As reported in July (see My New Hospital after No More Hospital Visits Needed) I just need to visit my neighborhood hospital every two months going forward for prescription refills. Since I had a stent installed in 2012 I need to take Plavix indefinitely. I wish I knew then what I know now and simply started eating WFPB (Whole Food Plant Based), but that’s history.

As you can read in the previous blog post, I’ve been completely off all blood sugar meds for over 4 years now. And my HbA1c remains fantastic: just 4.8, down from a dangerously high 11.6. I’m no longer obese (was 149 lb this morning), and basically everything’s ok.

I had continued to take a daily statin since 2012 though. Why? When I first started eating this way, even after a few months, my cholesterol didn’t noticeably decrease. My doctor at the time pointed out that cholesterol is made by the body and isn’t always just dependent on what you eat. I didn’t experience any bad side effects from the statin, so I didn’t mind taking it.

At my current neighborhood hospital, my new doctor said, “Why don’t we test and see if you really still need it?”

So we began a conservative test of cutting back the statins over time.

On 11 July 2023 I had been taking one statin each evening for 11 years and my data was the following (normal values in parentheses): Triglycerides (30 – 149) 61, HDL (40 – 79) 47, LDL (bad cholesterol 70 – 139) 53, Total Cholesterol (130 – 219) 112. Note that having lower LDL and total cholesterol than the so-called “normal range” is considered exceptionally good by well-known doctors in the WFPB field, such as Drs. McDougall and Esselstyn.

On 8 September 2023 after taking 1 statin every other day for 2 months, the new numbers were: Triglycerides 51, HDL 45, LDL 66, Total Cholesterol 121.

On 17 November 2023 after taking 1 statin every 3 days for 2 months, the new numbers were Triglycerides 65, HDL 48, LDL 67, Total Cholesterol 128.

In other words, whether I was taking the statin or not, there were no statistically significant changes in my results. And all the values were in extraordinarily healthy ranges. The doctor’s conclusion was I don’t need to take statins anymore. Just in case, he’s going to do another blood test in another two months, but for now I’m not taking any more statins.

Just to be clear, I have nothing against statins. I never had any adverse side effects from them. And if your doctor recommends you take them, or if your body doesn’t naturally bring cholesterol under control even with WFPB eating, I strongly recommend listening to your doctor. High LDL is bad for you. But if you don’t actually need a medication, why take it?