Daily Column

November 1, 2008 By

DEAR DR. GOTT:
I am a 77-year-old healthy male. I am not overweight.

In 2002 my doctor put me on Lipitor. At the time my cholesterol readings were: total 143, HDL 43, LDL, 87, triglycerides 63 and ratio 3.3. Now my readings are: total 93, HDL 45, LDL 39, triglycerides 45 and ratio 2.1.

I have done a lot of research and feel I should not have been put on Lipitor. I am now concerned that my very low cholesterol levels may be dangerous. Can the Lipitor and low cholesterol have caused damage to my body?

DEAR READER:
I do not know why your doctor would have put you on a cholesterol lowering medication with your 2002 numbers. Your numbers were even below levels recommended by cardiologists for patients with a history of stroke and heart attack. They were way below recommended levels for average people. [Read more...]

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Daily Column

June 16, 2008 By

DEAR DR. GOTT:
My son is 38 years old. A few months ago he went out of town to have a physical before he applied for insurance. Everything was normal except for his triglyceride level which was over 800. He went back two months later for a retest after watching his diet and the level went down to 300.

My son is not overweight but many of his uncles and cousins (on his father’s side) had fatal heart attacks early in life. I am concerned that he is not under the care of a physician and, given his family history and his own high triglyceride level, I fear he may end up like many of the men on his father’s side. He doesn’t smoke and drinks socially (three to four beers or cocktails at a time).

Could you please print a reply to my letter so he can see how important it is to lower his triglyceride level and be under the care of a physician? [Read more...]

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Daily Column

April 6, 2008 By

DEAR DR. GOTT:
I am an 81-year-old male in fairly good physical condition. I have had some serious bouts with asthma and pneumonia and now take several nebulizer treatments a day as well as an inhaler. I get along pretty well with my breathing though.

Now to my question. I have type 2 diabetes. A few months ago I read that cinnamon was good for lowering sugar levels. I decided to try it mixed with Splenda on toast several times a day and it seemed to work. I then purchased 500 mg cinnamon capsules and started taking them twice a day, after breakfast and dinner.

Before the cinnamon, I was trying to control my diabetes with diet and exercise but it wasn’t really working. I would often have spikes of 250 or higher (before a meal) for no apparent reason. After the cinnamon, I have not had a reading over 130 before a meal.

Is there anything wrong with this treatment? Are there any side effects? I have also told a friend with severe diabetes about this. It seems to work for him as well.

DEAR READER:
I have received several letters from readers, such as you, who have had a favorable response to cinnamon therapy for diabetes. At the time cinnamon was first mentioned in my column by a reader who was using it for diabetes, he also claimed it lowered his cholesterol levels as well. Cinnamon for cholesterol does not appear to work for the number of readers who wrote to me with their results.

The one side effect I have heard about from my readers is diarrhea. It appears to be dose related. I do not know if this is common in the general public, however. Therefore, I see no reason why you shouldn’t try it (with doctor’s permission, of course).

That being said, there have been a couple of studies on the subject. One of note is found on www.WebMD.com. A researcher with the NWFP Agriculture University in Peshawar, Pakistan says that cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves, and turmeric have shown promise in improving insulin’s action in lab studies. He also says that cinnamon can improve glucose and cholesterol metabolism, improve function of small blood vessels and remove artery-damaging free radicals from the blood. Korean ginseng, flaxseed, garlic, and onions have similar effects.

The best results were achieved in individuals who took three to six grams (6-12-500 mg capsules or 1-1 ¾ teaspoons) each day. This is by no means a small amount and favorable results diminish soon after the cinnamon is stopped. For those people who participated, insulin sensitivity improved, triglyceride and LDL “bad” cholesterol levels were reduced and changes to the HDL “good” cholesterol levels were minor.

If you would like to read the WebMD article it can be found at http://diabetes.webmd.com/news/20031205/cinnamon-helps-type-2-diabetes.

To give you related information, I am sending you copies of my Health Reports “Living with Diabetes Mellitus” and “Understanding Cholesterol”. Other readers who would like copies should send a long, self-addressed, stamped envelope and $2 (per report) to Newsletter, PO Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title.

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Daily Column

March 16, 2008 By

DEAR DR. GOTT:
Please let us readers know the results of your self-experiment with cinnamon to control cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

DEAR READER:
Cinnamon was of no benefit to me. I also received dozens of letters from readers saying it did not work for them. Some readers also experienced severe diarrhea while taking the cinnamon; therefore, I no longer endorse it.

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Add niacin only with physician approval

February 14, 2008 By

DEAR DR. GOTT: I am writing concerning the letter a gentleman wrote regarding his wife’s high triglyceride level. He said that when she started with a niacin regimen, her triglyceride level was lowered considerably. He did not mention whether she was on any prescription medication during this time.

I take Lipitor for high cholesterol and high triglyceride levels and would like to try this approach. However, since niacin can cause side effects, I don’t want to try it until I know it will not adversely interact with the Lipitor. Any thoughts on this?
[Read more...]

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