This fall, my annual cholesterol screening showed an alarming increase in all the cholesterol markers: Total Cholesterol, HDL (‘good’) cholesterol and LDL (‘bad’) cholesterol.
Both my Primary Care Doctor and I whipped out our phones and opened the ASCVD risk calculator app. I was relieved to find that although my 10-year risk of heart disease had increased versus last year, it still showed a low enough risk that statin medication was not required.
BUT THEN she told me about someone who eats well and exercises and also had a low 10-year risk of heart disease according to the calculator –
When I told my cardiologist that nearly every adult in my family takes a statin due to a family history of high cholesterol, he asked if anyone had ever undergone a Coronary Calcium Scan.
I’d never heard of that test, and none of my relatives had either.
But I paid out-of-pocket for that test last month.
The reason: my cholesterol results worsened slightly versus a year ago. My latest Cardio IQ blood test* revealed a high number of LDL (bad) cholesterol particles, and that these LDL particles had shifted from the ‘safe,’ fluffy Pattern A type to the more dangerous,
Did you know that any old person (and by ‘any old’ I mean a regular, non-doctor person, not any OLD person!) can purchase the American Heart Association’s “guidelines pocket cards” meant to keep doctors up to date on latest treatment protocols/recommendations?
On the American Heart Association website, these pocket cards are described as:
“These quick reference tools provide instant access to current AHA/ASA and ACCF/AHA guidelines in a clear, concise format – available in print and in the Guideline Central Mobile app for iPhone, iPad and Android.”
For months, I have been wondering whether there have been any updates or changes to the November 2013 Cholesterol Guidelines –
The American Heart Association and the America College of Cardiology released completely new, totally different guidelines for the treatment of high blood cholesterol back in November 2013.
As explained in my post, The NEW Guidelines For Cholesterol-Lowering Statin Meds, in broad strokes the new guidelines state that if you are in one of the following four groups you have elevated heart disease risk and should take statins:
those who already have cardiovascular disease
anyone with LDL (bad) cholesterol of 190 mg/dL or higher
anyone between 40 and 75 years of age who has Type 2 diabetes
people between 40 and 75 who have an estimated 10-year risk of cardiovascular disease of 7.5 percent or higher.
