the right treatments are on the right track.
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  • Posted by $ Olduglycarl 5 years, 10 months ago
    NO!...From what I understand, Calcium deposits are the problem and cholesterol should never go below 150 and MOST of that cholesterol should be the good kind. Some bad is needed by the liver to make some good as is the case for my blood/geno type.

    The progressive state and now the postmodernist have had it out for conscious value creating human beings for a long time now.
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    • Posted by $ Abaco 5 years, 10 months ago
      Yes. Since I started long-range tuna fishing for my hobby I had a blood test or two. Triglycerides gone. HDL very high. Trace LDL. Fantastic. Guys my age get on "male enhancement". What they should do is just take better care of themselves. Put down the steak. Add a little cage-free, organic eggs, fish, salad and get some exercise. Look out mama...daddy's coming home...
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      • Posted by $ Olduglycarl 5 years, 10 months ago
        Steak for me is not only NOT a problem, it is a medicine, however, I should eat more fish, I rarely do and If I do, it must be fresh out of the water and off the hook before I will touch it. Other than fresh trout from lake Winnipesaukee New Hampshire or fresh tuna right off the boat, the rest does not settle well with me.
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        • Posted by exceller 5 years, 10 months ago
          Same here.

          I love a nice filet mignon with blue cheese, medium rare, please.

          It used to be that I ate more fish than I do now, which is practically nothing.

          Once in a blue moon I have salmon or venture to sauté Petrale sole in lemon with capers. I love trout in a restaurant but I could not make it to taste the same when I do it myself. I should eat more.
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          • Posted by $ Abaco 5 years, 10 months ago
            It's hard to beat a good fillet mignon, I admit. In fact...I remember when and where I was (3 years ago) when I ate my last one.

            I used to bbq tri-tip regularly. That was a habit from my college days when I attended school where the cut had been established. Tri-tip can be quite nice on the barby...
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    • Posted by $ kddr22 5 years, 10 months ago
      Optimal levels are best always if worried check VLDL levels of cholesterol which correlates more with risk or check omega 3 omega 6 balance. Omega 3 levels ideally should be over 50% or your body is in state of inflammation which is the culprit behind much disease
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  • Posted by lrshultis 5 years, 10 months ago
    Before any discussion, one should find out what cholesterol is and its many functions in animal cells are. This article gives just about all that one needs to know about it. Measurement in the blood is not the measurement of the amount of cholesterol but rather of the lipoprotein which contains cholesterol and other insoluable organic lipid molecules.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cholest...
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  • Posted by Blanco 5 years, 10 months ago
    I've always read that the ratio of total cholesterol to good cholesterol is a much better indicator of cardiovascular disease risk than total cholesterol. What are your thoughts on this?
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    • Posted by 5 years, 10 months ago
      I used to believe this, and in general, still do.
      But based on @KetoDave and the Feldman protocol, we are realizing that even Cholesterol can be completely manipulated based on the last 72 hours of your diet. (Note: MORONS who avoid fats for a few days before their blood work, actually get a HIGHER Cholesterol reading, as the liver picks up the slack. LOL).

      In general, realize that INFLAMMATION and CALCIFICATION are the real problems. Blaming Cholesterol for PLAQUE is like blaming bricks for inner cities!
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