I am a researcher – not a doctor. I research many sources of health and nutrition and evaluate the good and bad and pass on information that I believe everyone should know. My position on statin drugs is that they probably have a place in medical treatment, but not at the level they are being provided by doctors today. Cholesterol is produced by your body. Cholesterol is also available from the food you eat.
Statin drugs lower cholesterol by blocking the enzyme, hydroxy-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMG-CoA reductase), responsible for producing of cholesterol by your liver. Why does your body produce cholesterol? Because it is critical for your health – it is critical for the normal function of every cell in your body. Cholesterol can contribute to the development of atherosclerosis – a condition in which your artery wall thickens because of cholesterol and other fatty materials build up as a result ofoxidation. Atherosclerosis is also known as ‘hardening of your arteries.
Over time cholesterol and other oxidized fatty plaques can accumulate on the inside surface of your artery walls. As these plaques grow it is possible to reduce or block the flow of blood to your heart. You may notice this constriction from pain around your heart – angina. The interesting thing that I’ve discovered is that half the people who die from a heart attack have no warning – no chest pain. Half the people who die from a heart attack have healthy levels of cholesterol. What does that mean? Maybe cholesterol is not the ‘marker’ to be measured for heart disease. Most of the studies I’ve researched indicate that heart disease can be moderated by reducing the inflammation in your body.
Cholesterol is measured differently around the world. In the United States, cholesterol is measured in totality and is broken down into components. A total cholesterol reading of 200 mg/dL is considered desirable, yet friends of mine have a total cholesterol reading less than 200 and their doctors want to put them on statin drugs to ‘prevent’ a future risk. WHY? Borderline high total cholesterol has been defined as 200-239 mg/dL. High total cholesterol is defined as anything over 240 mg/dL.
Two of the primary components of cholesterol are LDL and HDL. Cholesterol is made up of five groups of lipoproteins. The smallest are chylomicrons followed in increasing size by VLDL (very low density lipoprotein), IDL (intermediate density lipoprotein), LDL (low density lipoprotein) and HDL (high density lipoprotein). LDL is considered as ’bad’ cholesterol and HDL is considered to be “good” cholesterol.
LDL cholesterol levels are defined as follows: Very high LDL is 190 mg/dL or above; high LDL is 160-189 mg/dL; borderline LDL is 130-159 mg/dL; and, near ideal LDL is 100-129 mg/dL. It is interesting that two other levels are defined for people with high risk of heart disease.
For people at risk of heart disease, LDL cholesterol should be below 100 mg/dL. For people at very high risk of heart disease, your LDL cholesterol should be below 70 mg/dL. High risk of heart disease is someone who has had a previous heart attack or stroke. It also includes artery blockages detected in your carotid (neck) and peripheral (arms and/or legs) arteries. The following activities are also contained in the definition of high risk of heart disease: smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, family history of early heart disease and age – older than 45 for men and older than 55 for women.
HDL cholesterol has been defined by the following levels. Poor or low HDL cholesterol is below 40 mg/dL for men and 50 mg/dL for women. ‘Better’ HDL is defined as 50-59 mg/dL. The ‘best’ HDL is defined as 60 mg/dL or above. HDL cholesterol has been shown to reduce or lessen the build-up of plaque on your artery walls.
Statin drugs are dangerous – read the side effects. Statin drugs are linked to chronic fatigue, liver damage, muscle pain, nausea, lowered mental performance, cardiomyopathy (deterioration of your heart’s function), heart problems (depletion of coenzyme Q 10 in your heart – which can cause congestive heart failure) and even death. You will feel older and look older if you take statin drugs for a long time. They sap your strength. Fatigue results in weight gain and other health problems. Are these side effects worth a perceived lowering of your risk of heart disease caused by high levels of cholesterol?
If half the people who die from a heart attack have healthy levels of cholesterol, why take a drug that has side effects that can do you real harm? What’s even worse is that doctors are now prescribing statin drugs to children as young as 8 years old. Should you accept the side effect risks for your child? Say NO to statin drugs!
So, what can you do? Many things, but you actually have to do them. You can take statin drugs and maintain your lifestyle and you will see no improvement in your life. You must do something differently to improve your health. Here are a few things to consider: short bursts of high intensity exercise (at least twelve minutes a day), reduce the amount of carbohydrates you eat – especially refined grains and sugars, eat foods rich in omega-3 oil (fish, nuts, etc), supplement using vitamin B3 (niacin) – consider using a sustained release variety, but no more than 500 mg/day, eat more soluble fibers (oatmeal, beans, fruits, vegetables, etc), and lose weight (if you are overweight).
Choices have consequences. Your Prosperity Professor, Red O’Laughlin
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