12 Comments
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Nurse Jeannie Capone's avatar

Another great benefit of this test, Karin, is that it measures your level of desmosterol. This can help people before they start statin therapy, as, if they are naturally low in desmosterol, it's a "no-brainer" that a statin will likely plummet their desmosterol even lower...which is no bueno! Great test!

Susannah Robbins's avatar

So now that you know that you know this, what are you doing to correct it? I am going to get this tested as my recent labs came back super high -- way higher than yours.....although I was having MCT oil and butter daily - now I've cut both out completely.....Is ezetimibe the solution for you? I'm looking into that, even though I really really don't want to be taking a drug.......

Karin Dee's avatar

I avoid high sterol foods now. I limit my intake of seeds (flax, chia, sesame) and nuts (one exception: I eat lots of Macadamia nuts). I take Ezetimibe and I also take 10mg Pravastatin three times a week. I will tweak that depending on my next labs since I have added C8 MCT powder to my daily routine and am waiting to see how that impacts the big picture.

Susannah Robbins's avatar

I hope you report on that. Thank you for your response!

Anne, with an E's avatar

How did you decide on macadamia nuts? Is that personal preference or based on data that is related to ApoE4 goals?

Karin Dee's avatar

Hi Anne with an E - (my middle name is also Anne with an E). Macadamia nuts are great for APOE4. Very high in monounsaturated fats, relatively low on sterols, omega 6 and PUFAs.

Anne, with an E's avatar

I do like to eat nuts and am aware of their benefits, I just did not know that macadamia nuts had special benefits - I wonder what makes the macro profile better than other nuts?

Dr Mark Chern's avatar

Definitely a new learning here — thank you!

Heather's avatar

Do we know the downstream consequences of these specific high sterol levels? Do they, too, contribute to cardiovascular disease and brain plaques? Also, I’m curious why you chose to start MCT powder over MCT oil.

Karin Dee's avatar

The science on elevated sterol consequences is not settled - some studies indicate a potential driver of CVD. Considering APOE's impaired reverse cholesterol transport, I can't imagine overloading on sterols would be beneficial. I still eat some sterol rich foods on occasion, but I stopped the tablespoons of flax in my yoghurt. I chose C8 MCT powder as it likely has the less impact on my lipids than oil would have. I will be testing in a week or so and will report back!

Shari Ross's avatar

Did your doctor order testing thru this lab or did you do it yourself?

Karin Dee's avatar

My doctor (Functional Medicine) did it. If you are interested in the test, you can reach out to Boston Heart and ask them for doctor referrals who use them in your area.