Crestor and Other Statins

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http://mercola.com/2003/nov/8/crestor_statins.htm

 

 

Crestor and Other Statins: Are They Really Worth the Risk?

 

 

By Dr. Joseph Mercola

with Rachael Droege

With at least 12 million Americans taking cholesterol-lowering drugs, mostly

statins, and experts’ recommendations that another 23 million should be taking

them, it’s no wonder that the drug companies are scrambling to get their piece

of the pie by releasing new and “improved” statin drugs.

 

AstraZeneca just released their new statin called Crestor (generic name

rosuvastatin). According to the company, Crestor is less expensive and more

effective than similar drugs like Pfizer’s Lipitor, which is currently the

statin market leader, taking in about $8 billion of the $13 billion total statin

sales in 2002.

 

And while it appears that the drug may be slightly better than other statins at

raising good (HDL) cholesterol levels, there are loads of safety concerns

surrounding the drug. For instance, the highest, 80-milligram dose of Crestor

could not be approved because of serious side effects including muscle and

kidney damage. Some say the drug may produce side effects even at lower doses,

and caution that patients should be closely monitored when on the drug.

 

Of course, all statins pose risks, so the question of which statin is most

dangerous is somewhat tongue-in-cheek. Dangers of statin drugs include, but are

not limited to, a potential increase in liver enzymes so patients must be

monitored for normal liver function, muscle aches, weakness, immune system

suppression, an increase in cancer risk, and a serious degenerative muscle

tissue condition called rhabdomyolysis.

 

Naturally, one would assume that with the extensive list of side effects

associated with statins, they must be doing some pretty good things. Well, what

statins do do is lower cholesterol levels, that is true. But if lowering your

cholesterol is your goal, why not try a healthy diet with little to no grains

and sugars? This will work in the majority of cases. 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.

 

But suppose that lowering your “bad” (LDL) cholesterol was not actually the key

to lowering your risk of heart attacks and heart disease? Would you still want

to risk all of those statin side effects? Well, this is just what several

research studies have found, raising the basic question of whether statin drugs

even work to lower the risk of heart disease.

 

 

 

One study, published in the August 2003 American Journal of Cardiology found

that lowering bad cholesterol with statin drugs may not reduce the rate at which

plaque builds up in the arteries surrounding the heart. This finding flies in

the face of the widespread belief that lowering LDL cholesterol levels is the

best way to reduce arterial plaque. In the study, participants taking varying

doses of a statin did generally lower their cholesterol. However, all the groups

had an average increase in arterial plaque of 9.2 percent.

 

 

 

Another study published in the December 2002 Journal of the American Medical

Association looked at the effect of statin drugs versus usual care (improving

diet, exercise, etc.). While the statin group did lower their bad cholesterol

levels significantly more than the usual care group, both groups had the SAME

rates of death and heart disease.

 

 

 

In light of these reports, and the known dangers of statin drugs, you would

expect some major news in the area of statins, but the studies received hardly

any mainstream media coverage. As with many health care issues, you’ll have to

sort out the truth for yourself.

 

If you truly want to prevent heart disease, check out my article Protect

Yourself From Heart Disease With Simple Lifestyle Changes. For a quick tip, one

of the easiest and most effective ways to reduce your risk of heart disease is

by increasing the omega-3 in your diet. Omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in

oily fish and fish oils, offer great protection. Studies have shown that omega-3

works by preventing the buildup of fatty deposits in the arteries. One of the

best ways to make sure you have enough omega-3 in your diet is by regularly

consuming fish oil. It’s important to use a high-quality oil to ensure that the

product is fresh and purified of mercury and other toxins. Carlson’s fish oil is

the best brand I’ve come across; you can look for it in your local health food

store or in our online store.

 

 

Related Articles:

Common Cholesterol Drug Lowers Cholesterol but Not Death Rate

 

Safety Concerns Surround the Latest Statin, Crestor

 

The Truth About Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs (Statins), Cholesterol, and Health

 

Lipitor May Suppress Immune System -- There Are Far Better Options

 

Statins - Is the Danger is the Dose?

 

Half of Population Will be Taking Statins

 

 

 

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