Six months ago, my cholesterol numbers were the following:
HDL 75 LDL 102 Tri glycerides 107
LP(a) 87
I've been on 2,000 mg of Niaspan for the past year, mostly
to deal with the elevated LP(a). (My HDL has already near 60
before I started on the Niaspan.) I exercise 4 times a week
for 50 minutes (40 minutes of cardio, a little weight
lifting) and I've strenuously adhered to a diet low in
saturated fats. I mean, no pizza, next to zero red meat,
very little cheese or other full-fat dairy products. Lots of
vegetables, chicken, salmon 3-4 times a week, oatmeal and
fat-free yogurt for breakfast nearly every day, daily use of
Benecol products. My weight is unchanged over that time
(right at 180, down from 215 two years ago).
Well, today my doctor's office called me back with results
of my recent lipid profile. I was quite surprised by them:
HDL down to 62 (again, this is while on 2,000 mg of Niaspan
daily) LDL up to 138 (that's a 36-point increase in 6
months) Triglycerides "slightly elevated," according to the
voice on the phone (didn't get an exact number)
LP(b) up to 95
I'm due to go in for a consultation next week, and the nurse
said the doctor is going to recommend that I go on statins.
My question is: Considering that my cholesterol numbers have
been trending DOWNWARD for the past two years, is it
possible that the results are not accurate?
I know cholesterol levels can fluctuate 15% or so within a
day, but these numbers just don't seem right to me. Should I
demand another lipid profile?
Any help will be appreciated.