Does Cholesterol Really Matter?

[Guest guest]

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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