Help with Numbers.

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ChipW
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Help with Numbers.

Post by ChipW »

Hello,
Such a great website. I just found out i am APOE3/4 from 23and Me and want to do all i can to stop any dementia before it occurs. I am male, 48 yrs. 6'0" 196 pounds. estimated 13% body fat. I am in good shape for my age. I have noticed some memory issues.
Below are some of my blood results from 2/27/18. Leading up to this test i was eating a mostly Mediterranean diet, with more bread then i am currently consuming.

Glucose 90
A1C 5.2
Insulin 4
Iron, Serum 46 LOW
Iron binding capacity 307
%saturation 15 LOW
Ferritin 62

TSH 1.42
T-3, free 3.3
T-4 free 1.2 LOW

Triglycerides 147
Total Cholesterol 187
HDL 47
LDL 114
Chol/HDLC ratio 4.0
Non HDL Cholesterol 140

LDL particle number 1613
LDL peak size 213.4
LDL pattern B
HDL Large 4886
LDL small 340
LDL medium 387

Lipoprotein (a) 17
Apoliprotein B 94

AST(SGOT) 14
ALT(SGPT) 16

HS CRP <.2

Things im doing.
continuing exercise program of walking 3 times a week and wrestling(intense cardio) 2 or 3.
stopped boxing
cut out breads
added more EVOO
supplements:
Duoglas labs essential 4 pack(multi, probiotic, fatty acid, coQ10)
resveritol
curcumin
Niagen
saw palmetto
Vit D
B complex
magnesium
melatonin
bocopa
pramiracitam
lions mane
galantamine

prescriptions:
TRT
telmisartan 20mg daily
finestracide (very low dose. 2x per week)
crestor (lowest dose 2x per week)

crestor was started in an effort to get my LDL particle size better after blood work

Other than changing my diet to reduce saturated fats(which seems to be somewhat debatable if its needed). anything else i need to do to provide myself the best possible chance to avoid dementia, even late onset? FYI, the nootropics above were started in an effort to fix my bad memory before i found out about my APOE status. they do seem to have helped somewhat, however. keep those or drop?

thanks for any help.

Chip
marthaNH
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Re: Help with Numbers.

Post by marthaNH »

Hi, Chris. You're coming from a good starting place -- youngish and fit. (I'm pushing 63.) I have just one experience to share, and that is that my LDL particle number, which was close to yours, came WAY down when I got strict about saturated fat. Size went up. That doesn't work for everybody, but there's a group of us on here who had that experience.
ChipW
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Re: Help with Numbers.

Post by ChipW »

Thanks, Martha. That's encouraging to know. Did you cut out all red meat, eggs and milk? how about coconut oil? I was using coconut oil to cook eggs and in my coffee. I actually bought some chickens and have been producing my own eggs in an effort to get good omega 3 eggs. I dont mind giving them up if its going to help me long term.
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Tincup
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Re: Help with Numbers.

Post by Tincup »

ChipW wrote:Thanks, Martha. That's encouraging to know. Did you cut out all red meat, eggs and milk? how about coconut oil? I was using coconut oil to cook eggs and in my coffee. I actually bought some chickens and have been producing my own eggs in an effort to get good omega 3 eggs. I dont mind giving them up if its going to help me long term.
Eggs likely won't be your issue. For a trial, I'd cut dairy including cheese, then land animal fat & coconut oil. Also any processed carbs. You could do this stepwise to see what is the problem.
Tincup
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marthaNH
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Re: Help with Numbers.

Post by marthaNH »

I agree with Tincup. Eggs are precious to me nutritionally and in cooking. Coconut oil, cheese, and cream I let go. I eat fish, shellfish, a little chicken but mostly in soups. I buy beef shank and a veal joint or two once or twice a month to make a really dense consommé. When I do that I get enough beef for another soup but I skim off the fat. I still eat nonfat kefir and yogurt. If I walk into the market on the corner and they have just put a big old pork shoulder roast down on the counter, I have some of that, but it doesn't happen very often. When I'm a guest I try to keep my dietary rules a secret. I eat a little of everything and swear that it's all wonderful. But at home, which is where I eat 95% of my meals, I'm very by the book. It's easy to come up with things I like and I enjoy cooking and shopping for food.
ChipW
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Re: Help with Numbers.

Post by ChipW »

Excellent. Thanks, guys. I've already cut the processed carbs and sugar almost completely out. I'll keep the eggs. Cut back the dairy, red meet and coconut oil

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ChipW
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Re: Help with Numbers.

Post by ChipW »

Anyone care to comment about that low T4 score? My doctor said not to worry and when I dig into the vast literature about thyroid, I just get lost.

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Julie G
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Re: Help with Numbers.

Post by Julie G »

Anyone care to comment about that low T4 score? My doctor said not to worry and when I dig into the vast literature about thyroid, I just get lost.

I can see why you'd get lost! There are so many variables. Given your relatively low (optimal) TSH, I perhaps mistakenly assumed that you were taking thyroid medication. If you're not, that's interesting...

Here's a handy link with some ideas. It could be perfectly normal per this:
Thyroid Binding Globulin
Most of the thyroid hormones in the blood are attached to a protein called thyroid binding globulin (TBG). If there is an excess or deficiency of this protein it alters the T4 or T3 measurement but does not affect the action of the hormone. If a patient appears to have normal thyroid function, but an unexplained high or low T4, or T3, it may be due to an increase or decrease of TBG. Direct measurement of TBG can be done and will explain the abnormal value. Excess TBG or low levels of TBG are found in some families as an hereditary trait. It causes no problem except falsely elevating or lowering the T4 level. These people are frequently misdiagnosed as being hyperthyroid or hypothyroid, but they have no thyroid problem and need no treatment.
Or, given your relatively low TSH, it could be an indication that your pituitary is under active. Here's a list of symptoms of hypopituitarism.
For example, a low T4 level could mean a diseased thyroid gland ~ OR ~ a non-functioning pituitary gland which is not stimulating the thyroid to produce T4. Since the pituitary gland would normally release TSH if the T4 is low, a high TSH level would confirm that the thyroid gland (not the pituitary gland) is responsible for the hypothyroidism... Since TSH is normally low when the thyroid gland is functioning properly, the failure of TSH to rise when circulating thyroid hormones are low is an indication of impaired pituitary function.
FWIW, I wouldn't worry unless you're experiencing overt symptoms. For your age, your TSH is optimal indicating that your thyroid is functioning very well.
ChipW
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Re: Help with Numbers.

Post by ChipW »

Wow, thanks so much. Yes, no thyroid medicine for me yet. As far as symptoms I do feel somewhat lethargic at times but I do work out pretty hard still. My pituitary may very well be shut down. I have been on testosterone replacement therapy for quite a while now. I'm not sure how it effects the thyroid stimulating hormone but I know it shuts down the hypothalmus-pituitary- testicular axis. Maybe that's the problem. I will look into it. You have given me a starting point, thanks.


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