Really bad news for my husband today

[Chaos Ranch]

I'm sitting here Googling and WebMD-ing and reference link checking everything I can find on what the doctor told us today. It's not good.

Little background information. For the past two years my husband's workplace does a little health fair. They test their blood pressure, heart rates, cholesterol, BMI, things like that. Well for the past 2 years he's came back with high cholesterol (well over 250). We took him to our (then) doctor, he says, well we'll modify his diet later....and did nothing else about it. Went to new Dr. and he tested at 264. New doc says he wants to run an extensive panel... says only two labs in the US do it. One is in Houston, TX. They did a LPP (Lipoprotien Particle Profile). Doc was concerned because husband is only 36 years old. He's 5'10" and 167 lbs.

Well the results are in, and they're bad. His good cholesterol (HDL) was normal. His tryglcerodes were normal. But his LDL (bad cholesterol) was very high. This lab also broke down the different levels of the good, and the bad cholesterol. There's 6 different types of good, and 6 different types of bad.

Doctor was alarmed because the main LDL that you do NOT want to be elevated, is the Lp(a). (pronounced L-P little a). Well my husband's numbers were completely off the chart. Here's what I found on Wicipedia about what the different Ld(a) levels are.

Desirable: < 14 mg/dL (< 35 nmol/l)

Borderline risk: 14 - 30 mg/dL (35 - 75 nmol/l)

High risk: 31 - 50 mg/dL (75 - 125 nmol/l)

Very high risk: > 50 mg/dL (> 125 nmol/l)

So very high is 50. My husband's level was 61.8 !!! Ld(a) high levels are basically predictors of heart disease. It also says the higher your level, the less likely you are to survive a heart attack. And it says that you are at very high risk of heart attack, stroke, and a few other things I didn't know much about in the ages of 40 & 50 range. It says that it causes your blood to clot. Your body naturally constantly clots and then dissolves. The dissolver can only work on one thing at a time, so if it's working on your body's normal clotting process, it's not working on the Lp(a) that's also on the side clotting as well. Thus, the risk of clots lodging in your heart, and brain, and lungs in increased greatly.

Also, this type of high cholesterol does not respond to normal control methods. (diet, exercise, medication, alcohol, etc.). It only really responds to Niacin and estrogen Of course hubby isn't going to take estrogen. Some studies have shown possible lowering with testosterone and aspirin. Though our doctor said only the Niacin and estrogen affected it.

So, his only method of being of some help is putting him on 1,000 mg of Niacin (starting at 100 and working his way up to 1,000 within a month) and also adding 3 fish oil pills. Says the fish oil helps fatten up, and slick up the particles (which are measuring very tiny, which is bad, rather than larger, which isn't as bad) so that they will slide through rather than gathering and building up/blocking off.

Does anyone here have any experience with this? Any tips? Advice? This just terrifies me... the thought of loosing my husband ... oh god, I just can't imagine it.

 

[dreaminmini]

I'm sorry I can't help with any advice but I just want you to know I am praying for things to work out for your husband.

 

[crponies]

I'm sorry that you are facing this scary problem. On the bright side, this has been found out before he suffered a heart attack or stroke. I am praying for you.

 

[Matt73]

Diet is everything. If your husband can change his lifestyle (no burgers, no deep-fried stuff, etc.), he can reverse this within months. It's proven. Whenever I see my doctor he's amazed that, at 35, I have an extremely low cholesterol level. Tons of veggies, fish, and chicken....Brown rice. I can't eat any breads/flour as I'm gluten intolerant. Here's a typical day for me:

Morning:

Fruit, Brown Rice toast (no wheat) with very low sugar "jam", OJ

Noon:

Salad and or soup, brown rice pasta with chicken or something

Dinner:

Fish or chicken (and sometimes steak or burgers...without the bun), grilled asparagus, maybe some roasted potatoes.

Night:

Homemade popcorn with olive oil and a bit of salt.

I eat a ton of veggies and fruit. I actually think being gluten intolerant is a blessing. I'm even healthier (I was never overweight before, by any means) than I was. I look at pics of myself 5 years ago (when I was still eating "crap") and I look older and bigger then

Again...diet is everything!

Your husband CAN get healthy!

 

[Neil]

So, his only method of being of some help is putting him on 1,000 mg of Niacin (starting at 100 and working his way up to 1,000 within a month) and also adding 3 fish oil pills. Says the fish oil helps fatten up, and slick up the particles (which are measuring very tiny, which is bad, rather than larger, which isn't as bad) so that they will slide through rather than gathering and building up/blocking off.
Does anyone here have any experience with this? Any tips? Advice? This just terrifies me... the thought of loosing my husband ... oh god, I just can't imagine it.

I can't totally relate but I do have some experience. I have been on cholesterol medications for about 10 years. My problem is not the same as your husbands. My overall cholesterol has never been high. When I first started the medication mine was around 185 which is where it had been for years. I have mine tested every 3 or 4 months. The results a few weeks ago was under 100. My problem has always been low HDL.

I saw one doctor for about 6 maybe 7 years. His approach at most things was to throw medication at it. When I finally quit going to him he had me on two cholesterol medications plus nacin. I now have traded him in for two doctors. One for my heart problems that I like very much and a GP doctor that takes care of my cholesterol and other issues. She has me on one cholesterol medication and I take fish oil capsuls. My results are much better. Although my HDL is still low she is not as concerned because the other over all numbers are so low.

The good news is that both of the doctor recommends are over the counter and do not require prescriptions. As for the fish oil capsuls I would recommend most anyone that doesn't eat much fish take them. They are good for you. As for the Niacin you don't want to jump in at 1000. The most I ever took was 500 a day but it seems like most of the time I only took 300. They come in time released but I would not take them unless the doctor say you can. As I recall my original doctor did not recommend them and said that there was a bad side effect. I can tell you a down side of Niacin is that you get some sort of a hot flash. I always tried to not take them just before I was going some where. My face would turn very red and I looked strange.

I would recommend that regular blood tests are done after these pills are started. Don't quote me but Niacin may cause some liver problems. I know my doctor always checked for that but it may have been for the precription medications. As with all medications they have side effects so you need to be checked regularly with blood tests. Seems like my GP has me on an every four month schedule and I get a blood test each visit. Her staff can give the cholesterol results right away. Seems like my Medicare will not permit her staff to do all other tests so they have to be sent out. I have become a firm believer and regular blood tests. These can tell you a lot.

I assume that all of your husbands blood tests were taken after fasting. This is very important. I schedule my doctors appointments where a blood test is involved for early am. I also tend to write notes to myself so when I get up sleepy I won't forget.

Another thing your husband might want to consider is a daily asprin (81mg). Stronger ones are not good for you on a daily basis.

Take everything that I have said with a grain of salt and do what the doctor recommends. Good lucka and keep us posted.

 

[Barbie]

I'm on Slo Niacin - my doctor was very specific that it be Slo Niacin (Wal-Mart). I went in for bloodwork several months ago. My cholesterol came back at a total of 206. Rather than put me on a medication, she suggested trying Slo Niacin. She started me off at 500mg at bedtime for a week, then go to 1000mg. After a couple of months I was retested - my cholesterol total was down to 134. I am really happy and a firm believer in the Slo Niacin which I continue to take.

Good luck to your husband.

Barbie

 

[Neil]

Diet is everything. If your husband can change his lifestyle (no burgers, no deep-fried stuff, etc.), he can reverse this within months. It's proven. Whenever I see my doctor he's amazed that, at 35, I have an extremely low cholesterol level. Tons of veggies, fish, and chicken....Brown rice. I can't eat any breads/flour as I'm gluten intolerant. Here's a typical day for me:
Morning:

Fruit, Brown Rice toast (no wheat) with very low sugar "jam", OJ

Noon:

Salad and or soup, brown rice pasta with chicken or something

Dinner:

Fish or chicken (and sometimes steak or burgers...without the bun), grilled asparagus, maybe some roasted potatoes.

Night:

Homemade popcorn with olive oil and a bit of salt.

I eat a ton of veggies and fruit. I actually think being gluten intolerant is a blessing. I'm even healthier (I was never overweight before, by any means) than I was. I look at pics of myself 5 years ago (when I was still eating "crap") and I look older and bigger then

Again...diet is everything!

Your husband CAN get healthy!

I great diet worth repeating.

I have a few questions and a comment.

Brown Rice Toast - I've never heard of this. Tell me more.

If I go on this diet will I end up looking as young as you? ;-)

As for those on Niacin have your liver checked regularly.

High Doses of Niacin Can Cause Liver Damage

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS: Strong evidence that niacin, Vitamin B3, may prevent coronary disease because of its ability to reduce cholesterol levels and help maintain arterial integrity. The use of niacin, however, may be abused to the extent that liver damage will ensue.

Denise Arthurs, a director at the Frances Nutrition Center of Tufts University in Boston, has warned that individuals using niacin in high doses should realize that they are ingesting medication, not a simple ...

 

[Matt73]

LOL...Maybe, Neil

When I became gluten intolerant I really noticed what's in our food; there's wheat/gluten in so many things. I have to read the labels on everything. When you cut out sugar (for the most part) and deep fried foods and processed foods, you'd be amazed at the difference in the way you look and feel. I have an identical twin brother. Last year we went to my dad's on Boxing Day. Cameron walked into my dad's and they hadn't seen each other for a while. My dad was aghast at how much younger and healthier I looked; he said I looked 10 years younger than my brother.

Edited to add: You can buy rice bread in most higher end supermarkets. It's made completely out of rice (or brown rice). I buy individual bread maker packs and just add water and olive oil and turn on the bread maker...3 hours later, voila, tasty brown rice bread; it's actually best toasted as it has a different consistency than normal bread.