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I can see how you feel that way. Genetics means a lot with your health.

My dad had a stroke in his 50’s but it was his fault. He smoked, had high BP, high cholesterol, and was 300 pounds. He still lived to 81.

Other than Dad’s self-inflicted stuff, there are no heart attacks, strokes, cancer (besides skin), or any other possibly inherited causes of death in my family. We all have genetically high cholesterol, including me, but it has never caused a problem. When I had my physical six months ago, my LDL was high enough to scare the doctor. She put me on Nexletol since I can’t and won’t take statins, and it brought it down but I feel awful when taking it.

I go every three years and have my arteries scanned for blockage and none has ever been found. They also test for PAD and AFIB and those are always negative too. She has sent me to the hospital for scans because she can’t believe that somebody with high LDL for over 30 years can have clear arteries. LOL They never found anything either.

When she tried to make me take infusions for mild osteoporosis in one hip, I fired her. I’ll be seeing a new doctor next month and will lay down the law on meds starting out.

All of the small built women in my family have had mild osteoporosis later in life. My maternal great-grandmother had it and didn’t break the hip until she was in her 80’s and wrecked her Harley. She still lived to 96 or so. I don’t ride a Harley. 😆

My new doctor and I will discuss the Nexletol and why I’m taking it. You’d think that if a person could make it to 70 with high cholesterol and no problems they would leave him/her alone. I’m a medical puzzle to doctors.

Like you, I have some cholesterol problems, but have kept my numbers within the normal range with Pravastatin. Back in the summer of 2022, my then family doctor/endocrinologist changed me from Pravastatin to Atorvastatin. He also put me on Fosamax as I have osteoporosis in my right hip. I told him then that I was concerned because many years ago, when I was going through my change, my then gynecologist put me on Actonel. I took it for a while, but from a copy of my blood work my Gastroenterologist had received, they discovered that my liver enzymes were sky high. They thought I had liver cancer and did an ultrasound on me, and found no issues. They figured it was the Actonel, and told me to go off of it. Liver enzymes went back to normal.

Actonel and Fosamax are in the same drug class. I started taking the Fosamax first, and then a couple of weeks later, I began taking Atorvastatin. Within a week my urine had turned orange, and I began feeling very shaky and weak, I had heart palpitations, lost my appetite, and my glucose levels were either too high or too low. I called the doctor and he had me come in to see him, and sent me downstairs to have some bloodwork done. When I got the results that night, there were red exclamation points on every result on everything they had tested me for. They were either too high, or too low. So, right there I stopped taking the Atorvastatin and the Fosamax. He put me back on the Pravastatin after taking new bloodwork to make sure my levels were all back to normal, and I told him I was not going to take Fosamax or any other med for osteoporosis. It took me at least 8 weeks to start feeling normal again, and get my appetite and glucose levels back in line.

Fortunately that doctor retired that December, so it saved me from having to dump him after more than 20 years. I managed to find a new doctor in the same system, and I like her. She's young, very personable, and spends time with you. First female doctor I've had since my gynecologist all those years ago.

My oldest son was diagnosed with Rheumatoid arthritis many years ago, and he's been on Plaquenil twice a day, and an anti-inflammatory med for several years. Plus he has to give himself an injection once a week. About three years ago they did a bone density test on him and found osteoporosis, so he goes for a shot for that every six months. So far he hasn't had an adverse reactions to those, and he's been very fortunate that his arthritis has been kept at bay, so he can do his job. He'll be 58 this year.

When I had to go off the Actonel all those years ago, my gynecologist prescribed a nasal spray called Miacalcin. She also wanted me to take calcium tablets each day, which I did. Things went well until a blood test showed my calcium levels were very high. They discovered that I have a hyper-parathyroid, that overproduces calcium, so my levels are always abnormal on every test. I see a Cardiologist once a year, and I have ultrasounds on my heart and carotid arteries. My carotid tests have been consistently "mild plaquing" since they first started doing them 10 years ago. They didn't do a heart ultrasound last year, because they couldn't find any evidence of the heart murmur I've had for years. He has scheduled me this year for one, and another carotid ultrasound in May.

I hope you find yourself a new doctor that you like, who will spend time with you, and listen to you.