Can an older man still build muscle while taking statins?

Melody68 · Jan 23, 2025

Hi everyone, I'm a 68 year old on Testosterone Enanthate for one year, love the results on body composition. I've had heart issues in the past, with a successful bypass 13 years ago. I've always resisted statins, and have done well taking niacin the last 20+ years. I was doing really well with everything until I had a TIA on December 13; that started all the testing.

They said that I'm building up a lot of plaque all over the place, including in my carotid arteries, where the stroke doctor said my plaque buildup is five times what it should be for someone my age. My brain is also showing "white spots" which she says is evidence of TIA's in the past. I've never noticed anything.

She wants me to dump the niacin and "start" with 20mg Crestor, saying that I'm very close to a stroke and that this is my only chance to shrink the plaques. I've always resisted statins because they boost my Lp(a). She says at this point that doesn't matter, I've got to start with the statins.

Maybe she's right, I mean, who wants to risk ending up in a wheelchair or worse?

This is NOT a thread asking if you approve of statins or not, because I know it's a very contentious issue. What I do want to know is if it's still possible to build some solid muscle while taking statins? I'm not going to go gently into that good night; I've decided at this point that I'll lead a hyper healthy diet and exercise lifestyle and see if my body can heal itself of all this plaque. But can I still effectively lift weights while attaining a super low LDL of 1.8 (70) or less? Anybody doing it?

Vince · Jan 23, 2025

Have you ever considered getting labs done by Cleveland heart clinic? This is one of my older threads but you might want to looking over it.

Thread 'Cleveland Heart Clinic Labs'

Mar 31, 2016

I was just wondering if anyone uses Cleveland Heart Labs http://www.knowyourrisk.com/ My clinic http://advlip.com/ will now be using them for all Labs. Will also check my LDL oxidation.

CHL is a spinoff of Cleveland Clinic, I know they do all the advanced tests and I believe they actually are the original developer and hold the patent on the test for the enzyme MPO - Myeloperoxidase

Melody68 · Jan 23, 2025

Vince said:
Have you ever considered getting labs done by Cleveland heart clinic? This is one of my older threads but you might want to looking over it.

Thread 'Cleveland Heart Clinic Labs'

Mar 31, 2016

I was just wondering if anyone uses Cleveland Heart Labs http://www.knowyourrisk.com/ My clinic http://advlip.com/ will now be using them for all Labs. Will also check my LDL oxidation.

CHL is a spinoff of Cleveland Clinic, I know they do all the advanced tests and I believe they actually are the original developer and hold the patent on the test for the enzyme MPO - Myeloperoxidase

Vince

Replies: 39

Forum: Health & Wellness

Thanks for the link, I watched the vid with great interest. I'm in the Canadian health care system, I'm not sure of dealing with the Cleveland Heart Clinic, or in fact dealing with anything right now, my head is still working overtime.

I remember when heart disease first reared it's ugly head in my life, I had angina at the age of 41; a couple of years later an angiogram confirmed some pretty extensive blockage; the right descending artery was 90% closed, and the left descending artery was completely closed. I heard a lot of the "you're a walking time bomb" talk from the doctors, yet I put off a bypass for another 15 years, just adding the niacin, taking a small dose of beta blocker and using nitroglycerine as needed. No, I might not do that again, but I never had a heart attack, and the eventual bypass went well. Now I'm getting a lot of that walking time bomb talk again.

I did a lot of research at 41 concerning heart disease; it seems the more I read the more I became confused; there's just so many (valid) opinions on directions to go. Today I find I'm less patient with all this stuff, I'd rather just pick a protocol and go. If I read about anything, I'll read about inflammation. I have a temptation to continue my niacin while supplementing with 10mg Crestor, upping my daily fish oil, continuing to lose weight, increasing my exercise and . . . saying my prayers.

Vince · Jan 23, 2025

Melody68 said:
Thanks for the link, I watched the vid with great interest. I'm in the Canadian health care system, I'm not sure of dealing with the Cleveland Heart Clinic, or in fact dealing with anything right now, my head is still working overtime.

I remember when heart disease first reared it's ugly head in my life, I had angina at the age of 41; a couple of years later an angiogram confirmed some pretty extensive blockage; the right descending artery was 90% closed, and the left descending artery was completely closed. I heard a lot of the "you're a walking time bomb" talk from the doctors, yet I put off a bypass for another 15 years, just adding the niacin, taking a small dose of beta blocker and using nitroglycerine as needed. No, I might not do that again, but I never had a heart attack, and the eventual bypass went well. Now I'm getting a lot of that walking time bomb talk again.

I did a lot of research at 41 concerning heart disease; it seems the more I read the more I became confused; there's just so many (valid) opinions on directions to go. Today I find I'm less patient with all this stuff, I'd rather just pick a protocol and go. If I read about anything, I'll read about inflammation. I have a temptation to continue my niacin while supplementing with 10mg Crestor, upping my daily fish oil, continuing to lose weight, increasing my exercise and . . . saying my prayers.

My dad had he's first heart attack at age 60. My mom at age 70. My older sister age 57 so it really runs in my family. I'm 70 now.

My mom will be 92 soon and my dad passed away at 90 .

I am a fan of Dr. William R. Davis he was my cardiologist for a few years before he retired and went into writing.

You may wish to read some of his books.

excelnelg · Jan 23, 2025

S

Thread 'Excess niacin causes blood vessel inflammation and cardiovascular disease'

Feb 20, 2024

They are finally realizing that anything promoting blood vessel inflammation, in this case excess niacin metabolites, can lead to cardiovascular disease. It's not the cholesterol.

Link Discovered Between Excess Niacin and Cardiovascular Disease

Cleveland Clinic researchers have identified a new pathway linked to excess niacin levels that contributes to cardiovascular disease independent of traditional risk factors. A newly discovered niacin-linked pathway contributing to cardiovascular disease raises the prospect of new therapeutic...

consultqd.clevelandclinic.org

Melody68 · Jan 23, 2025

Vince said:
My dad had he's first heart attack at age 60. My mom at age 70. My older sister age 57 so it really runs in my family. I'm 70 now.

My mom will be 92 soon and my dad passed away at 90 .

I am a fan of Dr. William R. Davis he was my cardiologist for a few years before he retired and went into writing.

You may wish to read some of his books.

I tuned into some of his vids, he's the one that suggests cutting out wheat and wheat products in order to avoid heart and stroke issues.

Yes, he seems genuine and passionate about his argument. But this is the problem that I encountered many years ago when researching heart disease - namely which theory is right, and which are you willing to bet your life on?

My wife, right now, is worried that I may have a stroke, and then how is she to care for me? The stroke doctor made her suggestions yesterday . . . could I really tell my wife that I'm going to ignore all that and cut out bread instead?

No Vince, I'm not being critical here, surely you can see the challenge. I don't really trust modern medicine/pharmacare, but the alternatives are many and often unproven.

I'm still mulling around the choice of 1. 10mg Crestor alone or 2. existing niacin + 10mg Crestor or 3. 20mg Crestor alone. Vince, what would you do if you were me? What would you do if you had to pick one of these 3 options?

Vince · Jan 23, 2025

Dr. Davis gets a heart scan every year and tracks the growth of his artery plaque. Of course, most doctors would not recommend this because of the radiation involved. He believes if you can keep your growth plaque at 10% or less a year. You would never have a heart attack or a stroke because your arteries will adjust and open up.

He got interested in heart disease because his mother died from a blockage so it does run into his family also.

Mountain Man · Jan 24, 2025

It looks like this thread has devolved into one that discusses heart issues. To answer your question about building muscle, I think the answer is that this depends. I am 71 next month and what I am finding is that it is not possible, at least for me, to build mass. Orthopedic issues make it a real challenge. I do think it is possible to tighten up and strengthen the muscles that you have. A lot of guys decide to put on mass when they are older. They will even try to bulk up. I admit I have tried to do that and all I got was a bit more fat. I should also add that I have been working out consistently since 1967, and much of that time has been weight training. I went through phases of marathon, running, which I regret, and martial arts, which I wish I could still practice as I once did. These activities in my opinion, make it hard for someone my age to add mass. The wear and tear on my joints have made heavy exercises like squats and deadlifts very hard to do. I do them, but cannot do them with heavy weights. If you can lift weights that are heavy in these exercises, you may be able to put on a bit of mass. I personally can’t and wish I could.

Try to keep positive. I find that focusing on hardness of muscle, and the ability to perform day-to-day tasks is important. I am fortunate that I have a small farm and am able to do a different kind of work. I harvest wood for my own property, splitting cutting and stacking about seven cordwood per year. I find that focusing on hardness of muscle, and the ability to perform day-to-day tasks is important. My point is that you may not get much larger, but you can be extremely strong and maintain some aesthetic look that you are happy with. I am vain and still have a need to look good with my shirt off. I hope that never changes for me.

I think bloodwork is extremely important at our age. Sleep quality is a must. No alcohol smoking and a good diet obviously is something else that we must pay attention to. Becoming a mass monster is impossible. You can develop a lean, muscular and strong body. I think if we try to embrace the process rather than some end result, we will do better in the long run.

Melody68 · Jan 24, 2025

Mountain Man said:
It looks like this thread has devolved into one that discusses heart issues. To answer your question about building muscle, I think the answer is that this depends. I am 71 next month and what I am finding is that it is not possible, at least for me, to build mass. Orthopedic issues make it a real challenge. I do think it is possible to tighten up and strengthen the muscles that you have. A lot of guys decide to put on mass when they are older. They will even try to bulk up. I admit I have tried to do that and all I got was a bit more fat. I should also add that I have been working out consistently since 1967, and much of that time has been weight training. I went through phases of marathon, running, which I regret, and martial arts, which I wish I could still practice as I once did. These activities in my opinion, make it hard for someone my age to add mass. The wear and tear on my joints have made heavy exercises like squats and deadlifts very hard to do. I do them, but cannot do them with heavy weights. If you can lift weights that are heavy in these exercises, you may be able to put on a bit of mass. I personally can’t and wish I could.

Try to keep positive. I find that focusing on hardness of muscle, and the ability to perform day-to-day tasks is important. I am fortunate that I have a small farm and am able to do a different kind of work. I harvest wood for my own property, splitting cutting and stacking about seven cordwood per year. I find that focusing on hardness of muscle, and the ability to perform day-to-day tasks is important. My point is that you may not get much larger, but you can be extremely strong and maintain some aesthetic look that you are happy with. I am vain and still have a need to look good with my shirt off. I hope that never changes for me.

I think bloodwork is extremely important at our age. Sleep quality is a must. No alcohol smoking and a good diet obviously is something else that we must pay attention to. Becoming a mass monster is impossible. You can develop a lean, muscular and strong body. I think if we try to embrace the process rather than some end result, we will do better in the long run.

Mountain Man, what an interesting post! Yes, the thread has devolved, it was all in the title "Can an older man build muscle while taking statins". Are you taking statins, or are you just talking about an older man building muscle?

Secondly, I'm pretty sure your idea of muscle and mass is more ala Ronnie Coleman; that's not what I was thinking. In fact what I was thinking was expressed by you when you said your goal is a lean, muscular and strong body.

In my case, I went through life being a regular guy - not fat, not slim, not muscular. Now when I started TRT a year ago, I have sprouted some delts and arms, and lost some weight. I'm looking good and want to keep that going, but the doctors are saying I need to reduce my LDL down and down with statin drugs, until my blood is as thin as water. It raised the question as to whether anybody can effectively lift weights and build a bit of muscle when they are taking meds like that. I still don't know.

Mountain Man I'm envious of your lifestyle. I'm in a medium sized city in Canada, and want to move to a few acres in the country, but it's all become so expensive with the damn inflation. I'd like nothing more than to cut grass and chop wood on a little hobby farm somewhere. Maybe it's still possible . . .

Seagal · Jan 25, 2025

If these are calcified plaques then I recommend supplementing with vitamin K2
How did she visualize the plaques, i.e. what imaging modality was used?

Curious, did you measure the effect of niacin on your HDL? What have your LDL HDL levels been the past 13yrs (I assume these were monitored since your heart surgery)?

If it's as bad as she stated, worrying about building muscles is unfortunately misplaced.
With your TRT in place and continuous training I think you will keep your current shape

Mountain Man · Jan 25, 2025

Melody68 said:
Mountain Man, what an interesting post! Yes, the thread has devolved, it was all in the title "Can an older man build muscle while taking statins". Are you taking statins, or are you just talking about an older man building muscle?

Secondly, I'm pretty sure your idea of muscle and mass is more ala Ronnie Coleman; that's not what I was thinking. In fact what I was thinking was expressed by you when you said your goal is a lean, muscular and strong body.

In my case, I went through life being a regular guy - not fat, not slim, not muscular. Now when I started TRT a year ago, I have sprouted some delts and arms, and lost some weight. I'm looking good and want to keep that going, but the doctors are saying I need to reduce my LDL down and down with statin drugs, until my blood is as thin as water. It raised the question as to whether anybody can effectively lift weights and build a bit of muscle when they are taking meds like that. I still don't know.

Mountain Man I'm envious of your lifestyle. I'm in a medium sized city in Canada, and want to move to a few acres in the country, but it's all become so expensive with the damn inflation. I'd like nothing more than to cut grass and chop wood on a little hobby farm somewhere. Maybe it's still possible . . .

No, I am not on statins. My doctor said it would be a possibility, but gave me pretty stupid reasons for that. My blood work was fine but he said because I am a male and over 65 it was suggested. I talked to my TRT provider and he told me there was no downside and that it would be preventative. I actually thought about it a while and decided against it. I don’t take any medications, other than TRT and the Tadalafil/Viagra thing that most men on this form seem to do. I do use a lot of supplements, but I am fortunate that my blood work has always been good.

Yes and I agree the lifestyle was great. I have 17 acres of land here, and much of it is heavily wooded. I consider myself semi, retired as I work from home about 15 hours a week. I would, however, rather be living in Canada because of the political climate, but I don’t want this thread to devolve down into that.

From what I know your situation with muscle building is similar to mine. Mine is somewhat the opposite, however. As a younger guy, I was around 200 pounds to 210 pounds. Did a lot of heavy, lifting shotputting football sprinting in that sort of thing. After college, I got into running and martial arts while continuing to lift. I lost a lot of bulk, but got quite lean and muscular. I have lost a little bit more than an inch in height, to my chagrin, and now I am holding steady at a 185 to 190 pound range. I’ve given up on the bulk thing because it just turns into a softer look, which I don’t like. I think a good goal for guys like us is to put on as much muscle as we can at the lightest weight. I have given up on the scale because when I get to that 190 195 pound body weight, I tend to look a little softer than I would like. Lean hard muscle with the ability to do.the things we want to do makes more sense to me.

Melody68 · Jan 25, 2025

Seagal said:
If these are calcified plaques then I recommend supplementing with vitamin K2
How did she visualize the plaques, i.e. what imaging modality was used?

Curious, did you measure the effect of niacin on your HDL? What have your LDL HDL levels been the past 13yrs (I assume these were monitored since your heart surgery)?

If it's as bad as she stated, worrying about building muscles is unfortunately misplaced.
With your TRT in place and continuous training I think you will keep your current shape

Hey Seagal, I'll look into the K2. I don't know exactly how the plaques were visualized, I had a battery of tests including CT scans, MRI and ultrasounds.

Niacin always improved my blood lipids, quite dramatically. LDL (100 and under) and Tryglicerides went way down, HDL (55 and over) went up and most importantly, my Lp(a) came down significantly (from 120 to 50).

That stroke doctor that I spoke to knows little about niacin, and I'm quite sure isn't inclined to learn at all. They know statins, and that's all they want to know. She asked why I wasn't on statins, and I told her that experimentation by myself in the late 90's showed that statin use RAISED my already high Lp(a). Only recently, the last few years, has that become a recognized effect in some patients who take statins. She didn't believe me, until she looked it up herself. Then, she said it doesn't matter (probably because it doesn't fit her learned agenda); I have to take the Crestor.

She said that the niacin, regardless of the numbers, is "leaving too much cholesterol behind". Could that be the niacin paradox - the numbers are good but mortality is relatively unchanged (or is that more BS?). Hard to tell. But I have to decide whether I add another level of insurance in the form of statins, even though it'll raise my Lp(a). Hmmm . . .

I'm used to doctors telling me how bad things are - I'll change things but I'm not sacrificing too much, and one thing I enjoy is altering my body composition, especially since a year ago when I started TRT. If statins make my joints too sore, then I'll cut back on them, F. it.

Melody68 · Jan 25, 2025

Mountain Man said:
No, I am not on statins. My doctor said it would be a possibility, but gave me pretty stupid reasons for that. My blood work was fine but he said because I am a male and over 65 it was suggested. I talked to my TRT provider and he told me there was no downside and that it would be preventative. I actually thought about it a while and decided against it. I don’t take any medications, other than TRT and the Tadalafil/Viagra thing that most men on this form seem to do. I do use a lot of supplements, but I am fortunate that my blood work has always been good.

Yes and I agree the lifestyle was great. I have 17 acres of land here, and much of it is heavily wooded. I consider myself semi, retired as I work from home about 15 hours a week. I would, however, rather be living in Canada because of the political climate, but I don’t want this thread to devolve down into that.

From what I know your situation with muscle building is similar to mine. Mine is somewhat the opposite, however. As a younger guy, I was around 200 pounds to 210 pounds. Did a lot of heavy, lifting shotputting football sprinting in that sort of thing. After college, I got into running and martial arts while continuing to lift. I lost a lot of bulk, but got quite lean and muscular. I have lost a little bit more than an inch in height, to my chagrin, and now I am holding steady at a 185 to 190 pound range. I’ve given up on the bulk thing because it just turns into a softer look, which I don’t like. I think a good goal for guys like us is to put on as much muscle as we can at the lightest weight. I have given up on the scale because when I get to that 190 195 pound body weight, I tend to look a little softer than I would like. Lean hard muscle with the ability to do.the things we want to do makes more sense to me.

Mountain Man, I see eye to eye with you on a lot of these things. You're fortunate that you have excellent health and are not tied to these damn drugs that so many older people "need" to take.

I've always resisted taking anything, and IF I had to take it then I would take much smaller doses than recommended. Surprisingly, those small doses ended up doing the job every bit as well as the larger doses (so then why take more than you have to?)

I laughed when I read that you've lost an inch in height, so have I. I was always 6'4 - till I wasn't, and recently I have to stand up pretty straight to reach 6'3. I was always around 245, people would say I looked pretty good, but none of it was really solid muscle, at least not compared to what I have now after a year on TRT. It's been a pretty remarkable journey, this morning I weighed 225. I'd like to maybe reduce another 5 -10lbs or so, and then focus on that lean hard look that you're talking about.

Things are uncomfortable in Canada right now; we're waiting for the tariff hammer to fall. I understand how the red-haired one thinks - he's a real estate guy and he likes to collect real estate. He'd like nothing more than to add Canada to his list of prized possessions. It's no wonder I want to move to the country and forget everything . . .

Seagal · Jan 25, 2025

Melody68 said:
Hey Seagal, I'll look into the K2. I don't know exactly how the plaques were visualized, I had a battery of tests including CT scans, MRI and ultrasounds.

Niacin always improved my blood lipids, quite dramatically. LDL (100 and under) and Tryglicerides went way down, HDL (55 and over) went up and most importantly, my Lp(a) came down significantly (from 120 to 50).

That stroke doctor that I spoke to knows little about niacin, and I'm quite sure isn't inclined to learn at all. They know statins, and that's all they want to know. She asked why I wasn't on statins, and I told her that experimentation by myself in the late 90's showed that statin use RAISED my already high Lp(a). Only recently, the last few years, has that become a recognized effect in some patients who take statins. She didn't believe me, until she looked it up herself. Then, she said it doesn't matter (probably because it doesn't fit her learned agenda); I have to take the Crestor.

She said that the niacin, regardless of the numbers, is "leaving too much cholesterol behind". Could that be the niacin paradox - the numbers are good but mortality is relatively unchanged (or is that more BS?). Hard to tell. But I have to decide whether I add another level of insurance in the form of statins, even though it'll raise my Lp(a). Hmmm . . .

I'm used to doctors telling me how bad things are - I'll change things but I'm not sacrificing too much, and one thing I enjoy is altering my body composition, especially since a year ago when I started TRT. If statins make my joints too sore, then I'll cut back on them, F. it.

Great that niacin works for you. How much have you been taken daily?
Seems like it's not a question of statin or niacin, rather more variables at play related to how HDL 'functions'...

Niacin Therapy, HDL Cholesterol, and Cardiovascular Disease: Is the HDL Hypothesis Defunct? - PMC

High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) has been shown in epidemiologic studies to be associated with cardiovascular (CV) risk and thus significant efforts have been focused on HDL-C modulation. Multiple pharmaceutical agents have been ...

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Imo you should try to find another specialist ideally involved in research who is up to date, if that's possible with your insurance and within your location. (I couldn't, which leaves reading studies and self-education.)

Melody68 · Jan 25, 2025

Seagal said:
Great that niacin works for you. How much have you been taken daily?
Seems like it's not a question of statin or niacin, rather more variables at play related to how HDL 'functions'...

Niacin Therapy, HDL Cholesterol, and Cardiovascular Disease: Is the HDL Hypothesis Defunct? - PMC

High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) has been shown in epidemiologic studies to be associated with cardiovascular (CV) risk and thus significant efforts have been focused on HDL-C modulation. Multiple pharmaceutical agents have been ...

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Imo you should try to find another specialist ideally involved in research who is up to date, if that's possible with your insurance and within your location. (I couldn't, which leaves reading studies and self-education.)

I've been taking niacin for about 22 years (I think) and up until a few years ago I probably averaged about 3.25 gms/day, which is 6 1/2 500mg tabs per day. At certain points I was up to 4 gms day. Recently, the last few years, I let it slide to 2.25 gms daily; even then my numbers were still good, though I didn't test Lp(a). I upped myself back to 3 gms/day a couple of weeks ago and am doing some extensive lipid testing on Monday.

I have no doubt that niacin works and has been very good to me. But the question becomes . . . is there an even more protective/corrective drug combination for me? I'm thinking that may be the case if I add a small dose of statin to the niacin - perhaps 5-10mg Crestor or 10-20mg Lipitor in addition to my niacin. Once I make that change, I'm going to forget about medicines and go forward with a pretty intense diet and exercise regimen with the belief that making myself stronger will heal or at least stabilize any excess plaques that I have.

FunkOdyssey · Jan 25, 2025

Melody68 said:
She said that the niacin, regardless of the numbers, is "leaving too much cholesterol behind". Could that be the niacin paradox - the numbers are good but mortality is relatively unchanged (or is that more BS?).

It's only a paradox if you subscribe to the cholesterol theory of atherosclerosis. There are alternative theories, in which a therapy that does nothing but modify lipids would not be expected to positively influence outcomes, and therefore not be paradoxical.

https://www.amazon.com/Clot-Thickens-enduring-mystery-disease/dp/1907797769/

Vince · Jan 25, 2025

Even if you skip the statins or don't I wouldn't take niacin

How excess niacin may promote cardiovascular disease

Findings about a metabolite of niacin, or vitamin B3, raise concerns about the health effects of too much niacin and suggest new measures to help prevent or treat cardiovascular disease

www.nih.gov

Melody68 · Jan 25, 2025

Vince said:
Even if you skip the statins or don't I wouldn't take niacin

How excess niacin may promote cardiovascular disease

Findings about a metabolite of niacin, or vitamin B3, raise concerns about the health effects of too much niacin and suggest new measures to help prevent or treat cardiovascular disease

www.nih.gov

I'm aware of the niacin paradox being that excess inflammation may neutralize the benefits of lipid improvements that niacin can provide, resulting in no reduction in heart attack or stroke risk.

However, I was and am continually drawn to niacin for the great reduction that it provides for my very high Lp(a); the fact that it increases HDL and lowers tryglycerides and LDL is of secondary importance to me. If I had normal levels of Lp(a), I would have hopped on the statin bandwagon back in 1999, but I found that I was a small minority of the population where statins actually increased my Lp(a) levels. You can't compare my situation with people who have normal levels of Lp(a) and elected to take niacin, patients who likely make up the bulk of those examined in recent studies.

In 1997, at age 41, I was the closest that any human being could be to having a heart attack, what with the 90% blocked right descending artery, and the completely closed left descending artery. Soon after I started taking niacin, and only niacin, then had a successful bypass in 2012 and to date I haven't had a heart attack or stroke (but yes, the TIA last month). That says to me that something about niacin works, at least for me, and I think it's the fact that it reduces my high Lp(a) risk dramatically.

sammmy · Jan 25, 2025

Your experience shows that you can't have a bad inflammatory diet and just take niacin or pills to manipulate your lab numbers and be ok. This is the traditional medicine way of thinking and it's a failure. You still needed a bypass and you still got a TIA.

So how about focusing on your diet first and then thinking of pills or niacin to make some lab numbers look good. The common generators of inflammation are processed foods, sugar, milk, fruits, honey, and bread (gluten). Instead of those, eat home cooked meat, fish, low carb vegetables, gluten-free complex carbs like rice, beans, lentils.

Melody68 · Jan 25, 2025

sammmy said:
Your experience shows that you can't have a bad inflammatory diet and just take niacin or pills to manipulate your lab numbers and be ok. This is the traditional medicine way of thinking and it's a failure. You still needed a bypass and you still got a TIA.

So how about focusing on your diet first and then thinking of pills or niacin to make some lab numbers look good. The common generators of inflammation are processed foods, sugar, milk, fruits, honey, and bread (gluten). Instead of those, eat home cooked meat, fish, low carb vegetables, gluten-free complex carbs like rice, beans, lentils.

Sammy, I appreciate the sentiment; much of what you say is true. In the past decades I definitely cleaned things up, but I've still got a ways to go.

I'm trying to set a plan for the coming year so that I can fix things. I'll be changing a lot of my lifestyle; the medicines I take will only be one part of the equation (and I will hold them to a minimum). Attacking inflammation will be another, and I'll consider your words carefully.