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If a person's "numbers" are bad I would not say they are healthy just because they don't have symptoms yet.
On the other hand, once you get past a certain age, who's to say what's worse, letting those negative health effects accumulate over time and deal with the impacts later or take meds and feel crappy now? I think that's a fair question.
As others have said, sometimes it takes a lot of trial and error but you eventually can get to a balanced place where you finally hit on the right meds at the right dosages and your numbers improve and you feel fine. That's a matter of just keeping at it in hopes you find that sweet spot.
In the bigger picture, cholesterol, glucose, blood pressure... those are all metabolic disease issues which MANY people, if they're serious about it, are able to substantially improve without meds... if they're willing to make the needed lifestyle changes.
I think we all have to weigh the good with the bad. Many prescriptions have some side effects for SOME people...and for a subset of those the side effects may be more severe than the expected benefit. In that case you have a decision to make. It seems you've given several meds fair chances so you aren't acting capriciously.
At 77 it seems you're doing okay and are within your rights to not be a zombie! All the best to your continued health!
I’ve been eating a lot of greens because my doctor said my good cholesterol was shrinking but the ratio is still good. So I grow collards in my garden to eat more often. I also have access to a farmers market to get greens every week. Eat fish every night. Either that or canned sardines. All supposedly healthy for you. I was able to reduce my husband triglyceride levels from high 300s to less than 100 by eating a low carb diet. We have no diabetes, not according to our A1C number. I take an occasional potassium for insurance against high blood pressure. I stay away from any medicine. That and go out and exercise at least 2-3 times a week.
Some illnesses are genetic. Everyone on my mom’s side of the family got HBP no matter how well they took care of themselves. All 3 of us siblings have it and one of my 3 sons.
Just echoing that diet has A LOT to do with chronic illnesses (diabetes, high cholesterol, etc.) and rather than jumping to a Rx drug, it's worthwhile to take a hard and honest look at your diet and correct any major deficiencies there first. Many people truly bellieve they're eating well, but when they track it, they find they're not. Look at your plate each meal--is it mostly brown or colorful? Many Americans eat brown meals (especially if you rely on eating out or processed foods). Whole foods including a variety of vegetables with reasonable amounts of protein, fruits, healthy fats (avocado, oily fish, olive oil) and legumes will likely help more than any drug with very few, if any, side effects (ok, maybe you won't like the taste as much?). Herbs are also densely packed gram for gram with amazing disease-fighting nutrients and they add amazing flavor to food (oregano, basil, cilantro, rosemary, etc).
As for doctors--my total cholesterol is 168 with HDL over 50 and my doctor wanted to put me on statins to lower it further!!! Fortunately, I know that super LOW cholesterol is just as dangerous as super high. And, many doctors still think high is 200+, but it really may not be depending on the rest of your lipid profile.
Some illnesses are genetic. Everyone on my mom’s side of the family got HBP no matter how well they took care of themselves. All 3 of us siblings have it and one of my 3 sons.
Everybody in my family has it. I’m still borderline when they changed the number. But I was able to reduce to the new guideline of 130.
Fran66[/b];55440354]I hope you'll do your own research on this: The Diabetes Association and The Association of American Physicians (or is it The American Medical Association?) recommended higher AiCs for 70+ and that EVERYONE with an A1C lower than 7.0 (or is it 7.5?) be taken off insulin. A LOT of MDs, PAs, CNPs, and nurses don't know this (an endocrinologist will probably know though). So -- arm yourself with credible information when you see your doctor. I often print stuff out off of my computer and take it with me to my PCP. I don't, of course, take in information from stupid web sites like "Mommy does Medicine'. LOLOLOLOL
Thank you again! My appointment with my primary is Wednesday. I'll have a fasting blood test.
I probably won't be as informed by that time as I could be but that is a great idea and I will do it.
I really enjoy swimming and have started to check out places I can go to use a pool. I'm not sure but my health insurance may cover that expense. I'll check that out tomorrow.
By the way I sent you a friend request. I like your attitude and humor.
If a person's "numbers" are bad I would not say they are healthy just because they don't have symptoms yet.
On the other hand, once you get past a certain age, who's to say what's worse, letting those negative health effects accumulate over time and deal with the impacts later or take meds and feel crappy now? I think that's a fair question.
As others have said, sometimes it takes a lot of trial and error but you eventually can get to a balanced place where you finally hit on the right meds at the right dosages and your numbers improve and you feel fine. That's a matter of just keeping at it in hopes you find that sweet spot.
In the bigger picture, cholesterol, glucose, blood pressure... those are all metabolic disease issues which MANY people, if they're serious about it, are able to substantially improve without meds... if they're willing to make the needed lifestyle changes.
In AARP mag not all that long ago, an author (who is famous or at least she thought she was famous) said that she was no longer going to worry about her health and do as she pleased (she's in her early or mid 70s). If I remember correctly, her most recent book is about just that.
I wrote her a letter and asked her NOT to proclaim her gospel (no more meds, no more office visits). That, because of her, some older people would throw caution to the wind and become seriously ill. BECAUSE -- and this is important -- it's not that we'll have a heart attack or a stroke and die. It's because we could easily have a heart attack or stroke and NOT die -- and wind up spending the rest of our days in a nursing home.
If we are going to ignore conventional medical advice and conventional medicines, we damned well better know what we are doing. I didn't mean to be so 'cavalier' in one of my posts. If my BP becomes dangerously high, you'd better believe I'm going back on a BP med. And when another poster said that a good diet and exercise can take care of pretty much anything, he wasn't exaggerating by much. We older folks are in trouble MAINLY because we don't eat right and/or we don't exercise; or we drink and/or smoke.
If we are going to ignore conventional medical advice and conventional medicines, we damned well better know what we are doing. I didn't mean to be so 'cavalier' in one of my posts. If my BP becomes dangerously high, you'd better believe I'm going back on a BP med. And when another poster said that a good diet and exercise can take care of pretty much anything, he wasn't exaggerating by much. We older folks are in trouble MAINLY because we don't eat right and/or we don't exercise; or we drink and/or smoke.
That’s in a nutshell is correct. Take my own family, same genetics, in fact I was the weakest link, got sick more often than anybody else when I was younger, but thanks to getting sick very early on, I learned to take care of myself. While my sister was much healthier when she was younger, she decided to indulge in a lot of alcohol, in fact even today with lots of health issues, she still drink hardcore alcohol. My brother caught her in a Costco with hard alcohol like whisky in her cart. She often said at her age, she threw caution to the wind, not care anymore. I have not touched hardcore alcohol for years, maybe I had one Mai Tai when I was in Tahiti because it was free. My husband has also given up alcohol period. We have to in order to stay healthy. I rarely drink wine, and that’s supposed to be good for you. I don’t sleep well with it. Simple reason to give it up.
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