| I have familial hyperlipidemia, and my mother and brother both had heart attacks when they were 45. Do you know omega-3 fatty acids promote something called reverse cholesterol transport? https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28984832/ I couldn’t take statins because of the side effects. I went on a fish only, no plant oil diet, and my LDL is now 200 and my HDL for the first time my life rose above 35 to 52. To me, the key was getting the omega-3 level way higher than the omega six level and totally eliminating short chain poly unsaturated fatty acids. Note that I went on this diet, because I actually know my genetics. I don’t recommend anyone do the same thing without knowing what I know. Diet works and it’s sad people can’t commit to it. And I’m afraid for a lot of people it won’t be the vegetarian diet that is normally prescribed. Remember as well cholesterol is not the only contributors her heart disease. Oxidative stress plays a large role in damaging, or oxidizing, the LDL to cause the plaques. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2020.6137.... Oxidative stress can be caused by external forces, but also by the lack in proper nutrients, like zinc and B6 and riboflavin, deficiency in those supplements are all linked to greater incidence of heart disease. I am in my mid-50s and I’ve had no issues so far. |
I will not give medical advice over the internet, but if I were you, I would not want to be messing around with anything short of the standards of care given those odds. Statin therapy is a core part of that standard.
Statin adverse effects do exist, but they are found to be quite rare (1-2% prevalence) when assessed for through well designed placebo-controlled trials. Additionally, there are newer statins with fewer adverse effects you could consider. Assuming you truly have FH and truly are statin intolerant (or remain at elevated LDLs despite maximally tolerated statin therapy), PCSK9 inhibitors can be considered. In the US, you would likely qualify for one if these through a good insurance plan, assuming the above criteria are met.