Psoriatic Arthritis and Cholesterol

jamieA

I've now been diagnosed with high cholesterol. I had my 3 monthly bloods done last week at my new GP and got a phone call on Thursday to say that my cholesterol is 6.1. In the last 3 years I've had more blood tests than I could ever remember and this is the first time this has been flagged up. I've spent a fair bit of time online looking into this and it seems it's not uncommon with people with PsA. It's seemingly all to do with how PsA raises triglyceride levels and lowers the 'good' HDL cholesterol.

My GP wants me to start taking statins but I'm already taking 8 different medications so I'd rather not do so. I walk 50-60kms a week, don't smoke, don't drink and don't eat junk food - I cook all my own meals and always eat my 5 fruit/veg a day.

Any suggestions?

Naomi33

Sorry to hear your cholesterol raised.

Thankfully I am always border line so no meds prescribed.

From what you have said I cannot see anything more you can do for yourself as checked NHS website and you certainly tick all the right boxes!!

Maybe you could take the statins for a short time and reduce level??

Hope you get sorted soon.

Take care @Naomi33

stickywicket

RA not PsA here. I'd not heard that about PsA but I had a check and I'm sure you're right. Maybe it's only been flagged up now because of the change of docs. I don't recall cholesterol coming into the regular DMARD blood tesrs. New docs sometimes check extrà things.

Like @Naomi33 I've always been borderline when checked but told that was only because of the good cholesterol. After my TIA, though,, a statin was added just as a belt and bràces job along with a second BP med and a blood thinner. That was about four years ago and no problems. I agree the fewer meds the better but some are necessary.

jamieA

Hi @Naomi33 and @stickywicket thanks for your responses.

Having spent some time reading up about alternatives to statins I've decided to try changing my diet to include plant sterols/stanols as well as increasing my fibre and nut consumption. You can buy yoghurt based drinks and spreads with enough plant sterols/stanols in them to make the recommended daily amount of 2-3gms. The BHF website claims that these can reduce cholesterol by 10-15%. Adding two tablespoons of oat bran to morning cereal and eating 30gms a day of nuts also helps apparently.

jamieA

Hi,

Just an update on this. I saw my rheumatologist for a routine appointment today. I've been having issues with enthesitis over the last couple of months causing me to wake around 3-4 am virtually every morning. My forearms and wrists have swollen to the extent that I've had to open my watch strap by a centimetre. She said she'd normally give me a steroid injection but had noted that I'd been diagnosed with high cholesterol. She said that Kenalog steroid can cause an increase in triglycerides leading to an increase in cholesterol. My cholesterol has actually reduced to 4.9 which I'm pretty sure is down to the diet changes I've made in the last 6 months.

LesleyB

I have had RA for 14+ years. I am on Hydroxychloroquine and Methotrexate. I have just been told I have high cholesterol (pinprick test indicates very high (10.68 total)). I am struggling to find any definitive info on whether my medication effects my cholesterol levels and in what way. Does anyone have links to any evidence? Also given the high level, I'm not sure I can control it with diet and lifestyle changes alone. Does anyone have any experience of combining statins and RA meds?

jamieA

Hi @LesleyB

Here's a link that explains how treatment that works to reduce CRP and ESR levels appears to increase cholesterol.

https://www.the-rheumatologist.org/article/patients-ra-respond-treatment-experience-increased-cholesterol/

Funnily enough my rheumatologist last week said my CRP and ESR levels 'were minus' - less than the norm - due to my cocktail of sulfasalazine/MTX/adalimumab.

stickywicket

Meth and hydroxy, @LesleyB , and, since my TIÀ, about five years ago, atorvastatin. No problems.