Huge Changes Coming In The Way Doctors Prescribe Statins
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(AP Photo/Mel Evans, File)
When you go to the doctor it’s usually because you’re sick, but about once a year thousands and thousands of people go for their annual physical, which includes a check of cholesterol levels and other routine blood work. Invariable if your bad cholesterol, LDL (think lousy) is above a certain level your doctor will prescribe statins, such as Lipitor, and etc. Well those days may well be over.
Tectonic and profound is the way leading heart groups have announced changes in the way doctors prescribe cholesterol-lowering statins. The shift from the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology means that doctors will no longer focus on a patent’s level of “bad cholesterol”—or LDL— and automatically prescribe statins when it reaches a certain level. Instead, they will focus on a range of overall health factors.
“This is an enormous shift in policy as it relates to who should be treated for high levels of cholesterol,” the chief of cardiovascular medicine at the Cleveland Clinic tells CNN.
“For many years, the goal was to get the ‘bad’ cholesterol levels—or LDL levels—below 100,” says Dr. Steven Nissen. “Those targets have been completely eliminated in the new guidelines, and the threshold for treatment has been eliminated.”
So just who will be taking statins? People who have a history of heart trouble or diabetes, and—in the one exception to the notion of ignoring LDL levels—those who have dangerously high levels of 190 or more, reports the New York Times.
Beyond that, the guidelines say anyone who has a 7.5% risk of developing heart disease, based on anew formula (the site is slow, apparently bogged down) also should take them, reports USA Today.
In yet another major shift, the guidelines now apply to people at risk of stroke as well as a heart attack, reports AP. That change alone could double the number of people on the drugs, which are currently prescribed to 25% of Americans older than 40.
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I take statins and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with me.
Absolutely nothosncboksnco wndciopascnaionio niopwncviop.
So there.
Working out and good eating habits take care of these things for a lot of people, not all of the peoplez. Add advocado, olives, nuts like macadamia or walnuts to your diets they help with the fat intake and it’s good fats that are in all these things. Barley, lentils, apples are also good for helping with higher levels of the bad cholesterol. When you use any oils check you are not using the hydrogenated veg oils or the partially hydrogenated, that stuff will kill you. I always get nasty stomach aches when I eat any of that processed crap. I’ll give you a good mushroom barley soupd recipe I use myself but I don’t have exact measurements since I am one of those people that does, yeah that looks about right for my stuff.
Barley and mushroom soup from Jess’ kitchen
around 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound mushrooms, sliced or more because I love these I put more
4 cups carrots, chopped
2 cups turnip or rutabaga
2 cloves garlic, sliced
2 sprigs fresh thyme
some rosemary or sage
some kosher salt and black pepper or you can use sea salt if you prefer
6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, available everywhere but make your own if you can. I keep all my veg trimmings in the freezer and when I need veggie stock I throw them in a pot with some water and some salt and pepper and voila veg stock.
3/4 cup pearl barley
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley. Tastes like soap to me, so I use a little herbs de provence as an add at the end.
Heat the olive oil in the pan and when it’s warm, toss in the mushrooms, carrots, turnip, garlic, thyme, sage or rosemary and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the turnips are starting to get a little tender, 10-15 minutes. Psst, I like my own turnip with a little bite to it, so I don’t cook it that long.
Add the vegetable broth and barley. Simmer, partially covered, until the barley is tender, 30 to 35 minutes the turnips will finish cooking at this point. Top with the chopped flat-leaf parsley before serving or don’t your choice. We typically eat this with a hard bread like sourdough or frecnh whatever floats ytour boat. You can always add a tiny bit more salt and pepper for your taste, I don’t like a lot of salt in my food but you can always add just a little more. Don’t add like mountains of it, it’s just for taste.
Jess that sounds great. My GF is a vegetarian and I’m headed in that direction so I think I might make this next week. Thanks 🙂
My next appointment is in January. Sounds like I’m in for it even though I have no evidence of heart trouble and there’s none in my family ( dad is 90 and in good health)
I wish I could believe that profits played no part in putting a third of us all on drugs.
Two years ago I lost 50 pounds and I’ve become a regular bicyclist, but my doctor seems obsessed with finding some cause for concern. I remain skeptical.
Glenn my goal is to lose 30 more pounds for a total of 50. It’s not easy, but it’s a goal. My doctor told me that if I reach that goal, which I will, it’s likely I will be able to throw away all my medication, and that would be nice, but, like you, I remain skeptical.
I pity those who have to take it. The VA started me on them and I immediately started have pain in the calves of my legs every night when I went to bed. They switched me to every variation they could but it was always the same until I finally said “enough”! My ability to rest and not have to deal with the pain was more important. I try to manage my red meat and fats in take and get more exercise but I will not deal with that level of discomfort every night.
I had a similar thing happen Bill. Now, like you, I’m working hard to stay fit. I’ve lost 20 pounds and am working on losing a lot more. I’m convinced losing weight, not smoking, and drinking small amounts will keep you healthy.
Well, I am not losing a lot of weight but I am trying to be more active. There is no way I am going back on those statins.