Does Cholesterol Really Matter?

[Guest guest]

I got a book called " Eight Weeks to A Cholesterol Cure " . Without drugs I

dropped over 100 points using healthy food and timed niacin. I was worried

about the side affects of the prescription meds. My doctor couldn't believe

I had dropped so much in 2 months.

 

Bonnie

 

 

 

 

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Desert Sky

3/16/2010 11:17:29 AM

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<< >> Does Cholesterol Really Matter?

 

 

Does Cholesterol Really Matter?

http://www.myhealthytown.com

 

(NaturalNews) I'd like to shine the spotlight on one of medicine's sacred

cows- the belief that lowering cholesterol with drugs protects against heart

attacks and premature death. Our obsession with cholesterol began in the

1950s when studies linked high consumption of animal fat with high rates of

heart disease. This opened the door for clinical trials that laid the

foundation of a new paradigm: the cholesterol theory of cardiovascular

disease.

 

This theory has had profound ramifications. It changed the way we eat (fats

bad, carbohydrates good) and contributed to our problems with obesity and

diabetes. It wormed its way into " clinical practice guidelines " - cholesterol

management has become a " standard of care " that doctors are expected to

follow. It spawned the invasive heart surgery industry, based on the

presumption that cholesterol-laden blockages must be bypassed or propped

open. And it led to the creation of the best-selling class of medications in

history: cholesterol-lowering statin drugs, which generate more than $15

billion in worldwide sales every year.

 

But it's all a house of cards. No matter what you've been led to believe, a

high cholesterol level is not a reliable sign of an impending heart attack.

In fact, growing numbers of experts question whether cholesterol matters at

all. As for statin drugs, for most of the 40-plus million Americans

recommended to take them for the rest of their lives, they're an ineffective

expensive, side effect- riddled fraud.

 

Statin-Free Zone

When a patient taking Lipitor, Zocor, or another statin drug comes to

Whitaker Wellness, we discontinue it at once. " But my cholesterol level is

240. " " My doctor told me I'll have a heart attack if I don't take this drug.

My father died of heart disease, so I have to take it. " I've heard all these

justifications and more, and I still recommend that my patients get off

statins. Here's why.

 

First, they're not very effective. These drugs do lower cholesterol, but so

what? We're not treating lab numbers. We're treating patients, and the

ultimate goal in cholesterol management is to reduce risk of cardiovascular

disease. Except for a very limited number of people, there is absolutely no

evidence that statins protect against heart attack or premature death.

 

Are you over age 65? Not a single study suggests you'll receive any benefits

even if your cholesterol goes down substantially. A woman of any age? Same

story. A man younger than 65 who has never had a heart attack? Ditto, no

help at all. For middle-aged men who have had a heart attack, statins may

lower risk of a repeat heart attack, but that's the extent of it.

 

I know this is hard to buy in light of the multiple drug advertisements and

glowing endorsements from doctors. But keep in mind that pharmaceutical

companies do a superb job of pulling the wool over the eyes of consumers and

physicians alike by withholding unfavorable study results and making false,

misleading, and often deceptive claims.

 

A Statistic We Can Understand

That's why I want to step around confusing statistics and tell you about an

easy-to-understand measure that you'll never hear about in drug ads. It's

called " number needed to treat, " or NNT, and it describes the number of

patients who would need to be treated with a medical therapy in order to

prevent one bad outcome. Experts consider an NNT over 50 to be " worse than a

lottery ticket. "

 

Lipitor ads claim that it reduces risk of heart attack by 36 percent. Sounds

pretty good until you look at the fine print, do the math (which John Carey

did in a great article in Business Week), and figure out that the drug's NNT

is 100. This means that 100 people must be treated with Lipitor in order for

just one heart attack to be prevented. The other 99 people taking the drug

receive no benefit.

 

To put this into perspective, the NNT of antibiotics for treating H. pylori,

the underlying cause of stomach ulcers, is 1.1. These drugs knock out the

bacteria in 10 out of 11 people who take it, making them a reliable,

cost-effective therapy. At the other end of the spectrum are statins, which

as a class have an NNT of 250, 500, or higher depending on the study you

look at. What a deal for drugs that can cost more than a thousand bucks a

year and are almost guaranteed to cause problems.

 

Goodbye Drugs, So Long Symptoms

Statins lower cholesterol by suppressing the activity of an enzyme in the

liver involved in the production of cholesterol. But this enzyme has

multiple functions, including the synthesis of coenzyme Q10. CoQ10 is a key

player in the metabolic processes that energize our cells. No wonder statin

users often suffer from fatigue, muscle pain and weakness, and even heart

failure- the cells are simply running out of juice.

 

The second most frequent adverse effects of statins are problems with memory

mood, suicidal behavior, and neurological issues. Other common complaints

include sexual dysfunction, and liver and digestive problems. Symptoms range

from minor (achiness, forgetfulness) to serious (complete but temporary

amnesia, permanent memory loss) to lethal (congestive heart failure,

rhabdomyolysis or complete muscle breakdown). One statin drug, Baycol, was

taken off the market a few years ago after it caused dozens of deaths from

rhabdomyolysis. Several studies have also linked statin drugs with an

increased risk of cancer.

 

Because physicians rarely warn of these side effects, few patients suspect

their drugs may be the reason they begin feeling bad- and it's often a

revelation when they put two and two together. Simply discontinuing these

medications can result in tremendous improvements in health and well-being.

Texas cardiologist Peter Langsjoen, MD, published a study showing that when

symptomatic patients got off their statins and started taking 240 mg of

CoQ10 per day, they had significant decreases in fatigue, myalgias (muscle

aches), dyspnea (shortness of breath), memory loss, and/or peripheral

neuropathy.

 

Not a Drug But a Program

As you can see, we need to shift away from this myopic focus on statin drugs

and lowering cholesterol, and take a more holistic view. Folks, you don't

need statins- you need a program that addresses all the known risk factors

for heart attack, stroke, and other cardiovascular disorders.

 

Inflammation, not high cholesterol, is the primary cause of heart disease.

Harvard researchers have discovered that a high blood level of C-reactive

protein, a marker of inflammation, is more predictive of heart disease than

cholesterol. To get a handle on inflammation, lose weight- especially if you

carry excess fat in the abdominal area. Exercise. Stop smoking. Eat plenty

of vegetables and several weekly servings of salmon, sardines, and other

omega-3 fatty acids, and avoid sugars and starches.

 

The beauty of this program is that it targets not only inflammation but

other conditions that contribute to cardiovascular disease, including high

blood pressure, diabetes, even cholesterol. Best of all, it's a foundation

for overall good health.

 

Necessary Nutrients

Your program should include a well-rounded nutritional supplement regimen,

as well. My number-one suggestion for inflammation in all its guises is fish

oil. This supplement also improves blood flow, discourages excess clotting,

helps normalize heart rhythm, and saves lives by reducing risk of sudden

cardiac death.

 

Folic acid and other B-complex vitamins are important because they lower

levels of homocysteine, a toxic substance that damages the arteries. The

mineral magnesium relaxes the arterial walls, which improves blood flow,

lowers blood pressure, and helps prevent arrhythmias. And antioxidants, such

as vitamins C and E, provide protection against damaging free radicals-

another contributor to cardiovascular disease.

 

Supplements that boost the heart's energy are recommended as well. One is

coenzyme Q10. In addition to serving as a potent antioxidant, CoQ10 also

increases the heart muscle's efficiency and protects against the adverse

effects of statin drugs. Another is D-ribose, a natural sugar that is the

structural backbone of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the energy that fuels

cellular function.

 

Don't Fret About Cholesterol

As far as cholesterol lowering is concerned, there are a number of natural

therapies that work well, including flaxseed and other sources of fiber,

niacin, plant sterols, and policosanol.

 

In short, do what you can to manage your cholesterol, but don't worry about

it if your level is particularly stubborn. The average cholesterol of people

who have heart disease isn't much higher than the level of those who don't.

If high cholesterol runs in your family, concentrate on what you can control

and remember, numbers aren't everything.

 

Recommendations:

* Here are suggested daily doses of the supplements discussed above: fish

oil 2-8 g, folic acid 800-1,200 mcg, magnesium 500-1,000 mg, vitamins C 1

000-5,000 mg, and E 400-800 IU, CoQ10 100-400 mg, D-ribose 10-15 g, flaxseed

1/4 cup, niacin 500-2,000 mg, plant sterols 1,500-2,000 mg, and policosanol

20 mg. Look for these supplements in your health food store or order them by

calling (800) 810-6655.

 

* Discuss this information with your doctor. If you are interested in

learning about the protocol we use at the Whitaker Wellness Institute to

prevent and treat heart disease, visit whitakerwellness.com or call (800)

488-1500. To locate a physician in your area familiar with drug-free

therapies, visit acamnet.org.

 

References Carey J. Do cholesterol drugs do any good? Business Week. 2008

Jan 17. Available online at www.businessweek

com/magazine/content/08_04/b4068052092994.htm.

 

Langsjoen PH, et al. Treatment of statin adverse effects with supplemental

coenzyme Q10 and statin drug discontinuation. Biofactors. 2005

25(1-4):147-152.

 

Marchioli R, et al. Early protection against sudden death by n-3

polyunsaturated fatty acids after myocardial infarction. Circulation. 2002

Apr 23;105(16):1897-1903.

 

Ravnskov U. The Cholesterol Myths: Exposing the Fallacy that Saturated Fat

and Cholesterol Cause Heart Disease. New Trends Publishing, Washington, DC,

2000.

 

About the author

Reprinted from Dr. Julian Whitaker's Health and Healing with permission from

Healthy Directions, LLC. For information on subscribing to this newsletter,

visit www.drwhitaker.com or call (800) 539-8219.

 

About the Author Julian Whitaker, MD, is the author of Health and Healing, a

monthly newsletter that has reached millions of readers since 1991. He has

also written 13 books and hosts The Dr. Whitaker Show, a popular radio

program. In 1979, Dr. Whitaker founded the Whitaker Wellness Institute.

Today, it is the largest alternative medicine clinic in the United States.

To learn more, visit www.whitakerwellness.com or call (800) 488-1500.

 

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