Lowering Cholesterol May Not Reduce Arterial Plaque

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http://www.mercola.com/2003/sep/6/cholesterol_plaque.htm

 

 

Lowering Cholesterol May Not Reduce Arterial Plaque

 

 

Lowering your “bad” (LDL) cholesterol with statin drugs may not reduce the rate

at which plaque builds up in the arteries surrounding the heart, according to a

study.

Researchers concluded that the commonly held belief that lower cholesterol is

better does not extend to the reversal of calcified plaque progression.

 

American Journal of Cardiology August 1, 2003;92(3):334-6

 

 

Dr. Mercola's Comment:

And you almost believed the commercials and ads saying that cholesterol drugs

offer heart disease protection. Well, as this study shows the rate at which

plaque builds up in the arteries surrounding the heart seems to be unaffected by

how much LDL ( " bad " ) cholesterol is lowered using statin drugs like Zocor or

Lipitor.

 

What many people don’t realize is that statins kill people--lots of people--and

they wound many, many more. All patients taking statins become depleted in

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) eventually--those patients who start with relatively low

CoQ10 levels (the elderly and patients with heart failure) begin to manifest

signs/symptoms of CoQ10 deficiency relatively rapidly--in six to 12 months.

Younger patients can tolerate the statins for several years before they begin

developing symptoms.

 

The bottom line here is that when you treat the symptoms of high cholesterol

with a drug you are in no way, shape or form treating the cause. It should come

as no surprise that the artificial drugs cause serious side effects.

 

Why risk your health by taking drugs when there are some simple things you can

do to normalize cholesterol levels?

 

The first is to normalize your insulin levels by eliminating sugar and grains.

This works for most people unless they have a genetic defect called familial

hypercholsterolemia. On a side note, eliminating sugar and grains will

inevitably cause beneficial side effects, such as normalizing your weight,

increasing your energy and lowering your blood pressure and triglycerides. You

can find out more about this in my new book, The No-Grain Diet.

 

Secondly, you can take a high-quality fish oil that is chock full of beneficial

omega-3 fatty acids. It is important to find a fish oil that is independently

tested by a lab and found to conform to purity guidelines. This will ensure that

the oil is free of mercury and other toxins. One such brand, which I have found

to be of superior quality, is Carlson’s fish and cod liver oil, and I now offer

this exceptional fish oil/cod liver oil to you in my “Recommended Products”

section.

 

Additionally, if you are a man, or a woman who is in menopause, you should check

your iron levels as elevated levels of iron can raise cholesterol levels and

cause major oxidative damage in the blood vessels, heart and other organs.

Excess iron is also one of the major contributing factors of cancer risk.

 

Regular exercise is another important tool that may reduce your risk of heart

disease.

 

Related Articles:

 

Cholesterol Drugs Actually Cause Heart Disease

 

Cholesterol Drugs May Increase Cancer Risk

 

Cholesterol Drugs: How Expensive Is Too Expensive?

 

Eating More Frequently May Lower Your Cholesterol

 

Cholesterol is Needed to Help Your Brain Cells Communicate

 

U.S. Cholesterol Levels Remain Unchanged