Cholesterol levels

Joseann

You're like me, Kate1949! Out comes the BP machine and sky high it goes. Half an hour later with a glass of wine in hand, it's right down again! Drugs won't treat that!

Alcohol decreases blood pressure initially (up to 12 hours after ingestion) and increases blood pressure after that. Alcohol consistently increases heart rate at all times within 24 hours of consumption.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8130994/#:~:text=Thus%20alcohol%20decreases%20blood%20pressure,within%2024%20hours%20of%20consumption.

I've read other studies which support that ie. alcohol decreases blood pressure in the short term, but raises it long term.

It's why I gave up alcohol completely in 2017. I never really enjoyed alcohol that much anyway, so it wasn't a big deal. I now have about three or four small glasses of wine a year.

I still take very low dose BP tablets, but my blood pressure is now never high, even when taken by the dreaded practice nurse.

silverlining48

Thanks growstuff but I have no idea who the pharmacist was, I was told I had a phone appointment and hadn’t expected it to be a random pharmacist - who couldn’t give the percentage likelihood of me having a stroke.
If only it were as easy as it used to be to get in touch with a surgery. I managed, after a long wait, today and was told I woukd have to speak to a pharmacist, but there were no appointments available in the firseesnke future. I coukd not see a gp.
Had just wondered if anyone else over 75 with no health issues has been prescribed statins for the first time.
This isn’t urgent, I was just curious.

I was called in by my GP pharmacist yesterday and he ran through all the options for statins and has now referred me to the lipid clinic.. I would definitely try to get an appointment with your GP practice pharmacist... they are so knowledgeable. If you have had your yearly checkup for over 70's they should offer you an appointment if your cholesterol is high. I would speak to the practice manager..

Then there's the French studies which suggest that a glass of red wine (especially Merlot) reduces cholesterol. Sounds good to me! 🍷

Joseann

Then there's the French studies which suggest that a glass of red wine (especially Merlot) reduces cholesterol. Sounds good to me! 🍷

Suit yourself! I'm not suggesting you drink too much, but alcohol could explain the erratic blood pressure.

PS. I don't have high cholesterol. I was taken off statins about two years ago and my ratio is consistently 3.2 or 3.3, which is well within the healthy range and is definitely caused by alcohol.

Ooops! definitely not caused by

If you have had your yearly check up for over 70’s

My recent check up, had one at 60, another at 65.5, then last one at 71. Was told I would get next one in another 5 years.

Obv my GP practice doesn’t offer them annually, and only had this last one because I asked about it.

When I asked if I could have a well woman test I was told they don't give them after 70
I also asked about cholesterol and the nurse said don't worry about that at your age .I'm 81 no big health problems.heart BP etc. Is normal.but was curios as haven't had any health checks for years
Recently saw a Dr as I gave a painful swollen knee and ache from hip when I walk
She sat and yawned all the time and gave me ibuprofen gel which I could have bought and had trued previously
I'm sure they don't care when you are over 70

This just demonstrates how confused doctors are. Last time mine was tested I was told, 'Well it's lower than last time but as we now have a different way of assessing it, it's too high'.....and then they try to persuade you to take statins which present their own problems!

I overheard a conversation between two elderly men today. One was telling the other about his high blood pressure. His mate replied “don’t you talk to me about that. I had mine checked at the pharmacy and he said I could lower mine in a day if I stopped drinking tea. You get more sense out of a vet.” 🤣

Years ago I was seen by a heart consultant he said my cholesterol was high but well balanced he didn’t advise statins. Time went by and at 75 someone decided to test for cholesterol. All hell broke out it was 8.6 the pharmacist phoning every other day statins prescribed. I was so worried I just took them and felt very ill. They were changed and I take a minute dose. The cholesterol is down but I have had colds and aches and pains ever since.
I now read this morning that someone thinks butter, milk, cream etc is really good for you.

Yearly check up? I wish!

silverlining48

Yearly check up? I wish!

The GP contract with the NHS specifies that everyone over 75 should have a yearly health check.. I have been getting one because I have a heart condition. I would contact your surgery for one Silverlining..

I will give it a try pascal. Thanks.

pascal30

silverlining48

Yearly check up? I wish!

The GP contract with the NHS specifies that everyone over 75 should have a yearly health check.. I have been getting one because I have a heart condition. I would contact your surgery for one Silverlining..

Patients over 75 should have an annual health check anyway. Those from 40 to 74 should be invited to have a five yearly assessment unless they already have regular check ups because they have a chronic condition.

Test results should be available to all patients on the NHS app. If you don't have the app, ask reception for the full results in written form. They have to get a GP to sign them off, but they should be ready in a day or so.

silverlining48

Thanks growstuff but I have no idea who the pharmacist was, I was told I had a phone appointment and hadn’t expected it to be a random pharmacist - who couldn’t give the percentage likelihood of me having a stroke.
If only it were as easy as it used to be to get in touch with a surgery. I managed, after a long wait, today and was told I woukd have to speak to a pharmacist, but there were no appointments available in the firseesnke future. I coukd not see a gp.
Had just wondered if anyone else over 75 with no health issues has been prescribed statins for the first time.
This isn’t urgent, I was just curious.

There's no way a pharmacist could give the percentage likelihood of having a stroke without having other details, such as your weight, family and personal medical history, your blood pressure, the amount you exercise, smoke and drink and what your diet is like.

Exactly growstuff. I was expecting a telephone appointment with the gp, so assume he was from the surgery he didn’t say. but to prescribe statins over the phone he shoukd have had more information with him.

I have it on my to do list, but to get in touch with the surgery isn’t easy these days,

silverlining48

Exactly growstuff. I was expecting a telephone appointment with the gp, so assume he was from the surgery he didn’t say. but to prescribe statins over the phone he shoukd have had more information with him.

I have it on my to do list, but to get in touch with the surgery isn’t easy these days,

No pharmacist would have rung you up out of the blue and prescribed statins. It would have been a clinical pharmacist attached to the GP practice or possibly a pharmacist the GP has some kind of arrangement with. In either case, it would have been because something in your records flagged up that you have high cholesterol and NICE guidelines recommended statins.

I'm not sure that anybody can give you your risk of having a stroke. The figure usually given is your risk of having any cardiovascular disease, eg stroke, heart attack, angina, etc.

There are various "tools" to work that out, but the one commonly used is called QRISK 3. It might have been updated since 2018, but this is a link to the 2018 tool, so you can work out your risk for yourself:

www.qrisk.org/index.php

This is a leaflet about interpreting the score (percentage):

www.hornchurchhealthcare.co.uk/appointmentstest-referrals/tests-investigations/cardiovascular-risk-score-qrisk3-patient-information-leaflet/#:~:text=This%20means%20that%20you%20have%20between%20a%20one%20to%20two,in%20the%20next%2010%20years

NICE recommends starting statins for anybody with a risk of developing cardiovascular disease within the next ten years of more than 5%.

To be honest, you don't really need to see a doctor if you have the results of blood tests, your blood pressure and know your weight etc. The GP practice must provide you with the results in writing, if you request them.

Once you've worked out your risk of developing cardiovascular disease within 10 years, it's up to you whether you accept the risk and do nothing or accept medication and/or advice you're given. The GP wouldn't be able to tell you anything different.

Years ago I had a cholesterol check and it was about 6. the doctor recommended statins and I refused.

Out of curiosity about a year later I was at the GP's and I asked if I was going to have another test. (I had been hoping a few diet changes had helped) He asked me why and when I told him he said his was 7 and it was nothing to worry about, he wasn't going to take statins!

My friend's cholesterol was 11 some years ago. She was put on statins 40mg. The lowest her cholesterol has come down to is 7. She said she can't understand it as she is vegetarian. I'm not sure what that has to do with it.

I have just done the risk test thanks growstuff and have a 17% chance of heart attack or stroke. I take no meds, have none of the health contraindications apart from being overweight and am nearly 76. I don’t think 17% risk is too bad…..
According to the nhs website people over 75 with no contraindications should be started on statins so I am still confused.

Thanks for the Qrisk calculator link growstuff. Interesting.

I'm sceptical about being suddenly jumped on at 65 years to take statins because if I put in the one and only YES answer on that list, all it does is just increase my risk exponentially every 10 years or so, which is pretty natural to my way of thinking. Understandably I can't expect to have the same risk level 40 years later that I had when 25 years old, but as nothing else has changed about me, (Hypertension was actually discovered at 20), I see it as very much a push to put every older person on medication just in case?

silverlining crossed post - both along the same lines of thinking.

I'm 9 5% according to that.