Lipitor, Severe Diabetes a Fatal Combination

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Lipitor, Severe Diabetes a Fatal Combination http://www.mercola.com/2005/aug/13/lipitor_diabetes.htm 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 PlacebosThe 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 DoubledHowever, 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; 353:238-248MedPage Today July 20, 2005Dr. Mercola's Comment:Let's say you have both high cholesterol and diabetes. Which of the following methods of treatment would you prefer?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. 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 HealthThe Dangers of Statin Drugs: What You Haven't Been Told About Cholesterol-Lowering MedicationCrestor and Other Statins: Are They Really Worth the Risk?Lunatic Recommendations For Statin Drug UseReturn to Table of Contents #676