Q:
I am 57, 5’10, 160lbs non-smoker RN. I exercise 5 days a week. and eat a very low fat no beef diet.
I have borderline hypertension which I treat with Ramapril 10mg daily.
Father had CAD at 65 had his first of 2 bypasses.
My cholesterol is 250 LDL 140 HDL 60 with normal trig.
I have tried Lipitor and Zocor and had side effects.
I do not want to expose myself to the radiation of the calcium scan. Is the carotid IMT scan worth doing as an alternative?
What drugs would you recommend. I took care of my father and do not want to have CAD but the statins I’ve tried were intolerable so far.
A:
Your numbers indicate you are in good shape, exercise more than adequately and eat a healthy diet.
Your problem is a high cholesterol and LDL, because your HDL is great.
Statin side effects can indeed be very troublesome. If they were related to leg cramps, maybe this can be of help:
http://www.cardiac-risk-assessment.com/ca-blog/since-i-started-taking-zocor-i-ha
Rather than the other tests, I’d recommend a CTCA, but frankly I don’t recommend any at this point in an asymptomatic and otherwise healthy patient:
http://www.cardiac-risk-assessment.com/heart-disease-diagnosis/ct-angiography-fo
You can calculate your specific risk here:
http://www.cardiac-risk-assessment.com/app/risk-assessment.php
Have you tried Cholestyramine (Questran)? Read more about that here:
http://www.cardiac-risk-assessment.com/heart-disease-treatment/heart-disease-med
Last, but not least, are you sure your diet is optimal? Read more here:
http://www.cardiac-risk-assessment.com/ca-blog/what-are-the-best-vitamins-and-su
http://www.cardiac-risk-assessment.com/patients/diet/heart-healthy-food
I believe a proper diet plays a much underrated role. In fact, since as a heart surgeon I can hardly be called an expert in this field, I have a meeting with both a chef and a nutrician to partner with as an invaluable addition to my website!
Hope this helps. Please rate my answer,
Dr T,
http://www.cardiac-risk-assessment.com/