Yes or No to Genetic Testing for Familial Hypercholesterolaemia ?

[Honeycomb]

I was wondering if anyone had personal experience of or information regarding the genetic condition Familial Hypercholesterolaemia . I was told that it’s very likely that I am affected by Familial Hypercholesterolaemia and been offered genetic testing. I haven’t yet gone through with it. I am torn between various views such as “best not to know”, “what is it going to change?” and “nothing to lose in knowing” “it will provide some answers” ...

Also, I am struggling to find information - which is not doctor/conventional medicine - on this inherited issue. I don’t think Ray Peat has written or talked about it. At least I cannot find anything. I am hoping someone will point me in the right direction so I can make more informed choices.
Does anyone know of a natural treatment, supplements, anything Peat-friendly which could help lower the extremely high LDL cholesterol brought by Familial Hypercholesterolaemia? From what I have read, and it makes for a bit of depressing read, the only conventional treatment for someone affected by FH would be statins. I have already told the consultant I saw that I would not be taking them.

Thank you.

 

[Elderflower j58]

@Honeycomb

Hi there , I'm not sure if having the test and the information can help you or not Maybe if you have a heart issue or heart disease heart attacks something like that you might find the information helpful.

I have genetic familial hypocholesterolemia tested ,
I also have had heart issues since age 39 stents, 2 heart attacks finally a Quadruple bypass .
What I fully believe now is my heavy
puffa diet and heavy smoking habits for absolute years have contributed greatly to my heart issues ... And both of these habits combined with familial hypocholesterolomia can be a time bomb.
I also believe at that time I had a clotting disorder that was undagnosed And therein is a big connection for FH and heart disease .
But most people with high cholesterol live to a ripe old age it's actually good for them.
Please read the newsletter below from the very courageous doctor UFFE RAVNSKOV.

Newsletter August 2022 – Early heart disease among people with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is not caused by their LDL-cholesterol – Uffe Ravnskov

www.ravnskov.nu

 

[Honeycomb]

Hi @Elderflower j58 and thank you for sharing all this. Woah, it sounds like you have had your fair share of trouble. I hope you are better now.

I haven’t personally experienced any heart problems but there is family history (on my mum’s side) of cardiovascular disease with several members having had fatal heart attacks.

My LDL cholesterol is super high and combined with higher than normal Apolipoprotein B - which I am aware is linked to an increased risk of heart disease - and also higher than normal Lipoprotein (a) - which from what I have read, is inherited and can not be lowered by stating, isn’t ideal! My apolipoprotein A1 though is within normal range - and that helps to protect against heart disease I think.

Can I ask if you are taking statins or have and what’s your experience of them if yes? Have you tried other things like aspirin and niacin?

Yes, I know that cholesterol is protective too and as we age and our hormones decline, our cholesterol rises to meet our needs. And of course even slightly low levels of thyroid hormones can cause a spike in cholesterol. My tests showed normal thyroid function.

I don’t quite know what to do. Maybe I should take the test and find out. Like collecting another piece of my puzzle!

Thank you.

 

[Honeycomb]

And @Elderflower j58 thanks for the link to the article. Interesting.

 

[Mito]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lkt9-dMx67s

 

[Honeycomb]

Thank you @Mito. Really appreciated. I have listened to most of Chris Masterjohn’s podcasts about cholesterol but hadn’t come across this one. Very interesting.

 

[Servier]

Hey @Honeycomb , I find this article just yesterday Cholesterol, longevity, intelligence, and health.
Lots of usefull information and views about cholesterol and it's implications

bonne chance !

 

[Honeycomb]

Merci @Servier ! I remember reading that article but it was a very long time ago. Really grateful. So informative. And detailed. And complex. I am reading it now like it’s the first time - as is often the case for me when reading Ray Peat’s articles.

 

[Elderflower j58]

@Honeycomb
I don't take any prescription heart medication anymore, I do not trust any of the medical profession regarding heart disease or Cancers or any disease for that matter
I took all of the heart meds prescribed for 18 long years including a very high Statin 80mg, During that time I reattended hospital several times for more stents Ending up with 8 stents And first heart attack in 2015, I had angina biweekly , Painful sore muscles especially my legs,
I personally think the Statin did the most damage to my brain.... Brain fog forgetfulness, depression, Lack of awareness, Panic attacks and anxiety I felt like I was not me anymore.
Obviously I was not aware of Ray Peat
At that time and I was pretty unaware of the medical corruption going on in the world.
What I take today is Aspirin, Progesterone , Magnesiumtaurate, Vitamin K2 vitamin D,
Complex vitamin B, eggshell calcium that I make myself.
I use low salt nightly in my warm milk because it has potassium as well as sodium + sugar of course.
I'm still quite scared Because of all the contradicting information regarding heart disease.
My cholesterol At that time was ...
Total cholesterol 10
LDL 7.5
LP(a) 350
Trig 1.6
I can't remember my hdl number But I think it was pretty normal.
My cholesterol did not lower much on these meds and my LP(a) never moved.
Not sure if this information will help you but I hope it gives you some insight I would not touch the statins.

 

[Elderflower j58]

I forgot to mention I was on the PCSK9 inhibitor injection.
It is a fortnightly stab that I did myself,
I never wanted to take that injection but I felt forced into it by my cardiologist which scared the living daylights out of me by telling me I was going to die Of my extremely high cholesterol.
I only took that injection for 2 months because it raised my liver Markers and I looked at a forum where people said it was a Horrible medication that coast untold damage and should be banned

 

[Honeycomb]

I cannot tell you how informative your last response was @Elderflower j58 ! Thank you so much for sharing. I am so sorry to read about your personal heart issues. Blimey! Whilst I cannot imagine what you have been through and how terrified you must have been over the years, I am not surprised to hear that you have lost trust in the conventional health system.

Thank you for sharing your supplement protocol too. I think pretty much everything you take is on my Wish list! I just need to take the plunge.

I discovered Ray Peat in April 2021 and feel so much better for all the dietary changes I have already made. At that time, I had been journeying on the plant-based wagon (since about 2017) as part of my recovery from breast cancer treatment in 2014. I read The China Study amongst other books and thought I should avoid all animal products, and many other publications all claiming that cancer fed on sugar. So, in the name of health, I ate lots of cruciferous vegetables, raw vegetables, almond milk, tons of nuts and seeds, tons of grains, beans and lentils. I could make a very pretty rainbow salad and I also always had stomach and bloating issues ... Thank goodness I was wise enough to not touch soya, tofu or vegan/meat substitutes. And thank goodness I continued to eat fruit and honey, as somehow I just couldn’t cut those out!

Fast forward to an optician visit follow-up blood test in October 2021. I was just starting to enjoy some eggs, cheese, milk, Greek yogurt, beef liver, seafood, fish, occasional cuts of meat, bone broth etc all Peaty things, when I am told that my cholesterol is off the charts!!! And this leads me to where I am now.

Of course I have been unlearning and re-educating myself over the last 18 months. I am really enjoying reading articles and listening to podcasts and dedicate a huge amount of my spare time doing so. But I have been a little reluctant to take supplements and only take magnesium in the forms of trace minerals, magnesium malate with L-taurine and magnesium bicarbonate.

Do you not take vitamin E? I am thinking of the Shutes brothers’ recommendation for preventing thrombosis and clots n the legs.

Do you think, if consuming milk, cheese and Greek yogurt, homemade eggshell calcium is necessary?

Can I ask, what is your typical diet, in view of FH and the fact that you don’t take statins anymore. You must have experimented with food. Have you lowered your fat and cholesterol intake? Do you avoid all together things that would drive your cholesterol up?

Thanks again.

 

[Elderflower j58]

Regarding calcium

Calcium and Disease: Hypertension, organ calcification, & shock, vs. respiratory energy

Ray Peat

raypeat.com

This Article plus the one you have above regarding cholesterol and longevity where the most important letters I found regarding heart disease cholesterol by Ray peat.


I always take my calcium along with the other salts sodium Potassium magnesium sometimes Gelatin in my milk Or alongside Especially when I am eating red meat.
I do not drink a Large amount of milk Which is the reason I make the egg gel calcium and try and balance it with phosphate in muscle meat.

 

[Elderflower j58]

To be honest with you my diet has not been optimum recently I've had a lot of issues family stuff and depression.
I cook only with butter Or coconut oil or both Beef dripping and try very hard to stay away from any pufaa which as you can imagine it's extremely hard they are in absolutely everything
I also believe I do not eat enough calories or protein even though I am not underweight So basically I would have
Eggs beef mince, Liver once a week Potatoes smashed or fried In coconut oil or tallow,
I would have whitefish and prawns in the week Either baked or shallow fried in coconut oil and a selection of vegetables and herbs .
Let me think what else oh obviously Orange juice Organic milk.
And because my organic milk has increased in price to 3 British pounds I am going to go have to go back to regular milk Which I am really p***** off about.
I will get back to you later this evening with a bit of a better look at what else I have done and some of the supplements I have taken and the reason why please bear with me.

 

[Elderflower j58]

Your diet is 17% fat am I right in my estimation? Personally speaking I think that might be a bit low I do not Believe theory that's if you eat cholesterol Laden food you will higher your cholesterol I think the body is way too clever for that.
I think when you eat cholesterol in food your liver doesn't release it in the body because it does not need it because you were taking it in wirh food and the other way round when you are not eating it.
Also correct me if I am wrong but I think the body needs vitamin a for progesterone and thyroid to work And do the steroid synthesis. I realise I'm not explaining things very well I don't know all the jargon round the science but that's my way of explaining it.

 

[Honeycomb]

Hope you are well and a big thank you @Elderflower j58 for sharing your diet staples and the supplements you take. It’s always interesting to hear what others go through in a day :)

I am hoping that I get enough calcium. Every day I have between 3 cups to a litre of low fat milk, some full fat cheese (75gr), a serving of either low fat Greek yogurt or cottage cheese and dried apricots, prunes or dates.

20% fat is roughly my average at the moment I would say, but yes, I did go lower for a while and I realise that it may not be a good idea. I use coconut oil, butter, olive oil and cocoa powder. I eat 85% organic dark chocolate.

I haven’t done the genetic testing by the way. I concluded that, as I don’t want to take statins (which seems to be the “only” route or conventional medicine treatment for FH), there was no point. I also got too stressed out over the whole genetic thing.

Yes, the price of organic milk has really gone up in the UK
Amongst everything else at the supermarket or farmers’ market ... I hope you can still get some good quality milk.

 

[Peatness]

@Honeycomb

Hi there , I'm not sure if having the test and the information can help you or not Maybe if you have a heart issue or heart disease heart attacks something like that you might find the information helpful.

I have genetic familial hypocholesterolemia tested ,
I also have had heart issues since age 39 stents, 2 heart attacks finally a Quadruple bypass .
What I fully believe now is my heavy
puffa diet and heavy smoking habits for absolute years have contributed greatly to my heart issues ... And both of these habits combined with familial hypocholesterolomia can be a time bomb.
I also believe at that time I had a clotting disorder that was undagnosed And therein is a big connection for FH and heart disease .
But most people with high cholesterol live to a ripe old age it's actually good for them.
Please read the newsletter below from the very courageous doctor UFFE RAVNSKOV.

Newsletter August 2022 – Early heart disease among people with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is not caused by their LDL-cholesterol – Uffe Ravnskov

www.ravnskov.nu

This article has disappeared.

 

[Honeycomb]

@Peatness Ravnskov’s entire website has gone!!

 

[Advocate2021]

High Cholesterol is one of the seminal indicators of low thyroid. mine started getting high and normalized when i found the right dose of thyroid - that was 15 years ago and its been just fine every since eating plenty of cholesterol. T3 brings it down pretty quickly by facilitating its conversion to hormones as is its function. Any "genetic" predisposition is most likely transgenerational hypothyroidism and you can break the cycle by adjusting your body's environment as i did. my family takes statins and a zillion other meds. I follow this philosophy and am a thousand times healthier than any of them.

 

[Peatness]

@Peatness Ravnskov’s entire website has gone!!

Yes I noticed. Here is the pdf of the book

The Cholesterol Myths Exposing the Fallacy that Saturated Fat and Cholesterol Cause Heart Disease by Uffe Ravnskov, MD, PhD

 

[Honeycomb]

Yes I noticed. Here is the pdf of the book

The Cholesterol Myths Exposing the Fallacy that Saturated Fat and Cholesterol Cause Heart Disease by Uffe Ravnskov, MD, PhD

Thank you so much!! Really appreciate this.