I have been donating blood and one quirk is that they measure cholesterol and you can check your number a few days after donation. The difference is that you are supposed to eat before donation, so it is not a fasting measurement. And it is only the total, no breakdown, but still. So if you want to know your cholesterol number without going to the doctor, donate blood.
Donating blood is a very healthy thing to do. Think about it. If forces your body to create a pint of brand new blood.
With all the concern about cholesterol levels, research studies give a very confusing statistic. A meta analysis of all the studies ever done connecting blood cholesterol levels with any cause death show an amazing statistic that seems to contradict everything we think we know. That statistic is the higher the cholesterol level the longer you live and the lower your cholesterol level the sooner you die.
Came across this interesting article. Can't comment on it as it's well above my paygrade. Evaluating the Association Between Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Reduction and Relative and Absolute Effects of Statin Treatment: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2790055
In plain English, the original studies were bunk. Generally speaking cholesterol is a bunk science. Just because something can be measured (and effected) that doesn't mean we get useful numbers from doing so. Same with the CGM (continuous glucose monitor). For most people, that is a useless device. TL; DR: High cholesterol is NOT a good marker for CVD. For older than 70 high cholesterol actually indicates lower mortality. High Trig and a low cholesterol ratio are better markers, but the best is a CT venography.
Pekelo, you are exactly on target. I had a heart attack and a quadruple bypass. It is amazing what you learn when you start doing real research as to how to live going forward. Hint, it is not aspirin and statins. For one, do some research on Nattokinase: It increases blood flow, rids body of clots, and cleans plaque from arteries: Just one of many research articles on it: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5372539/ For another, Vitamin K2 prevents Calcium buildup in arteries and channels it to bones. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7238900/ https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Vitamin+K...i=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3njgh2nFRk
I have been lax in my donating. I was past a pint a long time ago when the wife was in an education program at our local Blood Center and then worked there after. I would head down donate and take the wife to lunch. Good reminder to get back with the program.
The one I'm taking says 300mg, and thank you as I probably had the idea to start taking it from you in a past post. Going to go a month without and go back in a get tested. Doctor is convinced my numbers will all be bad again. She maybe right, but so far as I have cut back over the last 2 years my numbers have stayed the same or improved a bit.