Paging Dr Tommy Mac

[Rider]

... or anyone else in the medical profession.

So for my 40th I had a full physical and I got the results of my blood test back. The Dr called me with a concern. My Total Cholesterol is 126 but my HDL is only 25. So because my HDL is so low he wants me to take Niacin to raise my HDL. If my total Cholesterol is low, who gives a shit what my HDL is? Do I really need to take some fucking pill to raise my HDL or is he just getting a kickback from the drug company for pushing unnecessary pills?

The last time I had my Cholesterol checked (about 15+ years ago) it was 105.

[Particle Man]

You want your HDL higher - from what I've read, lower HDL can lead to more incidence of heart disease. HDL supposedly carries cholesterol away from the arteries and back to the liver, where it's processed for expulsion from the body.

[ontwo]

You can also get Niacin OTC

[tommymac]

You def want the HDL higher, also was this a fasting cholesterol test?

Usualy exercise and an active lifestyle will keep it a little higher which is good. And if thats all thats wrong yuore prety damn good. With the low cholesterol #'s you have its not as concerning a sif it were say 300.

[Rider]

You want your HDL higher - from what I've read, lower HDL can lead to more incidence of heart disease. HDL supposedly carries cholesterol away from the arteries and back to the liver, where it's processed for expulsion from the body.

Yeah but if my total is low who really cares? Does it really matter that much?

[Rider]

You def want the HDL higher, also was this a fasting cholesterol test?

Usualy exercise and an active lifestyle will keep it a little higher which is good. And if thats all thats wrong yuore prety damn good. With the low cholesterol #'s you have its not as concerning a sif it were say 300.

Yeah it was fasting and all other numbers came back good. Glucose, Testosterone....etc.

[tommymac]

Yeah but if my total is low who really cares? Does it really matter that much?

it can, but its not something I would loose sleep over. All I would say 8is use a regular multivitamin that will give all the niacin you need.

[t-homo]

Niacin is just a vitamin, not some sort of drug. FWIW

[Particle Man]

Niacin is just a vitamin, not some sort of drug. FWIW
It's even found in some breakfast cereals.

[Evadd]

... or anyone else in the medical profession.

So for my 40th I had a full physical and I got the results of my blood test back. The Dr called me with a concern. My Total Cholesterol is 126 but my HDL is only 25. So because my HDL is so low he wants me to take Niacin to raise my HDL. If my total Cholesterol is low, who gives a shit what my HDL is? Do I really need to take some fucking pill to raise my HDL or is he just getting a kickback from the drug company for pushing unnecessary pills?

The last time I had my Cholesterol checked (about 15+ years ago) it was 105.
that's pretty low for HDL. IMO, taking Niacin is nothing - it's vitamin B3. if i were you, i'd try to raise it. it can be protective - so yes, your total is low, and that's good, but a low HDL is still a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

[Gas Man]

With it that low, why doesn't he have you retake the blood test to be certain?

[Rider]

With it that low, why doesn't he have you retake the blood test to be certain?

Don't know but I'm taking the Niacin now 500mg/day. That's 2500% of the RDA. :tremble: I'll take it for a while (1-2 months) and have them retest.

[Avatard]

I'm not a doctor, but I play one on TV...and on this forum.

Most doctors are functioning on old research, and worst yet, bad research.

It's a (very) long read, but here's the latest, straightest poop:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/the-cholesterol-myth-that_b_676817.html

[Evadd]

I'm not a doctor, but I play one on TV...and on this forum.

Most doctors are functioning on old research, and worst yet, bad research.

It's a (very) long read, but here's the latest, straightest poop:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/the-cholesterol-myth-that_b_676817.html

actually, most of us reserve judgment until we have read multiple studies confirming something. we're also trained to critically read articles and publications.. we don't just jump up and down b/c we see a cleverly written, completely unsupported "article". if you look through the page you linked, he has NOT ONE footnote or reference to published articles. who in their right mind would write an article and have zero references? it's unheard of. it's all his own opinion. in my head, i'm screaming at him for being a bullshit artist.

i did see that he has a number of publications, but they are the most scattered group of articles about 100 different topics. no one is a an expert about so many things like that, and any research takes many many months (more like years) to complete, making me highly suspicious of his credentials to comment on any topic.
"Fluoride and Apoptosis: Trading Dental Caries for Cellular Death?"
"Premarital HIV Testing"
"Accuracy of Hair Analysis"

are you kidding me??


in addition, we know to look for things like THIS: http://products.mercola.com/

yeah, that's right: the guy you're following has his own line of products touting his philosophies. did you look through his website? not a single disclaimer. sorry, but any medical researcher worth a damn has a clear message at the beginning of any presentation they give that says something similar to "i have nothing to disclose" or "i disclose that i received a grant from company xyz for this research". or, in this guy's case, it would read something like "i make my own products that i will try to sell you based on the propaganda i am about to shove down your unwitting throat".

my favorite part?
But clinical trials conducted by heavily biased "researchers," advertisements and news stories carefully scripted to scare you into belief, highly polished corporate offices and corporate websites, and an extreme focus on whatever has the most profit potential - not lifesaving or life-enhancing potential - are not qualifications. They are scams.
holy hell, he may as well have written that about himself.

[101lifts2]

actually, most of us reserve judgment until we have read multiple studies confirming something. we're also trained to critically read articles and publications.. we don't just jump up and down b/c we see a cleverly written, completely unsupported "article". if you look through the page you linked, he has NOT ONE footnote or reference to published articles. who in their right mind would write an article and have zero references? it's unheard of. .....

It's Avatard remember...he is impressed with words like "all", "most", "effective", in an article if it suits his views.

Cholesterol in the blood is one thing, but cholesterol does nothing if it doesn't have triglycerides to bind with.

What foods are you eating? Are you eating enough Omega 3 fats? Take 10 fish oil tabs a day IMO.

[Evadd]

It's Avatard remember...he is impressed with words like "all", "most", "effective", in an article if it suits his views.

actually, i like Avatard. he's just way off here. :lol:

[Avatard]

What specifically in the article do you disagree with, Dave?

[Angee]

I went to have my "pushing 40" bloodwork last December. My "good cholesterol" was 65 and my "bad cholesterol" was 55. I eat lots of rice, chicken, pork and fish (not so much fish, since Dutch doesn't eat it) but not alot of veggies and not alot of red meat. I mostly use Olive oil in cooking and eat pasta like it's going out of style. I figured with all the bagels I ate the last couple of years I'd be a ticking time bomb, but no...apparently I'm just fine. I don't get it but if it's good news, why worry about it?

[Smittie61984]

actually, most of us reserve judgment until we have read multiple studies confirming something. we're also trained to critically read articles and publications.. we don't just jump up and down b/c we see a cleverly written, completely unsupported "article".

$200,000+ education, countless hours in libraries, and endless clinical rotations is no substitute for Wikipedia and Google.