Is It Safe To Take Statins For These Cholesterol Levels?

Posted on Mon, 17 Aug 2015

Question: My doctor wants to consider placing me on statin drugs. My cholesterol is about 234 which it has been for about three years. It sometimes goes diwn to 225 . Over all my health is excellent because I work out a lot plus eat healthy foods. I currently take fish oil pills , cholestoff , reservatrol and co q 10. My family does not have a history of heart disease or high cholesterol . Most of them live into there 90's with my mother being 93 and my aunt at 97. They don't take any medicine. My age is 52.

What do you advise.

Answered by Dr. Lilit Baghdasaryan (23 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Need more information

Detailed Answer:
Dear Sir,

For prescribing statins at first cardiovascular risks should be carefully evaluated, as in case of low cardiovascular risk there is no need for any medication at all.
I would like to have some more information, for the evaluation of the CV risks
1. as I understand you don't have ischemic heart disease, isn't it?
2. what is you blood pressure, do you have frequent rise in blood pressure over 140/90
3. your weight and height
4. do you have diabetes mellitus
5. do you have kidney disease

Regards,

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Lilit Baghdasaryan (5 hours later)

Dr.Baghdasaryan:
Here is my follow up answers to your questions .

1. My family does not have heart disease .

2.My blood pressure fluctuates between 110-40 or 1120/80 . I do not have frequent blood rise in blood pressure. It stays right around what I have listed here. It's been like this my whole life.

3.Height is 5' 7 inches and weight is 203

4. No I do not have diabetes melitus

5. I do not have kidney disease .

I forgot to tell you I do take synthroid but do some other members of my family .
One being my aunt who is 97. The other relatives that do take it do not have any health problems .

Hopefully I answered everything as best as I could.

Like I stated before I do not want to take statin drugs because I hear of to many bad things about them.

Please advise. Thank You for your time.
XXXXXXX

Answered by Dr. Lilit Baghdasaryan (13 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Welcome back

Detailed Answer:
Dear XXXXXXX

Your cardiovascular risk is not high, so there is no need for statin.
The only advise I would give you is
No smoking
Continue healthy lifestyle
Lose some weight

Take care

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Lilit Baghdasaryan (37 minutes later)

Thank You

Answered by Dr. Lilit Baghdasaryan (1 minute later)

Brief Answer:
You are welcome

Detailed Answer:

Wishing you good health

Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar