Adverse Effects of Statins & other Popular Heart Drugs

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Adverse Effects of Statins & other Popular Heart Drugs

JoAnn Guest

Sep 17, 2004 21:12 PDT

 

We now know that cholesterol laden plaque leads to heart disease

primarily whenever it is 'oxidized', or subjected to 'free radical'

damage. Cholesterol damaged by " free radicals " is frequently taken

up by white blood cells (macrophages) which is eventually deposited

in " fatty streaks " on artery walls. This fosters the beginning of

major plaque buildup in the arteries and plays a key role in the

development of heart and artery disease.

 

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Dangers of Prescription Drugs:

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Beta blockers and calcium channel blockers are the mainstay of

conventional treatment for high blood pressure, heart disease,

angina, and cardiac arrythmias for millions of americans.

 

Calcium channel blockers claim to relax artery walls and lower blood

pressure by blocking the 'entrance' of calcium into the cells!

However, they also block some of the " essential functions " of the

heart and arteries. Because of the side effects of these drugs, many

patients taking calcium channel blockers experienced a

60% higher risk of death from cardiac arrest.

 

An effective " alternative " for the calcium channel blockers is

MAGNESIUM. Magnesium is more effective than popular

prescription drugs... its primariy mode of action is helping to

achieve relaxation of the smooth muscles in the arteries

and 'reduced stress' on the myocrdium,

however this is accomplished in a gentle natural way and without any

of the accompanying (and annoying) side effects of popular

prescription drugs.

Increasing your daily intake of magnesium, potassium and potassium-

rich foods reduces accumulation of arterial

plaques.

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" Beta blockers " are often prescribged to treat high blood pressure.

 

They work by blocking the ability of your heart to respond to

epinephrine and adrenaline, which actually stimulates your pulse

rate and blood pressure, elevating both.

This tends to bring on a condition where there is an

overall " weakening " within the heart itself, so that

blood 'pressure' is *lowered* and heart pain reduced.

 

Beta blockers can be beneficial for 'temporary' relief, but that's

not the way they're prescribed! Virtually every doctor I'm aware of

prescribes them indefinitely!

www.drwhitaker.com

 

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Anti-hyperlipidemic drugs (Statins) are given

with the intention of lowering bad cholesterol levels. These drugs

all have extremely dangerous side effects and again, there is very

little evidence that they reduce your risk of a heart attack! The

fine print indicates that they do not! This is yet another instance

where we need to read the contraindications rather than just rely on

some preconceived assumptions.

 

Statin drugs such as Mevacor, Lipitor and Zocor are the the most

popular of these " lipid-lowering " drugs.

 

They reduce the " production " of cholesterol in the liver

and " alter " the way LDL cholesterol enters our cells.

 

According to the " Physician's Desk Reference " (PDR), side effects of

these drugs include liver *toxicity*, muscle inflammation,

gastrointestinal symptoms, and an increased risk of cataract

formation.

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A significant " side effect " of statin drugs not mentioned in the PDR

is a " reduction " in your body's production of 'Coenzyme Q10'.

 

Co-Q10 is essential for healthy heart muscles and Co-Q10 is more

prevalent in your heart than any

other muscle within your body!!

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Colestid and Questran (resins):

absorb bile acids from cholesterol in the intestinal tract and cause

them to be excreted, lowering cholesterol levels circulating in the

blood however Resins have 'considerable' side effects, namely...

constipation, nausea, bloating, and, more seriously,

reduced absorption of vitamins A,D, E, and K. Over the long term,

these deficiencies may cause bleeding disorders and vision problems!

 

There was actually an " increased " death rate from those taking

Atromid-S although it was from 'non-cardiac' causes,

primarily forms of *CANCER*!

 

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A More Safe Natural Approach:

 

We now know that cholesterol-lowering drugs have dangerous side

effects and there is scant research that they lessen the risk of

heart attack!

 

There are safe alternatives that address the CAUSES of

heart disease, not just the SYMPTOMS!

They work to prevent and in some cases even 'reverse' heart disease.

 

A nutrient dense, low protein diet rich in organic fruits and

vegetables, a high-potency, antioxidant-rich multivitamin regimen,

" essential fatty acid " supplementation along with moderate exercise

greatly reduces your risk.

 

www.udoerasmus.com

 

I heartily recommend this program to everyone

not just those with heart disease!

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Researchers: Diet Cuts Cholesterol as Well as Drug

Tue Jul 22, 4:21 PM

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CHICAGO (Reuters) - A strict vegetarian diet can reduce high

cholesterol levels about as effectively as cholesterol fighting

drugs called statins,

 

Canadian researchers said on Tuesday.

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The diet containing natural plant sterols found in plants,

organic vegetables and fruits, almonds, cold-pressed unrefined oils

such as olive oil, in combination with the viscous fibers found in

oats, barley and psyllium, was credited

with reducing " bad " cholesterol levels by 29 percent over four weeks

in a group of 16 subjects.

 

Another group of study participants who took a daily dose of 20

milligrams of the drug *lovastatin* lowered their cholesterol levels

by a comparable 31 percent over four weeks, and a third group on a

low-fat diet cut their cholesterol by 8 percent.

 

The findings suggested that patients with high cholesterol try a

dietary approach for six to 12 weeks before turning to cholesterol-

lowering drugs,

 

Dr. James Anderson, of the University of Kentucky in Lexington,

wrote in an editorial accompanying the study published in

the Journal of the American Medical Association.

 

" Dietary management is an essential part of the treatment for lipid

disorders, although adherence to strict and intensive dietary

interventions requires motivation by patients, encouragement by

physicians, and, perhaps, counseling by dietitians and nutrition

experts, " Anderson wrote.

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High cholesterol is a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease,

and statins reduce the risk of mortality from heart-related

illnesses (short term) by up to one-third.

 

Unfortunately however, there are many " documented

dangers " involved in taking statin drugs.

 

Study author David Jenkins wrote:

 

" Using the experience gained,further development of a more natural

dietary approach may provide a potentially

valuable dietary option for cardiovascular disease risk reduction in

primary prevention. "

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Posted: Fri Sep 17, 2004 7:01 pm

Carcinogenicity of lipid-lowering drugs.

-------------------------.

Newman TB, Hulley SB.

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?

cmd=Retrieve & db=PubMed & list_uids=8531288 & dopt=Abstract

 

Department of Laboratory Medicine,School of Medicine,

University of California,

San Francisco, USA.

 

OBJECTIVE--To review the findings and implications of studies of

rodent carcinogenicity of lipid-lowering drugs.

 

DATA SOURCES-

Summaries of carcinogenicity studies published in the 1992 and 1994

Physicians' Desk Reference (PDR),

 

additional information obtained from the US Food and Drug

Administration, and published articles identified by computer

searching, bibliographies, and consultation with experts.

 

STUDY SAMPLE--We tabulated rodent carcinogenicity data from the 1994

PDR for all drugs listed as " hypolipidemics. "

For comparison, we selected a stratified random sample of

anti-hypertensive drugs.

 

We also reviewed methods and interpretation of carcinogenicity

studies in rodents and results of clinical trials in humans.

 

DATA SYNTHESIS--All members of the two most popular classes of lipid-

lowering drugs (the fibrates and the statins)cause cancer in rodents,

in some cases at levels of animal exposure

close to those prescribed to humans.

 

CONCLUSIONS--Extrapolation of this evidence of carcinogenesis from

rodents to humans is an uncertain process.

Longer-term clinical trials and careful postmarketing surveillance

during the next several decades are needed to determine whether

cholesterol-lowering drugs cause cancer in humans.

 

In the meantime, the results of experiments in animals and humans

suggest that lipid-lowering drug treatment,

especially with the fibrates and statins,

should be avoided except in patients at high short-term risk

of coronary heart disease.

 

Publication Types:

Review

Review Literature

 

PMID: 8531288 [PubMed

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Posted: Fri Sep 17, 2004 7:06 pm

 

" Calcified Plaque " burden remains 'unchanged' by Statin drugs

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Relation of aggressiveness of lipid-lowering treatment to changes in

calcified plaque burden by electron beam tomography.

 

Hecht HS, Harman SM.

 

Beth Israel Medical Center, New York, New York 10003, USA.

hhe-

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The comparative effects of more versus less aggressive low-density

lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol lowering (to </=80 vs >80 mg/dl) on

calcified coronary plaque progression by electron beam tomography

were evaluated in 182 consecutive asymptomatic patients after 1.2

years of treatment with statins alone or in combination with niacin.

 

Despite the greater improvement in lipids in the </=80 versus >80

mg/dl groups, there were no differences in 'calcified plaque'

progression (9.3%/year vs 9.1%/year).

 

We conclude that, with respect to LDL cholesterol lowering with

Statins, the " lower is better " theory is not supported by changes

in calcified plaque progression.

 

 

Publication Types:

Clinical Trial

PMID: 12888149 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

_________________

 

JoAnn Guest

mrsjo-

http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest