Lipitor, Severe Diabetes a Fatal Combination

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http://www.mercola.com/2005/aug/13/lipitor_diabetes.htm

 

Lipitor, Severe Diabetes a Fatal Combination

 

A study found that not only do cholesterol-lowering statin drugs fail

to help patients with severe diabetes, but statins may also double

their risk of experiencing a deadly stroke.

 

Lipitor Doesn't Work any Better Than Placebos

 

The study, led by Dr. Cristoph Wanner at the University of Wurzburg,

Germany, was conducted on severely ill diabetics, and tested

relatively low doses of the statin drug Lipitor against dummy pills.

 

At the end of the four-year study, the patients who took Lipitor

showed virtually no difference from those who took the placebos in

terms of the combined risks of heart attacks, strokes and death.

 

Stroke Risk Doubled

 

However, when fatal strokes were looked at individually, more than

twice as many patients died on Lipitor (27) as died on the placebo (13).

 

Lipitor is currently the most commonly prescribed drug in the world.

 

New England Journal of Medicine July 21, 2005; 353:238-248

 

MedPage Today July 20, 2005

 

Dr. Mercola's Comment:

 

Let's say you have both high cholesterol and diabetes. Which of the

following methods of treatment would you prefer?

 

1. Taking a dangerous drug that:

* More than doubles your risk of strokes.

* May result in your experiencing numerous other harmful

side effects.

* Fails to treat any of the underlying causes of your symptoms.

* Does nothing whatsoever for your diabetes.

* While it lowers your cholesterol, may actually cause heart

failure itself.

 

2. Using a safe and natural method that:

* Simultaneously lowers your risk of heart disease and

* Helps control your diabetes.

* Treats the underlying causes of both problems.

* Has no side effects other than better health.

 

I think it's safe to say that you probably prefer choice #2.

 

Statins such as Lipitor are a particularly bad choice for diabetics,

based on the findings of this article, but they are a poor treatment

even if your only worry is for your heart.

 

Statins lower cholesterol very well. Too well, actually -- cholesterol

is a necessary and natural chemical in your body. Cholesterol:

 

* Waterproofs your cell walls.

* Helps with cell repair.

* Is vital for digesting fat, regulating hormone levels, and

neurological function.

 

Despite cholesterol's infamous reputation, having too little of it in

your body is as dangerous, if not more so, than too much.

 

The result is that statins can cause numerous dangerous side effects,

including:

 

* Muscle pain and weakness

* Tingling and pain in your extremities

* Dizziness

* Cognitive impairment,

* Depression

* Pancreatitis

* Increased cancer risk

* Heart failure

 

The last one is rather counter to the whole supposed point of

cholesterol-lowering drugs, don't you think? And now there is this

additional evidence that it more than doubles the risk of strokes in

diabetics, in return for no benefits whatsoever.

 

Do you really think that taking a statin drug is a wise choice for

lowering cholesterol?

 

Lipitor also completely fails to treat the underlying problems causing

high levels of cholesterol in the first place. Statins inhibit an

enzyme that causes your liver to produce cholesterol when stimulated

by high insulin levels.

 

A far more sensible method of treatment is to keep your insulin and

leptin levels under control in the first place -- which is also

exactly what you should be doing if you are diabetic. To naturally

normalize your cholesterol level and keep your diabetes under control

at the same time, switch to a low-grain diet and exercise regularly.

 

If you really want the " cure for cholesterol please review the article

I wrote on that earlier this year.

 

Related Articles:

 

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

and Health

 

The Dangers of Statin Drugs: What You Haven't Been Told About

Cholesterol-Lowering Medication

 

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

 

Lunatic Recommendations For Statin Drug Use