Zocor from 20mg to 40mg?

I personally would be cautious about increasing the doseage. Your high HDL, and good levels of
triglycerides and Total, seem to make it unnecessary for you to increase your dosage. Based on your
readings, you do not have a high risk factor due to Cholesterol.

I am not a health professional, so my opinion is only based on literature.

--

hnm
Boulder, CO

"Tommy Taylor" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'm 57 years old, 5ft 7in, and 170 pounds. I lift free weights or

ride a

Quoted message said:

mountain bike consistently 5-6 days per week. I have been taking

Pravachol

Quoted message said:

or Zocor for three years. I currently take Zocor 20 mg per day. My

father

Quoted message said:

has had coronary problems beginning at 68 and continuing at age 83; he

just

Quoted message said:

got a pacemaker. Over the last 4 years my blood tests have shown the
following on the average:

BP 114/72, LDL 109, HDL 58, Total Cholesterol 184, Ratio of

Total/HDL=3.1

Quoted message said:

Triglycerides 90, Glucose 88

On a recent physical my results were as above; my LDL was 112. My

doctor

Quoted message said:

was concerned about this and changed my prescription from 20 mg of

Zocor to

Quoted message said:

40mg.

I read the ATP III Guidelines from the National Institutes of Health.

It

Quoted message said:

said that LDL over 100 was a risk factor. I think that it said there

should

Quoted message said:

be other risk factors.

Are there guidelines for Zocor dosages?

Do others with similar results get the same treatment?

THANKS!

Tommy

Tommy Taylor said:

I'm 57 years old, 5ft 7in, and 170 pounds.

You might be 35 lbs over "ideal"

Quoted message said:

I lift free weights or ride a mountain bike consistently 5-6 days per week.

Good

Quoted message said:

I have been taking Pravachol or Zocor for three years. I currently take Zocor 20 mg per day. My
father has had coronary problems beginning at 68 and continuing at age 83; he just got a
pacemaker. Over the last 4 years my blood tests have shown the following on the average:

BP 114/72,

Good

Quoted message said:

LDL 109,

Not optimal

Quoted message said:

HDL 58,

Good

Quoted message said:

Total Cholesterol 184,

Good

Quoted message said:

Ratio of Total/HDL=3.1

Not optimal

Quoted message said:

Triglycerides 90,

Good

Quoted message said:

Glucose 88

Good

Quoted message said:

On a recent physical my results were as above; my LDL was 112.

Not optimal

Quoted message said:

My doctor was concerned about this and changed my prescription from 20 mg of Zocor to 40mg.

Understandably.

Quoted message said:

I read the ATP III Guidelines from the National Institutes of Health. It said that LDL over 100
was a risk factor. I think that it said there should be other risk factors.

Your other risk factors include:

(1) Male
(2) Older than 35 yo.
(3) Possibly overweight (high hsCRP?)

Quoted message said:

Are there guidelines for Zocor dosages?

Increase until target(s) are reached.

Quoted message said:

Do others with similar results get the same treatment?

Depends on there target(s) which is based on the whole person.

Quoted message said:

THANKS!

You are welcome, Tommy :-)

Servant to the humblest person in the universe,

Andrew

--
Dr. Andrew B. Chung, MD/PhD
Board-Certified Cardiologist
heartmdphd.comheartmdphd.comOpen ↗

--
Who is the humblest person in the universe?
makeashorterlink.commakeashorterlink.comOpen ↗

What is all this about?
makeashorterlink.commakeashorterlink.comOpen ↗

"Dr. Andrew B. Chung, MD/PhD" <[email hidden]> wrote in
:"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Tommy Taylor said:

I'm 57 years old, 5ft 7in, and 170 pounds.

You might be 35 lbs over "ideal"

Current BMI is 26.6. To achieve an acceptable BMI (18-25) OP would need to lose 11 lbs. This would
achieve a BMI of 24.9. I have no idea how 35 lbs leads to "ideal".

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

LDL 109,

Not optimal

Quoted message said:

On a recent physical my results were as above; my LDL was 112.

Not optimal

Guidelines suggest LDL less than 100. Lifestyle changes could result in the 10% change required.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

My doctor was concerned about this and changed my prescription from 20 mg of Zocor to 40mg.

Understandably.

Quoted message said:

I read the ATP III Guidelines from the National Institutes of Health. It said that LDL over 100
was a risk factor. I think that it said there should be other risk factors.

Your other risk factors include:

(1) Male
(2) Older than 35 yo.
(3) Possibly overweight (high hsCRP?)

In terms of risk factors, the biggest risk factors that you can change are smoking and weight. The
question you should have your doctor answer for you is; how much risk is thre for adverse effects
with an increase in drug doasge and how much is risk of heart disease increased by my current
lipid profile.

The fact is that HMG CoA reductase inhibitors are very useful for preventing a second MI, They also
reduce the risk of a first MI if the patient is at risk. However there are no studies that indicate
that in a patient at low risk of MI they prevent a first MI.

Nigel said:

"Dr. Andrew B. Chung, MD/PhD" <[email hidden]> wrote in
:"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Tommy Taylor said:

I'm 57 years old, 5ft 7in, and 170 pounds.

You might be 35 lbs over "ideal"

Current BMI is 26.6. To achieve an acceptable BMI (18-25) OP would need to lose 11 lbs. This would
achieve a BMI of 24.9. I have no idea how 35 lbs leads to "ideal".

35 lbs would lead to a BMI of about 20 which is "ideal" in theory.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

LDL 109,

Not optimal

Quoted message said:

On a recent physical my results were as above; my LDL was 112.

Not optimal

Guidelines suggest LDL less than 100. Lifestyle changes could result in the 10% change required.

For someone already on lipid lowering medications, it is generally assumed that those lifestyle
changes are already in place.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

My doctor was concerned about this and changed my prescription from 20 mg of Zocor to 40mg.

Understandably.

Quoted message said:

I read the ATP III Guidelines from the National Institutes of Health. It said that LDL over 100
was a risk factor. I think that it said there should be other risk factors.

Your other risk factors include:

(1) Male
(2) Older than 35 yo.
(3) Possibly overweight (high hsCRP?)

In terms of risk factors, the biggest risk factors that you can change are smoking and weight. The
question you should have your doctor answer for you is; how much risk is thre for adverse effects
with an increase in drug doasge

Typically, folks who already tolerate a drug without adverse effects will also tolerate any as
needed increases in dose.

Quoted message said:

and how much is risk of heart disease increased by my current lipid profile.

The fact is that HMG CoA reductase inhibitors are very useful for preventing a second MI, They
also reduce the risk of a first MI if the patient is at risk. However there are no studies that
indicate that in a patient at low risk of MI they prevent a first MI.

Since Tommy's doctor has already initiated HMG CoA reductase therapy, I would assume that his doctor
has already determined that Tommy is at risk.

Truth is simple.

Servant to the humblest person in the universe,

Andrew

--
Dr. Andrew B. Chung, MD/PhD
Board-Certified Cardiologist
heartmdphd.comheartmdphd.comOpen ↗

--
Who is the humblest person in the universe?
makeashorterlink.commakeashorterlink.comOpen ↗

What is all this about?
makeashorterlink.commakeashorterlink.comOpen ↗