5 Years After Stopping My Statins

This morning I'm in Harley Street. I've come for a CT coronary angiogram. Five years ago, I stopped my statin medication which I had been taken for many years because of a raised cholesterol. Based on my research, I decided to stop my statins and treat my risk factors for heart disease by adopting a healthy lifestyle. My cholesterol is now back up into the "high range" and many people continue to ask me: Are you worried about your cholesterol? Aren't you worried about heart attack? Well I don't personally think (high) cholesterol is a big risk factor for heart disease (compared to other risk factors). I'mhoping today that with the CT Coronary angiogram - it will show that I've got reasonably good coronaries despite my high cholesterol and that heart disease isn't something that I'm having to worry about. Now in preparation for this, I haven't had anything to eat since midnight and I haven't had coffee this morning - so, I'm looking forward to having scan done and having a coffee afterwards. So I'm in the x-ray department of 68 Harley Street and I'm waiting to have my CT coronary angiogram. As a prelude, I've had my blood pressure and pulse checked; and my place is a little high. I think it's nearly 78 or 80(bpm). So to get better images I've been given a tablet to slow my heart rate - it's called a beta blocker - and that will give better images during the scan. I'm a little bit apprehensive. I'm hoping that five years without a statin and high cholesterol hasn't caused any problems with my coronary arteries; but we're soon going to find out. OK. So I just come out from 68 Harley Street and I've had my coronary CT angiogram. I've had a coronary artery calcium score and a CT angiogram; and despite five years of a high cholesterol level that hasn't been treated with a statin, I've got a better than average coronary artery calcium score for my age. It's 59 (the score). It's not quite the zero that puts you in a very low risk group but for my age, I've got a low risk of (serious) coronary artery disease; and that's despite having a high cholesterol being off statins. Now this is obviously specific to me. I'm not suggesting that everybody without raised cholesterol should throw away their statins; it's all about risk but having a CT angiogram has looked at my coronaries and has personalized the evidence as far as I'm concerned. I won't be going back on the static anytime soon. I'll continue with my regimen of healthy eating, exercise, (adequate) sleep and appropriate supplements where required. I haven't had breakfast, so I'm now off to have some breakfast. Ive come to the "Mustard Cafe" just around the corner from Harley Street. Im having a cooked breakfast.. The only things I've not got on the full English Breakfast is the baked beans and the hash browns and the toast. you

Channel: The VeinCare Centre

Views: 488,122

Keywords: statins, high cholesterol, coronary artery calcium score, CAC score, CT coronary angiogram, risk of heart attack, simvastatin, atorvastatin, what happens if I stop my statin, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, bad cholesterol, good cholesterol, triglycerides, A1C, heart attack, what really causes heart disease, atheroma, atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, coronary artery atherosclerosis, cause of atherosclerosis, somerset, cornwall, devon, hampshire, bristol, bath, cardiologist

Id: nS0Qr7wRr9o

Length: 3min 48sec (228 seconds)

Published: Sat Feb 03 2018