I have avoided statins for years, because of my fear that I wouldn’t know easily if they were killing my kidneys and me, because I already have chronic muscle pain.
My total cholesterol number drops about 50 points if I reduce my cholesterol to les than 50mg a day. Recently, my cholesterol was higher than ever, and so I’m trying Zetia (not a statin) and trying to stick with a stricter diet, previously I would be “good” and then start eating “badly” again eventually. I put the words in quotes, because it’s good and bad for me.
The last cardiologist I saw gave me a lecture that I should try the statins, but he was more focused on my newest problem my high blood pressure.
I’m betting my high cholesterol my entire life contributed to me developing blood pressure problems. I probably have cholesterol laying around and gardening in parts of my arteries. I think it’s much more than just cholesterol though, I think have low vitamin D for years probably endangers my cardiac health, genetics, and even chronic infections I have suffered with.
Lastly, I’ll talk about my dad. He had bypass at 46. I think he would be dead now (he’s 75) if he hadn’t been on a low cholesterol diet and statins. I think the average person is very different than people like my family with lots of people dying from cardiac disease at young ages and chronic high cholesterol probably from birth. I was diagnosed at 16. Some groups of people are being studied who have incredibly high cholesterol, but no heart disease, and scientists want to know exactly why they are different.