High LDL

[mosherman1]

Hi
I am new to the forum and having trouble with doctors in general. Currently I am spending over $200 for meds and still have a bad a1c. Setting aside diagnosis problems my ldl fluctuates with my a1c. @ 5.5 my ldl was 90 when my a1c creeped up to 7 my ldl was 103 @10.6 a1c ldl=119 Doc immediately perscibed zocor @ 103. I have and still refuse to take it for a few points. I am 37 my bmi is 25.6 wh ratio .88 6' 200# Am I wrong in not wanting to add chemicals to my system without merit. Do others see ldl changes with a1c?

I hate to not listen to my doctor but I hate drugs and spending $200 plus a month even more.

I am starting insulin tonight and going in for bloodwork next week to check for LADA vs type 2


Any others?

[xMenace]

Get those sugars down to sub-6 stat!

The betes is one of the highest cardio risk factors for good reason. Sugar scrapes the endothelial lining of artieries causing plaque to build much more easily. Sugar slows down blood flow and hardens the outside wall of arteries increasing blood pressure. We also tend to have smaller blood vessels which exacerbates things even more.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/Anatomy_artery.png

[BlueSky]

The LDL / HBA1c connection you have observed is unusual. There is no logical reason why the two should move together. Could it be coincidence? My LDL appears to move with stress levels, which makes sense. Cholesterol is like a natural band-aid and more of it gets produced when the body is taking strain.

At 103, your LDL is low. The optimal level from a longevity perspective is 80-160. And I agree that taking drugs to reduce cholesterol from that level doesn't make sense. My LDL is about 150, and I won't take drugs to reduce it either. ;)

[REDLAN]

There is no logical reason why the two should move together.

well...

it could be related to the underlying causes of insulin resistance. Individuals with metabolic syndrome (believed to be the pre-cursor to type 2 diabetes), also have elevated blood pressure, a tendency to abdominal obesity, and elevated cholesterol.

the differentiation between LDL and total cholesterol is mostly irrelevant, as LDL level is generally proportional to total cholesterol anyway.

so.....

if Mosherman's HBA1c rise was caused by changes in insulin reistance it is logical that it would also cause his cholesterol to rise.

interestingly I have experienced increased insulin resistance this winter (judging by my increased insulin needs), and have also experienced a rise in cholesterol.

Sugar scrapes the endothelial lining of artieries

the believed mechanism of damage in diabetes has nothing to do with the shape of glucose molecules. It is believed that the mechanism is due to glycation of proteins.

Many proteins function are altered by the body adding glucose molecules to them. Usually this changes the shape of the protein molecule and causes it either become active or be deactivated. The mechanism acts as a form of molecular switch.

In general glucose quite readily sticks to protein molecules (this is actually what HBa1c measures). When it occurs outside of the body's control they are referred to as AGE's (advanced glycation end products). The body has an array of enzymes which mop up and neutralise these AGE's - in diabetes the excess production of AGE's exceeds the body's ability to neutralise them. They accumulate and damage body tissues.

One thread of research is looking at the role of AGE's in mitochondrial damage. Apparently glycation of mitochondrial enzymes is extremely hard for the body to reverse.

there are some problems with the theory of glycation of proteins causing the damage. While there is a relationship between a1c and development of complications, there is a high degree of variation between individuals with similar a1c's. I also remember reading that development of neuropathy does not fit well with A1c levels.

[matingara]

in my case, my LDL was high, my triglycerides were very high when my blood sugar was uncontrolled (before diagnosis).

now with controlled BGL and an A1C of 5.9, i find that my LDL and my triglycerides are excellent.

the key for me has been restricting my intake of carbohydrates.

:D

-- Joel.