>>>>>>>I guess if Tamar's or Dorris' husbands get a blood test results showing high level of cholesterol (which I do not wish them at all), they could suggest to the husbands NOT TO WORRY and not to take antistatins since "human body are not decreed by parliament, learned judges or pharmaceutical companies, they are set by God and altered by things we do to ourselves, while practitioners peer at complex issues through a glass darkly."
>>>>>>
>>>>>>It's not a binary choice.. take meds or do nothing.
>>>>>>I had a high cholesterol reading and my BP was a little high, so I went on the South Beach diet and did more walking (on the golf course.)
>>>>>>The readings are now normal without any meds.
>>>>>>I have a lot of faith in my internist. He threatened me with having to take the pills if I didn't clean my act up.
>>>>>>I did and I don't.
>>>>>
>>>>>What if, after your went on the diet and increased the level of exercise, your cholesterol would still be high, you would you do then?
>>>>
>>>>I'd follow my MD's advice. He tells me that they reduce the chance of stroke and heart attack, and I'd have to listen to that.
>>>
>>>Regarding the MD advice, not to cast any aspersions on your doctor, I have to tell you something that now sounds kind of "funny" but not at the time when it happened. In the early 80s (I was already living in the USA) my uncle, who lived in the USSR, was diagnosed with cardio vascular problems (chest pains, shortness of breath, and other symptoms). My aunt (his wife) took him to a couple of doctors of good reputation and one (or all of them, can't remember right now) suggested to her that she should feed him fresh meat, very fresh meat. Which she did (she admitted to me recently since she now lives in this country). My uncle (her husband) died of heart attach in 1982 when he was 53 yo.
>>
>>I have a good MD but I have a healthy skepticism toward all experts.
>>During the 80's I had a heart attack while taking a stress test that was being monitored by a cardiologist and several techs.
>>They all thought this it was fatigue and let me sleep it off.
>>When another cardiologist heard what happened, he whisked me off to the ER and they figured out what was going on. I had some serious blockages and had sustained some damage from the heart attack.
>>They did bypass surgery and 30 years later I can put in an occasional 12 hour work day and walk a round of golf if the weather's not too hot, so those MD's extended my life and I'll be ever thankful to them.
>>As to the first MD.. well... I'll be ever skeptical.
>
>I think bypass surgery is a great surgical advancement. I am glad you are playing golf (since I can't :)).
>
>My brother had a stress test done yesterday and they stopped it after 7 minutes when he started feeling the pain (if this is the right term). He had a bypass surgery (quintuple) 18 years ago and they (the docs) suspect that the - I forgot the term they use for the things they take from your leg to use for bypass - could be warn off. I remember when they did the bypass (18 years ago) they said that the useful life is about 15 years. So they will do more tests tomorrow and decided on the next course of treatment.

Good luck to your brother, a fellow zipper club member.
He was fortunate that they were on the ball and stopped the test.
There are lots of things they can do now for his condition.