EBT Calcium Scan

[SusanJ]

Hubbs, we seem to be a group most likely to see large swings in lipids due to diet. I've been able to drive mine into normal zones by just cutting out red meat (I still eat poultry and fish) and too much saturated fat (no coconut oil for this girl). I'm also 3/4 so reducing the saturated fat angle might be a good test for you, too since you're on the right trajectory there with your labs.

Hope you can prove your doc wrong with a few more dietary tweaks...

[KatieS]

Hubbs, due to my high discordant LDL-P and my extremely high lp(a), I instituted both the lower saturated fats (coconut oil seem to be a culprit) and a water soluble statin (pravastatin 10-20mg low dose). After almost a year on pravastatin, I have not seen my glucose or cognitive issues increase.

[Harrison]

To reinforce Susan's point about sensitivity to saturated fat, my LDL-P went from 937 to 1401 most likely by adding 1 tbs MCT oil to morning coffee. I plan to follow-up early next year and see if things bounce back after being off the MCT oil for a few months.

[circular]

Then there's Dr. Gundry's and others' perspective, that the particle count isn't necessarily the issue. This page is a brief review of the thinking, and it also gives an appropriate nod to the complexity of these issues. http://azsunfm.blogspot.com/2012/09/fon ... amily.html

[Harrison]

Then there's Dr. Gundry's and others' perspective, that the particle count isn't necessarily the issue. This page is a brief review of the thinking, and it also gives an appropriate nod to the complexity of these issues. http://azsunfm.blogspot.com/2012/09/fon ... amily.html

Thanks for the link. I think it takes a very reasonable approach, and also makes me think that a ratio of LDL-P to Glucose/A1c/Insulin would be a more telling number. I think this is what the LP-IR score provided my Mayo Clinic is supposed to do, but I don't know how they calculate it.

In the end, I think that a lower LDL-P number is better than a higher one, but agree you have to look at the whole picture. In my case, with the MCT my small LDL-P went from <90 nmol/L to 401 nmol/L, my A1c also went up from 4.9 to 5.4, my HDL went down from 79 to 64. Oh, and my LP-IR score went from <25 (where <27 is optimal) to 31.

[GenePoole0304]

Then there's Dr. Gundry's and others' perspective, that the particle count isn't necessarily the issue. This page is a brief review of the thinking, and it also gives an appropriate nod to the complexity of these issues. http://azsunfm.blogspot.com/2012/09/fon ... amily.html

"This is a very complex issue and one that warrants further investigation and for now most of my answers are “it depends”."

this guy obviously does not know and tries to hide his ignorance in the excuse it depends!
He is obviously looking to justify his belief than everything is ok now, so it is ok and depends.
I do not buy that when he clearly admits there is risk then hides from it with depends.

Let say your BP is high and you take it when it is low so then are you going to say it depends?
After you suffer an event are you still going to say it depends??
I'd rather stop on a red light and cross on a green light and if it is yellow I would not cross or get out of the way quickly with no depends!

And someone I know who has been going to DrG says the above is not a reflection of what DrG believes so I do not see where it is coming from the horses mouth but just an opinion.

[Hubbs]

Susan - your words are encouraging. My diet history has been just fruit/veggi/grain/nuts/seafood, so I wonder if I have much room to reduce LDL-P via diet change.

Katie - your experience with statin is assuring.

After my visit with cardiologist who wants me to start Liptor now, I try to understand how much I am really at risk with zero calcium score and Lp(a) <15 even though LDL-p 1800+. Some months ago Berberine supplement lowered my Alc to 5.6 from 5.9, and blood glucose to 92 from 96. Stopped Berberine supplement but skipping breakfast for 5 weeks now my Alc is 5.7 now, Glucose 99, fasting insulin 3 - is that still pre-diabetic or something else?

[Stavia]

Hubbs, internationally we no longer use % when measuring HbA1C, for a couple years now we have been using mmol/mol. I know the USA does things differently....
Your % converts to 39mmol/mol. Officially the cutoff of normal is up to 40mmol/mol. Pre-diabetes starts at 41mmol/mol.
Well done!!!

[Hubbs]

Good to hear, Stavia.

My doctor asked me to go back to Berberine again to see those improvement in diabetes markers. I stopped it for last three months because concerns of side effect of long term use. In China its in drugs for diarrhea or flu.

[circular]

'The Fat Emperor' has a couple new youtube video intervews about the coronary calcium scan.