Cholesterol

How’s Your Cholesterol Brian?

I’m glad you asked as it just so happens, I had a check up with my PCP on Monday and I have some fresh information for you. The results are from the usual lab, but they have changed up the Goal Range from this number to this other number, to a number preceded by either a greater than or less than symbol. Didn’t help my HDL any, as 39 is less than the old 40-110 range and it is not greater than the new 39 number either. I also lopped off about a dozen results from the last decade.

                                                        Goal Ranges
Date Chol <200 HDL >39 Non-HDL <130 Trig <150
04/03/18 154 39 115 132
01/05/17 169 40 84 225
09/29/16 189 40 119 150
03/31/16 170 37 95 180
10/10/12 196 36 128 160
04/10/12 193 39 121 166
10/10/11 162 43 88 155
04/04/11 155 38 96 107
12/06/10 176 41 114 105
05/18/10 151 38 91 109

Let’s Blame Holiday Eating

Had my 3 month follow up with the PCP today to see how the Crestor was doing. He wanted the LDL to come down, well it sure did, 119 to 84. The total number dropped too, but my HDL (the supposed good cholesterol) is still at the very low limit. Now my Triglycerides were the third highest they’ve bee in the 12 years I’ve been keeping track.

Doc said, “I’ll chalk up the triglycerides up to holiday eating.” “Yeah, this is the worst time of the year for a cholesterol check,” I said. His reply was, “I don’t know about where you are, but around here you couldn’t turn a corner without something to eat. And I was killing it.”

Damn Peppermint Bark!

                                                        Goal Ranges
Date Chol 80-199 HDL 40-110 LDL 30-130 Trig 30-150
01/05/17 169 40 84 225
09/29/16 189 40 119 150
03/31/16 170 37 95 180
10/10/12 196 36 128 160
04/10/12 193 39 121 166
10/10/11 162 43 88 155
04/04/11 155 38 96 107
12/06/10 176 41 114 105
05/18/10 151 38 91 109
12/15/08 167 41 92 171
03/21/08 164 37 104 115
12/12/07 175 38 104 165
07/17/07 185 36 117 162
03/05/07 195 39 123 167
09/19/06 167 37 103 135
04/06/06 168 37 106 126
12/08/05 182 35 120 137
07/28/05 177 30 113 169
06/17/05 164 31 85 238
05/06/05 174 27 108 194
01/10/05 176 33 110 167
09/21/04 209 24 131 271

Everything Looks Good, Let’s Change Something

Had my semi-annual visit with the PCP today. He took a look at my numbers and said, I’d like to see that LDL come down some, stop taking the pravastatin and let’s try Crestor. It’s just gone generic.” “See you back in 3 months.”

As always I get a copy of the blood work, so I’ll know and have something to put in here. For the first time in quite a few tests I’ve got no red numbers. Every test came back within range. Admittedly the cholesterol numbers are at the very edges of the range, but geez, couldn’t we have left well enough alone?

                                                        Goal Ranges
Date Chol 80-199 HDL 40-110 LDL 30-130 Trig 30-150
09/29/16 189 40 119 150
03/31/16 170 37 95 180
10/10/12 196 36 128 160
04/10/12 193 39 121 166
10/10/11 162 43 88 155
04/04/11 155 38 96 107
12/06/10 176 41 114 105
05/18/10 151 38 91 109
12/15/08 167 41 92 171
03/21/08 164 37 104 115
12/12/07 175 38 104 165
07/17/07 185 36 117 162
03/05/07 195 39 123 167
09/19/06 167 37 103 135
04/06/06 168 37 106 126
12/08/05 182 35 120 137
07/28/05 177 30 113 169
06/17/05 164 31 85 238
05/06/05 174 27 108 194
01/10/05 176 33 110 167
09/21/04 209 24 131 271

4 Years Later

McLeod Museum

We took a drive on Saturday to scout a route for a future MMC event, but we didn’t take the Miata, it was just a little too cold (and windy) for a convertible drive. The picture above is from the destination, the McLeod Farms Antique Museum.

It was even colder today. We got up this morning for our usual Sunday morning breakfast bike ride. Our first stop was downtown at the ATM because we didn’t have any cash and after were going to go another dozen miles or so before eating. The temps were in the upper 30s with the wind chill near freezing. We both felt uncomfortably cold in the 15° below normal, so after the ATM we just rode home and got in the car to drive for breakfast. Post breakfast we did the weekly grocery shopping and we have not been outside since.

This afternoon we sat glued to the couch watching the only golf tournament we ever watch, the Masters.

I have been seeing Dr. PCP twice a year forever for him to run my cholesterol numbers and I can’t believe it has been 4 years since I put up the numbers…Maybe because they looked pretty much like this latest batch of results, cholesterol & LDL within limits and my triglycerides too high with my HDL not high enough.

  Chol HDL LDL Trig
Goal 80-199 40-110 30-130 30-150
03/31/16 170 37 95 180
10/10/12 196 36 128 160
04/10/12 193 39 121 166
10/10/11 162 43 88 155
04/04/11 155 38 96 107
12/06/10 176 41 114 105
05/18/10 151 38 91 109
12/15/08 167 41 92 171
03/21/08 164 37 104 115
12/12/07 175 38 104 165
07/17/07 185 36 117 162
03/05/07 195 39 123 167
09/19/06 167 37 103 135
04/06/06 168 37 106 126
12/08/05 182 35 120 137
07/28/05 177 30 113 169
06/17/05 164 31 85 238
05/06/05 174 27 108 194
01/10/05 176 33 110 167
09/21/04 209 24 131 271

Lipitor Afterall

Just the generic version. Visited the GP today and my numbers were about the same as last time. When he hemmed a bit about it thinking sort of out loud wondering if we should adjust some of the meds I spoke up and asked if we could swap out the Tricor as that was the the only prescription I had that wasn’t generic. So he suggested Lipitor now that it was available in generic form. I said sign me up. Next check is in February.

  Chol HDL LDL Trig
Goal 80-199 40-110 30-130 30-150
10/10/12 196 36 128 160
04/10/12 193 39 121 166
10/10/11 162 43 88 155
04/04/11 155 38 96 107
12/06/10 176 41 114 105
05/18/10 151 38 91 109
12/15/08 167 41 92 171
03/21/08 164 37 104 115
12/12/07 175 38 104 165
07/17/07 185 36 117 162
03/05/07 195 39 123 167
09/19/06 167 37 103 135
04/06/06 168 37 106 126
12/08/05 182 35 120 137
07/28/05 177 30 113 169
06/17/05 164 31 85 238
05/06/05 174 27 108 194
01/10/05 176 33 110 167
09/21/04 209 24 131 271

Back Slid Some

Maybe I should add a column for my weight too. Every winter I always gain 5-10 pounds due to inactivity and each spring I lose it back. This year I think I have past the age point where losing weight becomes much more difficult, because I tipped the scales at Dr. PCP’s office at 206.0 today. Maybe it is the extra 10 pounds or maybe the same age marker is to blame for my higher blood borne floating fats…

  Chol HDL LDL Trig
Goal <200 >31 <100 30-150
04/10/12 193 39 121 166
10/10/11 162 43 88 155
04/04/11 155 38 96 107
12/06/10 176 41 114 105
05/18/10 151 38 91 109
12/15/08 167 41 92 171
03/21/08 164 37 104 115
12/12/07 175 38 104 165
07/17/07 185 36 117 162
03/05/07 195 39 123 167
09/19/06 167 37 103 135
04/06/06 168 37 106 126
12/08/05 182 35 120 137
07/28/05 177 30 113 169
06/17/05 164 31 85 238
05/06/05 174 27 108 194
01/10/05 176 33 110 167
09/21/04 209 24 131 271

Mixin’ It Up

Had a visit with Dr. PCP the other day for my bi-annual check up. My cholestrol numbers were basically very good except for the triglyceride anomaly, but we are shaking up the medications because the FDA says so. Apparently the simvastatin I’m taking in combination with another drug might cause myopathy (med speak for frakked up muscles), so he his changing me to pravastatin and rechecking in 6 months. At that time we can either up the dosage of the new drug or maybe try the generic version of Lipitor which is supposed to become available next month.

  Chol HDL LDL Trig
Goal <200 >31 <100 30-150
10/10/11 162 43 88 155
04/04/11 155 38 96 107
12/06/10 176 41 114 105
05/18/10 151 38 91 109
12/15/08 167 41 92 171
03/21/08 164 37 104 115
12/12/07 175 38 104 165
07/17/07 185 36 117 162
03/05/07 195 39 123 167
09/19/06 167 37 103 135
04/06/06 168 37 106 126
12/08/05 182 35 120 137
07/28/05 177 30 113 169
06/17/05 164 31 85 238
05/06/05 174 27 108 194
01/10/05 176 33 110 167
09/21/04 209 24 131 271