C-reactive protein ( CRP ) test will define 10 million elderly as new target for statins.

[Guest guest]

C-reactive protein ( CRP ) test will define 10 million elderly as new target for statins. Recently a new target group for reductase inhibitors (statins) was announced: the elderly with normal cholesterol. This is a far different story than they have been selling for some 20 years. Remember when cholesterol was your enemy, no eggs, no butter and no whole milk? I have been saying cholesterol was irrelevant for ten years now and finally it is beginning to sink in. Cholesterol is not the cause of atherosclerosis, inflammation is.

That's the reason that over half of the victims of heart attacks and strokes have normal serum cholesterol values. For most of us cholesterol never had anything to do with it from the very beginning. This new disease called hypercholesterolemia was just a convenient excuse for Big Pharma to make billions of dollars. Public health had nothing to do with it. Now they have a new reason to use them: inflammation is the new promo word for statin use.

Soon your doctor may be doing a blood test for inflammation on you and if it is elevated they are probably going to try to place you on a statin. Be sure to question your doctor thoroughly about the adverse reactions associated with statin use, particularly in the elderly. If he tells you "they may be associated with a 2% incidence of muscle aches and pains and tendency for liver irritation that will go away when the dose is reduced" then your doctor has not learned anything about statin side effects beyond what we were all told over 15 years ago. But since then much has been learned by researchers.

Cognitive damage and severe personality change is as common as muscle aches and muscle aches occur with a frequency much closer to 20% than 2% and in some 68% of those the muscle problem will be permanent. Yes, they never mentioned permanent.

Another common problem is peripheral neuropathy especially when you learn that when neuropathy occurs it almost always is permanent. Peripheral neuropathy is so common that it has been warned by all of the drug companies for years. Even the World Health Organization has reported excess neuropathy in statin users worldwide. Hard to believe that any doctor would prescribe statins to a diabetic, but they do.

And last but certainly not least is the chronic neurodegenerative process destroying muscles and disabling many statin users, me included.

In November, 2008 a research team led by doctors at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston announced the results of a study known as the JUPITER trial that involved nearly 18,000 patients. They found that statins protect against heart attacks and strokes even in older adults without known cardiovascular disease or diabetes and with low cholesterol (below 130 mg/dl - a group that isn't usually prescribed statins) as long as these patients also had high levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) a blood marker for inflammation.

So just as certainly as night follows day, soon you will be told to submit to a CRP blood test for inflammation to see just how "risky" you are. If your risk value is sufficiently high you will probably be urged to take a statin. As long as your doctor recommends a low dose of statin, I can support this for with low dose there is little risk of blocking the mevalonate pathway, the principle cause of adverse side effects.

Duane Graveline MD MPHFormer USAF Flight SurgeonFormer NASA AstronautRetired Family Doctorhttp://www.spacedoc.net/crp_elevated

 

 

MY OPINION? NO STATIN is safe: that's my MANTRA

Really folks, when was the last time you were offered a 5mg dose of a Statin to help your inflammation?

[Guest guest]

Would not a 'low-dose statin' be red yeast rice?--- On Wed, 3/25/09, Clare@GOOGLE MAIL <theclaremcharris wrote:

Clare@GOOGLE MAIL <theclaremcharris C-reactive protein ( CRP ) test will define 10 million elderly as new target for statins.Undisclosed-RecipientDate: Wednesday, March 25, 2009, 4:00 AM

 

C-reactive protein ( CRP ) test will define 10 million elderly as new target for statins. Recently a new target group for reductase inhibitors (statins) was announced: the elderly with normal cholesterol. This is a far different story than they have been selling for some 20 years. Remember when cholesterol was your enemy, no eggs, no butter and no whole milk? I have been saying cholesterol was irrelevant for ten years now and finally it is beginning to sink in. Cholesterol is not the cause of atherosclerosis, inflammation is. That's the reason that over half of the victims of heart attacks and strokes have normal serum cholesterol values. For most of us cholesterol never had anything to do with it from the very beginning. This new disease called hypercholesterolemia was just a convenient excuse for Big Pharma to make billions of dollars. Public health had nothing to do with it. Now they have a new reason to use them: inflammation is the new promo word for statin use.

Soon your doctor may be doing a blood test for inflammation on you and if it is elevated they are probably going to try to place you on a statin. Be sure to question your doctor thoroughly about the adverse reactions associated with statin use, particularly in the elderly. If he tells you "they may be associated with a 2% incidence of muscle aches and pains and tendency for liver irritation that will go away when the dose is reduced" then your doctor has not learned anything about statin side effects beyond what we were all told over 15 years ago. But since then much has been learned by researchers.

Cognitive damage and severe personality change is as common as muscle aches and muscle aches occur with a frequency much closer to 20% than 2% and in some 68% of those the muscle problem will be permanent. Yes, they never mentioned permanent.

Another common problem is peripheral neuropathy especially when you learn that when neuropathy occurs it almost always is permanent. Peripheral neuropathy is so common that it has been warned by all of the drug companies for years. Even the World Health Organization has reported excess neuropathy in statin users worldwide. Hard to believe that any doctor would prescribe statins to a diabetic, but they do.

And last but certainly not least is the chronic neurodegenerative process destroying muscles and disabling many statin users, me included.

In November, 2008 a research team led by doctors at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston announced the results of a study known as the JUPITER trial that involved nearly 18,000 patients. They found that statins protect against heart attacks and strokes even in older adults without known cardiovascular disease or diabetes and with low cholesterol (below 130 mg/dl - a group that isn't usually prescribed statins) as long as these patients also had high levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) a blood marker for inflammation.

So just as certainly as night follows day, soon you will be told to submit to a CRP blood test for inflammation to see just how "risky" you are. If your risk value is sufficiently high you will probably be urged to take a statin. As long as your doctor recommends a low dose of statin, I can support this for with low dose there is little risk of blocking the mevalonate pathway, the principle cause of adverse side effects.

Duane Graveline MD MPHFormer USAF Flight SurgeonFormer NASA AstronautRetired Family Doctorhttp://www.spacedoc.net/crp_elevated

 

 

MY OPINION? NO STATIN is safe: that's my MANTRA

Really folks, when was the last time you were offered a 5mg dose of a Statin to help your inflammation?

[Guest guest]

--- On Wed, 3/25/09, Tony De Angelis <tntstuart wrote:

Tony De Angelis <tntstuartRe: C-reactive protein ( CRP ) test will define 10 million elderly as new target for statins.Undisclosed-Recipient, Date: Wednesday, March 25, 2009, 9:49 AM

 

 

 

 

Would not a 'low-dose statin' be red yeast rice?--- On Wed, 3/25/09, Clare@GOOGLE MAIL <theclaremcharris wrote:

Clare@GOOGLE MAIL <theclaremcharris C-reactive protein ( CRP ) test will define 10 million elderly as new target for statins.Undisclosed-RecipientDate: Wednesday, March 25, 2009, 4:00 AM

 

C-reactive protein ( CRP ) test will define 10 million elderly as new target for statins. Recently a new target group for reductase inhibitors (statins) was announced: the elderly with normal cholesterol. This is a far different story than they have been selling for some 20 years. Remember when cholesterol was your enemy, no eggs, no butter and no whole milk? I have been saying cholesterol was irrelevant for ten years now and finally it is beginning to sink in. Cholesterol is not the cause of atherosclerosis, inflammation is. That's the reason that over half of the victims of heart attacks and strokes have normal serum cholesterol values. For most of us cholesterol never had anything to do with it from the very beginning. This new disease called hypercholesterolemia was just a convenient excuse for Big Pharma to make billions of dollars. Public health had nothing to do with it. Now they have a new reason to use them: inflammation is the new promo word for statin use.

Soon your doctor may be doing a blood test for inflammation on you and if it is elevated they are probably going to try to place you on a statin. Be sure to question your doctor thoroughly about the adverse reactions associated with statin use, particularly in the elderly. If he tells you "they may be associated with a 2% incidence of muscle aches and pains and tendency for liver irritation that will go away when the dose is reduced" then your doctor has not learned anything about statin side effects beyond what we were all told over 15 years ago. But since then much has been learned by researchers.

Cognitive damage and severe personality change is as common as muscle aches and muscle aches occur with a frequency much closer to 20% than 2% and in some 68% of those the muscle problem will be permanent. Yes, they never mentioned permanent.

Another common problem is peripheral neuropathy especially when you learn that when neuropathy occurs it almost always is permanent. Peripheral neuropathy is so common that it has been warned by all of the drug companies for years. Even the World Health Organization has reported excess neuropathy in statin users worldwide. Hard to believe that any doctor would prescribe statins to a diabetic, but they do.

And last but certainly not least is the chronic neurodegenerative process destroying muscles and disabling many statin users, me included.

In November, 2008 a research team led by doctors at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston announced the results of a study known as the JUPITER trial that involved nearly 18,000 patients. They found that statins protect against heart attacks and strokes even in older adults without known cardiovascular disease or diabetes and with low cholesterol (below 130 mg/dl - a group that isn't usually prescribed statins) as long as these patients also had high levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) a blood marker for inflammation.

So just as certainly as night follows day, soon you will be told to submit to a CRP blood test for inflammation to see just how "risky" you are. If your risk value is sufficiently high you will probably be urged to take a statin. As long as your doctor recommends a low dose of statin, I can support this for with low dose there is little risk of blocking the mevalonate pathway, the principle cause of adverse side effects.

Duane Graveline MD MPHFormer USAF Flight SurgeonFormer NASA AstronautRetired Family Doctorhttp://www.spacedoc.net/crp_elevated

 

 

MY OPINION? NO STATIN is safe: that's my MANTRA

Really folks, when was the last time you were offered a 5mg dose of a Statin to help your inflammation?

[Guest guest]



Hi Once Up on A Time..... in a kingdom far far away........ (joke) you could be prescribed STATINS at a very low dose (I think it was 10mg), but it did not take very long for the drug Barons to begin upping the dose.... kind of as if a little works well then, more should work much better! Very few people - if any that I personally know, are on a low dose these days. They have continually moved the goal posts to wanting our cholesterol numbers, and specifically our LDL numbers lower and even lower. Also they have moved the line for diabetes.... blood pressure... etc etc etc.... more pills are needed and higher doses are needed to achieve this, so more $$$$ in the bank for the Barons! (IMHO)

 

Doc Graveline, even tho he, himself, is seriously wounded (how long since we heard that expression?) by these ugly drugs, still feels (and has written this) that low dose Statins of 5mg per day, could be beneficial to assist with diminishing the inflammation - which he is convinced is the REAL CULPRIT behind artery/heart diseases. NO STATIN is a safe dose is my mantra!

 

However as you have pointed out Red Yeast Rice is also really a statin, and again even tho it is a 'natural' I would still avoid it as it also lowers cholesterol, which is NOT the culprit that the Drug Barons have made it out to be.

 

I am a lay person Tony, not educated and qualified as you are, so am interested in your opinions.

 

The Paper on C-reactive protein that the Doc was writing about, the new (ugh) up coming test that will be made available to see if you have this elevated ? enzyme/substance, is very misleading. CRP is a 'MARKER' of elevated inflammation. It is NOT per se, a diagnostic only for heart disease or arterial inflammation. Gosh, an ingrowing toenail ( I joke not) or an inflamed appendix - kind of from one extreme to another, can give rise to this elevated marker.

 

So each person tested, who shows an elevation of CRP is to be prescribed Statins? Possibly! Probably!

 

Most elderly people will have this elevated marker due to arthritis I think. Any one suffering an immune dysfunction will probably also have this marker..... gee I wonder how much in increased sales of Statins this will bring?

 

I have great respect for Doc Graveline and the work he has done and is doing on behalf of the Statin Damaged Community world wide...... but NO STATINS.......

 

Clare in Tassie

 

 

[Guest guest]

Statins (incduding red yeast rice) are anti-fungals. At a low dose they are good for a limited time for those whose inflammations are caused by fungal infections (as caused by antibiotics). Otherwise, I would hesitate to recommend them.

 

The el cheapo cRP test for inflammation is for ANY inflammation, so statins would not be effective for this except to reduce cholesterol by damaging the liver and extend the time that the inflammation will persist.

 

A Hi-sensitivity cRP test or cardio-cRP test is specific for heart inflammation which is NOT usually caused by fungal infection, so I would not usually suggest statins here either.

 

In summary, statins suck except for fungal infections - or for preventing cancer metastasis during cancer surgery. OOPS! Did I open another can of worms here?--- On Wed, 3/25/09, Clare@GOOGLE MAIL <theclaremcharris wrote:

Clare@GOOGLE MAIL <theclaremcharrisRe: C-reactive protein ( CRP ) test will define 10 million elderly as new target for statins. Date: Wednesday, March 25, 2009, 5:28 PM

 

 Hi Once Up on A Time..... in a kingdom far far away........ (joke) you could be prescribed STATINS at a very low dose (I think it was 10mg), but it did not take very long for the drug Barons to begin upping the dose.... kind of as if a little works well then, more should work much better! Very few people - if any that I personally know, are on a low dose these days. They have continually moved the goal posts to wanting our cholesterol numbers, and specifically our LDL numbers lower and even lower. Also they have moved the line for diabetes.... blood pressure... etc etc etc.... more pills are needed and higher doses are needed to achieve this, so more $$$$ in the bank for the Barons! (IMHO)

 

Doc Graveline, even tho he, himself, is seriously wounded (how long since we heard that expression?) by these ugly drugs, still feels (and has written this) that low dose Statins of 5mg per day, could be beneficial to assist with diminishing the inflammation - which he is convinced is the REAL CULPRIT behind artery/heart diseases. NO STATIN is a safe dose is my mantra!

 

However as you have pointed out Red Yeast Rice is also really a statin, and again even tho it is a 'natural' I would still avoid it as it also lowers cholesterol, which is NOT the culprit that the Drug Barons have made it out to be.

 

I am a lay person Tony, not educated and qualified as you are, so am interested in your opinions.

 

The Paper on C-reactive protein that the Doc was writing about, the new (ugh) up coming test that will be made available to see if you have this elevated ? enzyme/substance, is very misleading. CRP is a 'MARKER' of elevated inflammation. It is NOT per se, a diagnostic only for heart disease or arterial inflammation. Gosh, an ingrowing toenail ( I joke not) or an inflamed appendix - kind of from one extreme to another, can give rise to this elevated marker.

 

So each person tested, who shows an elevation of CRP is to be prescribed Statins? Possibly! Probably!

 

Most elderly people will have this elevated marker due to arthritis I think. Any one suffering an immune dysfunction will probably also have this marker..... gee I wonder how much in increased sales of Statins this will bring?

 

I have great respect for Doc Graveline and the work he has done and is doing on behalf of the Statin Damaged Community world wide...... but NO STATINS.......

 

Clare in Tassie