Cholesterol Lowering Drugs May Not Reduce Arterial Plaque

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Cholesterol Lowering Drugs 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 astudy.

 

Researchers concluded that the commonly held belief that lower

cholesterol is better does not extend to the reversal of calcified

plaque progression with drugs.

 

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 inCoenzyme 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 comeas 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.

 

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

familial

hypercholsterolemia. On a side note, eliminating sugar will

inevitably cause beneficial side effects, such as normalizing your

weight,

increasing your energy and lowering your blood pressure and

triglycerides.

 

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. .

 

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

shouldcheck 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 heartdisease.

 

Related Articles:

 

Cholesterol Drugs Actually Cause Heart Disease

 

Cholesterol Drugs May Increase Cancer Risk

 

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