Newcomer

[clouds]

Greetings All

I am a newcomer to this forum. I am a 60+ year old male with high triglycerides. 20+ years ago I was told "you have high cholesterol". Doctors at the time advised me to "stop eating so much carbohydrates" and exercise more. Seeking to follow that advice I reduced my carb intake and started exercising more. My goal at that time was to avoid medication.

At that time I had deposits under my skin on my elbows that were increasing in size and thickness and these began to bother me. I was referred to a dermatologist who suggested that these were cholesterol deposits (Xanthomas) and confirmed that diagnosis with a sample from a punch. Responding to my complaint that dermatologist offered to remove the xanthomas on one elbow in the conventional manner through surgery. The fatty deposits were perfused throughout layers of the skin and proved difficult to remove.
Post-surgical pain was substantial and healing slow. At a later visit the dermatologist offered instead to apply concentrated trichloroacetic acid to the xanthoma to "burn" it off. This procedure proved more effective, faster and with a great deal less post-operative pain than surgery.

Followup blood testing indicated that my triglyceride levels were 600mg++, otherwise known as "saturation".

Medication would be required to try to control my triglycerides. Lopid (gemfibrozil) was prescribed at the maximum dosage (600mg bid). That proved effective when combined with exercise and a low fat diet.

Some years later I heard of "statins" which had a purportedly less chance for cancer and greater effectiveness. I asked my internist if a "statin" would be a better choice than a fibric acid based drug (gemfibrozil). My internist admitted that he did not know and recommended that I see a specialist.

The specialist I was referred to was Dr. Robert Eckel. Dr Eckel marvelled at the xanthomas on my elbows and paraded his students (residents) through to examine me. They checked the other likely location for cholesterol deposits - between the toes, under the eyes and web of the hand between the thumb and forefinger. Also in the humor of my eyes where they did indeed observe flakes of cholesterol in suspension.

Dr Eckel suggested that my problem with triglycerides was not caused by diet but because my body (liver) produced too much or was deficient in eliminating cholesterol from my blood. He recommended some tests.

One test - electrophoresis - indicated that I have "broad beta" disease - or in plainer terms the cholesterol that my body produces has a wide range of values of electrical charge. However the liver (mine included) only efficiently eliminates lipds with several narrow bands of electrical charge. Thus much of the lipids my body produced were not eliminated and remained in my blood.

Dr Eckel also suggested a DNA test for, you guessed it, the apoE allele. The results were E2/E4. At the time it was thought that E2 was related to a higher incidence of heart disease. Some years later E4 was recognized as a contributor for AD. I have a family history of AD as my mother's mother suffered from AD that began after a fall and a blow to her head.

So I have "familial hypertriglyceridemia" as it is now know today. In addition I have "broad beta" disease and an E4 apoE allele. I also have low HDL levels. I note that both of my parents are still alive today at 91 & 88 years of age.

Some years ago Dr Eckel suggested that I switch to a different fibric acid based medication - fenofibrate - because it could be more effective and required only one pill per day. I did so in December, several years ago. In May of the following year I experienced profound vertigo - diagnosed as BPPV. Several episodes of BPPV impacted my life severely. I wondered as to the cause and decided perhaps fenofibrate was the cause. I stopped taking fenfibrate and started back on gemfibrozil. The BPPV episodes stopped.

Relating this to Dr Eckel caused consternation that my BPPV episodes could be caused by fenofibrate. Possible but of low probability. However I had had no re-occurrences of BPPV since switching back to gemfibrozil.

In December of last year my annual blood test showed elevated levels for triglycerides resulting in higher than expected cholesterol. My diet had slipped and so had my exercise. My weight was up (195lbs) and so was my waist.

I'm back to a better diet and a lot more exercise now. My weight is coming down (181lbs) and so is my waist level. I still have further to go. At this point in my life (60+ years of age) my exercise is about maintaining what abilities that I have so that I have them for as long as possible. The majority of my exercise is walking/hiking.

I am always interested in learning more about my condition and living a healthy and long life.

[Sara]

Greetings All I am a newcomer to this forum. I am a 60+ year old male with high triglycerides. 20+ years ago I was told "you have high cholesterol". Doctors at the time advised me to "stop eating so much carbohydrates" and exercise more.

Greetings "clouds" and welcome to the apoe4.info site. You are on an amazing journey and congratulations for being so far ahead of the curve in health, wellness and awareness - and for successfully managing a very complex sounding situation!

The Primer is a fantastic ​resource exploring areas such as the ​science behind the ApoE4 gene and the lifestyle factors that impact its expression. How To Get the Most Out of the ApoE4.Info Website is a brilliant guide for navigating the site effectively and finding information most relevant to you.

You will find a supportive community and I am sure that someone with more clinical expertise and/or similar experience will join this conversation and shed some light on your topic. Warm Regard

[Davida]

Greetings All

I am a newcomer to this forum. I am a 60+ year old male with high triglycerides. 20+ years ago I was told "you have high cholesterol". Doctors at the time advised me to "stop eating so much carbohydrates" and exercise more. Seeking to follow that advice I reduced my carb intake and started exercising more. My goal at that time was to avoid medication.

Welcome clouds to the Appoe4 community and thank you for sharing your story with us. What a journey! I think you will find here a very thoughtful, caring and knowledgeable group of humans. Some that may even chime in with their insights and personal stories of lifestyle behaviors that they feel contribute to minimizing the risk factors associated with the Apoe4 allele as well as strategies for living a healthy and long life.

I commend you for your perseverance and positive mindset. Indeed, following a healthier diet and increasing ones exercise level will only enhance your well being. Keep up the good work.

If you haven't already visited thePrimer, take a look. It's a wonderful resource written by a member physician that contains the science behind the Apoe4 gene, lifestyle choices, biomarkers to check and prevention strategies. There is also Wiki for a more in-depth look into topics of specific interest to you. Just the mere fact that you are interested in learning is helpful!

Again, a warm welcome. Hope we hear more from you.

My best,

Davida

[mike]

The majority of my exercise is walking/hiking.

Wow, what a journey! Welcome! I just wanted to make the comment that while walking is good, often resistance training is needed to keep muscles as you get older...

[clouds]

I live at 5K+ft and then go hike at 8-10K ft. Sadly I don't do it daily.

[mike]

I live at 5K+ft and then go hike at 8-10K ft. Sadly I don't do it daily.

And thus your username - you live up in the clouds!? While hiking at altitude probably builds your lungs, I'm not sure if it counts as resistance training...I'm talking more about using weights or bands to build muscle.