High Lipoprotein a - any advice on ways to lower it?
Posted , 3 users are following.
Hello,
Recent lipid results showed an elevated level of Lipoprotein a (Lp a). I'd never heard of it before and was just pleased that the letter setting out my results showed a marked decrease in my overall cholesterol and HDL levels: 6.3 down from 9.2.
My relief was short-lived however when i did a bit of research to find that Lp a is really the true culprit in heart health and gives a more accurate risk calculation re CVD.
Does anyone have any experience of dealing with this? And if so what did they do? My consultant is recommending a statin even though it will have no affect on the Lp a and my cholesterol levels are reducing through diet and lifestyle changes. I also really don't want to take the drug for all the reasons documented here and elsewhere.
Many thanks in advance.
0 likes, 10 replies
susan40017 marina95523
Posted
You dont want your HDL to fall. Thats the 'good' cholesterol. So, if HDL is low you dont want to take statins. is your LDL high? Lipoprotein (a) is almost the same as LDL but it has an extra molecule of protein. A statin will lower both your HDL and LDL but diet and lifestyle are the healthy way to lower LDL and raise HDL. You raise your HDL by eating at least 10 eggs per week and you lower your LDL and triglycerides by reducing saturated fats like red meat, cheese etc. Dairy fat in milk and yoghurt is good fat. Stop using vegetable oils (too much omega 6) and use extra virgin olive oil. Also lots of oily fish. (omega 3) Agood reference source is the book 'The Pioppi Diet' by Dr Aseem Malhotra, a Cardiologist. Read that and you'll find all the relevant research and diet and lifestyle changes that you need to know about. My GPis pleased with my success and I have familial hypercholesterolaemia. My cholesterol is down from 9.6 to 7.8 in just 3 months and I'm having my lipids checked every 6 months. Due again in July. Good luck. Explain to your GP what your plan if action is but remember, the important thing is that the body needs cholesteroland nobody knows what the normal level is because the variants are so wide
marina95523 susan40017
Posted
Many thanks for your detailed response Susan. I'm following a largely plant-based diet, no oil or diary including eggs,very little sugar and salmon about once a month. This has been key, I think, in the significant decrease in my numbers in the last four months.
My LDL is 4, HDL , 1.4 and Triglycerides, 1.9. As I said, I'm happy with the these numbers but its the Lipoprotein a of 410 that is worrying me. According to what Ive read it is the single most important factor in the development of atherosclerosis and is largely inherited and not affected by diet or exercise.
There's some evidence that vitamin c may help but I'd be grateful for any direct experiences with of dealing with high Lipoprotein a.
Many thanks
marina95523 susan40017
Posted
Oops! Meant to say a decrease in my LDL levels...
susan40017 marina95523
Posted
what exactly do you mean by plant based diet? Are you eating white carbohydrates like potatoes, pasta, rice and bread? Better to avoid these.
Your triglycerides are a bit high so what type of saturated fats are you eating ? Butter, cheese?
Your diet shouldn't just be aimed at reducing cholesterol. It needs to be a healthy diet which should include protein (chicken, fish, dairy and eggs), fat (olive oil, coconut oil, oily fish, nuts, red meat x once or twice a week - you also need some red meat for a good source of iron - but iron is also in dark green veg and apricots ) fruit x2 per day.
I don't know much about lipoprotein (a) I've not heard of it as a nurse (retired now)and ive never had it tested myself. I just had a quick look when I read your post. What I read said that raised Lipoprotein leads to raised triglycerides.
marina95523 susan40017
Posted
Hi Susan,
It's essentially a whole food diet. I eat carbohydrates but they are unrefined, so brown rice, flour, pasta, sweet potatoes and bread. With lots and lots of veg and fruit. I actually had a really good diet before - largely Mediterranean similar to what you suggest and was very healthy up until the bad cholesterol results at the end of last year.
I wanted something that would bring my levels down quite quickly and placate my drug-happy GP. This diet has done that, including shedding the extra few pounds I'd been struggling to lose, and I feel great. Apart from the mysterious Lp (a) readings that have entered the mix, my overall lipid panel was quite good. I actually made a mistake in my initial response to you - trying to remember the numbers off the top of
head! - and my TRIGS were 1.4.
Good luck with your review in July - I have mine then too.
susan40017 marina95523
Posted
That's high carbohydrate which can lead to type 2 diabetes. It's low on protein which you have to have for cell cell renewal and general bodily maintenance. Very little fat which you need for nerve tissue. It's a poor diet and you'll become ill if you carry on on it. You need to go back to your Mediterranean diet and either cut out the white carbohydrates. Its the best diet for heart health and health in general. Unrefined carbohydrates are good for the bowel but you can get enough fibre from your veg and eat a small handful of nuts each day. That is nuts with their skin on.Almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts etc. Two table spoons of extra virgin olive oil a day. (I don't manage to eat that amount because I don't like it neat but I cook using plenty of it and I put lemon juice in it for salads) . This diet has lowered my blood sugar so I'm no longer pre-diabetic and its getting my blood lipids under control. My cholesterol will always be higher than it was on statins but that doesn't worry me. Everything else is good and my angina has improved so my heart must be a lot happier. Mediterranean diet and learn to chill out. Stressing about things you can't change does nobody any good.
loxie marina95523
Posted
Marina - either your doctor is ill informed (and that's being generous) or they are overly influenced by the pharmaceutical drug rep. It is very well documented that heredity plays a large role in the levels of Lp(a), treatment with supplemental niacin (Vitamin B3) can lower levels of Lp(a) cholesterol numbers. Statin drugs generally have no effect, and there is no current approved drug for directly lowering Lp(a). To repeat - statins have no effect on reducing Lp(a) so it is confusing at best or even suspect behaviour to prescribe them to you if your overall cholesterol readings are on a downward trend. Susan is most certainly correct, you do not want to lower your HDL that is dangerous. Statins will lower both HDL and LDL but will NOT lower Lp(a) - so why the heck take that poison when it will have no benefit.
marina95523
Posted
Thanks Loxie and Susan. I did respond to Susan yesterday but my post was awaiting moderation! Fingers crossed this one gets through....
I should have said that my LDL not HDL level had dropped : now at 4; HDL 1.7; TRIGS 1.4 with a total cholesterol of 6.3.
Even to my untrained eye these numbers do not look too bad and are considerably better than a few months ago.
Having done a little research, it appears she is following the standard clinical protocol of 'agressively lowering LDL to minimise general risk in cases of elevated Lp (a)'
It's sod's law: I'd just got my head around all the bunkum re high LDL only to be blindsided by another 'risk' factor. Lp(a) appears to be a high marker, particularly of developing atherosclerosis, but the jury's still out as to whether it's a determining factor, i.e. like with LDL, lots of people have CAD events without this marker.
In my non-clinical opinion, doctors and drug companies are looking at tiny areas of a larger and complex picture which ignores environmental and emotional factors. But then there is no money to made from the latter!
I have to admit I was in a bit of a tail spin when I got the news but thanks to sites like this one - which is revealing in itself about the value of so-called clinical experts - I have calmed down a lot. Am I
at risk? Yes probably, but then I'm probably more at risk from the drugs and high stress caused by my medical treatment.
I chuckled to myself last night: a few months ago Saturday evening would have found me on the town with friends or at least entertaining at home, these days I spend my evenings poring over studies and posts trying to decipher what my doctor's are doing.
I have heard Niacin is good for Lp(a) levels and high doses of Vitamin C , the latter of which I'm going to try. But both of you are right: stay away from the drugs! My best bet is overall good health and ill continue that with my diet which is clearly working. Absolutely no mention, btw, of the cholesterol drop in the result summary, which I suppose tells you all you need to know.
Apologies for the long post and thanks again Loxie and Susan for your advice. Hope this post gets through....
loxie marina95523
Posted
Sounds like you're doing all the right stuff. As Susan has said - stay away from 'white' carbs and processed foods and just eat a varied balanced diet - ignore the hype about superfoods etc etc., its trendy but unfounded. Increase plant sterols/stanols in your diet too - excellent for heart health. My partner has just suffered a heart attack (last Monday) and has been diagnosed as having multiple arterial blockages which will require several bypass procedures. His BP shot through the roof. However, his cholesterol levels are and have been within normal range and we had no inkling prior to this episode. He is vegetarian so no red meat and we eat a very healthy diet with no processed food whatsoever - just goes to show eh. The myth that cholesterol is the only danger is suspiciously of pharmaceutical company making ........
marina95523 loxie
Posted
So sorry to hear about your partner Loxie and I wish him a speedy recovery. I think you hit the nail on the head - no-one really knows definitively what causes a lot of chronic illness . And I agree with you that cholesterol is most certainly not the culprit in heart disease - all the evidence points to that but where's there's money to be made....
I love food and cooking and ate a well-balanced, unprocessed diet before all this started so I was quite shocked to get a high cholesterol reading of 9. I don't have FH so the only thing I could look to was my diet and lifestyle. Whether it has been a coincidence that my change in diet parallels my numbers coming down I don't know, perhaps it's a combination of relaxing more and taking more exercise - my stress levels were quite high . The main thing is that it is coming down so I'll continue with what I'm doing and I'm hoping by my next appointment in July I'll be back in the 'safe' zone and can kiss all talk of statins goodbye!