The Cholesterol Times, Issue #002 -- Statins, Dioxin, and Vision

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Sat, 20 Aug 2005 17:15:06 UT

" Christopher Masterjohn "

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The Cholesterol Times, Issue #002 -- Statins, Dioxin, and Vision

 

 

 

 

 

A Publication of Cholesterol-And-Health.com Issue #002, August 20, 2005

 

Dear Reader,

 

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information about corruption in Alzheimer's research and the

complicity of major, prestigious scientific journals, the

surreptitious passage of cholesterol and blood pressure guidelines

timed with the release of related drugs, cholesterol-lowering drugs

used as food additives, and more.

 

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In this Issue:

 

Site Updates

# The Doctor's Heart Cure

# Biosynthesis of Cholesterol

# Coenzyme Q10

# Squalene

Best of the 'Net

# Dr. Duane " Space Doc " Graveline, MD

Research Watch

# Statins and Dioxin

# Statins and Vision

Commentary

Weston A. Price Foundation Conference

# Conference Details

# Hotel Reservations

# Travel Accomodations

Copyright and Disclaimer

 

Site Updates

 

Review of The Doctor's Heart Cure

 

If you've read The Cholesterol Myths you know that cholesterol doesn't

cause heart disease. But what does cause heart disease? Dr. Al Sears'

The Doctor's Heart Cure picks up where Dr. Ravnskov left off, and

gives us-- at least some of-- the answers to that question.

http://www.cholesterol-and-health.com/Doctors-Heart-Cure.html

 

 

The Biosynthesis of Cholesterol

 

This flow chart traces the synthesis of cholesterol from acetyl CoA, a

substance derived from the metabolism of any source of energy. It

shows where statins (HMG CoA reductase-inhibitors) interfere with

cholesterol synthesis, and how they also interfere with the synthesis

of squalene and coenzyme Q10. Coenzyme Q10's synthetic pathway is also

shown, where it deviates from that of cholesterol.

http://www.cholesterol-and-health.com/Synthesis-Of-Cholesterol.html

 

 

The flow chart allows you to click on important end-products such as

squalene and coenzyme Q10 to read further about their important

functions in the body.

 

Best of the 'Net

 

Duane Graveline, MD

 

Former NASA astonaut, Dr. Duane Graveline has compiled personal

stories and articles about the negative effects of statin drugs. He

has also published a new book, accessible from the site, on the same

subject.

http://www.spacedoc.net/

 

Research Watch

 

Statins May Increase Vulnerability to Dioxins

 

Dioxins are a class of molecules with endocrine-disrupting, toxic, and

carcinogenic properties. Recent research has been showing that various

dietary factors are potent inhibitors of the toxicity of dioxins,

meaning that actual dioxin exposure is only one small part of the

equation.

 

A study by Alsharif et al., found that vitamins A and E had between

57% and 70% reduction in various measures of dioxin toxicity in mice!

http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1742-7843.2004.950305.x?cooki\

eSet=1

 

What does this have to do with statins? Two indications are given that

statins could play a role in increasing one's susceptiblity to dioxin.

 

The first is that this study attributed vitamin A's effects to its

ability to protect the integrity of cell membranes, which it cited

ubiquinone, or coenzyme Q10, as possessing a similar role. Secondly,

coenzyme Q10, apart from its independent membrane-protective and

anti-oxidant status, also is required for the proper function of

vitamin E, which passes its free radical on to coenzyme Q10, causing

its regeneration.

 

Statins directly inhibit the synthesis of coenzyme Q10, and can reduce

coenzyme Q10 status up to 40% in humans. This translates to a

compromise of vitamin E function and an abolition of coenzyme Q10's

independent protective role. This highly suggests, then, that statins

would increase one's vulnerability to dioxin.

 

A Medline search for " ubiquinone dioxin " turns up four studies, none

of which tested the effects of coenzyme Q10 supplementation on

tolerance to dioxin exposure. A Medline search for " statin dioxin "

turns up zero results.

 

Scientists should study both the effects of intervening with coenzyme

Q10 supplementation on toxicity in response to dioxin exposure, and

the effect of statins on the same phenomenon.

 

Statins Inhibit Synthesis of Compounds Important to Retinal Function

 

Statin drugs are generally referred to as " cholesterol-lowering "

drugs, but their actions also include the inhibition of the synthesis

of a class of molecules called " isoprenes. " Isoprenes are continuous

chains of a recurring subunit of varying lengths. The 15-carbon

version, farnesyl, is a precursor to cholesterol. The 50-carbon

isoprene makes up the isoprene side-chain of coenzyme Q10. Isoprenes

are also found as side-chains in fat-soluble vitamins that we obtain

dietarily, such as carotenes, and vitamins A, E,and K.

 

A study published two days ago in Neuron by Kassai, et al.,

http://www.neuron.org/content/article/abstract?uid=PIIS0896627305006483

investigated the effects that changing the isoprene subunit of certain

retinal proteins had on visual function in mice.

 

The gamma-subunit of the essential retinal protein retinal transducin

ordinarily contains a farnesyl chain, which is the 15-carbon isoprene.

This study genetically modified mice to express an identical

transducin protein with a geranylgeranyl chain in place of the

farnesyl, which is the 20-carbon isoprene. The study found that the

two isoprenes were interchangeable in some respects, but that the

geranylgeranyl isoprene inhibited the translocation of transducin away

from the surface of rod cells in response to light. This impairs the

visual response to changing light patterns.

 

Although a wide variety of proteins in the retina involve isoprene

side-chains, this study was the first study to modify these chains

without modifying the structure of the protein with it, thus

unequivocally showing the specific effects of changing isoprene

side-chains.

 

What is interesting with respect to statins is that both farnesyl and

geranylgeranyl are inhibited by statin drugs, which cut off the

synthesis of all isoprenes. How many functions in the retina are

dependent on isoprene side-chains, and what is the critical limit of

isoprene sythesis inhibition, beyond which visual function may become

impaired?

 

A Google search for " statin vision " or " statin vision loss " reveals

claims that statins can both cause vision loss and prevent it. A

Medline search for either phrase does not turn up any results.

 

Commentary

 

The use of statin drugs to lower cholesterol is founded upon a

fundamental misunderstanding of cholesterol's role in heart disease.

 

The unsystematic and inconsistent association of high cholesterol with

heart disease is first simplified into a mythical consistent,

systematic association. A second error is made in pointing to the

presence of cholesterol in atherosclerotic lesions as indicating

biological plausibility for a causal role of cholesterol in this

association.

 

Yet, as Dr. Ravnskov points out in The Cholesterol Myths, if high

blood cholesterol was responsible for the accumulation of cholesterol

in those plaques, then cholesterol would accumulate most in those

plaques when its level is the highest. On the contrary, what we see is

that cholesterol is absent from atherosclerotic plaques until after

the middle-age peak in cholesterol levels, where it begins

accumulating when blood cholesterol begins declining.

 

In The Doctor's Heart Cure, Dr. Al Sears discusses how injuries to the

blood vessels from homocysteine, bacterial toxins, components of

cigarette smoke, and other abrasive materials, recruit the

immune-repair response of LDL cholesterol and white blood cells, which

results in a rough patchwork that can cause obstruction of blood

vessels down the road.

 

Many positive behaviors have what is considered a " positive effect " on

blood cholesterol levels. For example, quitting smoking, losing

weight, and exercising will all cause a " favorable " change in LDL to

HDL ratios.

 

Yet where is the value? If one lowers homocysteine by increasing B

vitamins, and thereby lowers the need for LDL cholesterol's repair

activity in blood vessels, does the body rejoice at the lack of LDL?

Or does it rejoice at the absence of abrasive injuries to its blood

vessels?

 

If one makes a favorable change in lipoprotein ratios by exercising,

does the body rejoice at the cholesterol levels? Or do the cholesterol

levels simply reflect the body's rejoicing in response to the positive

effects of exercise?

 

The idea of using statins or herbal agents to lower cholesterol misses

the point. There are two kinds of lowering cholesterol. One can lower

cholesterol by decreasing the body's need for cholesterol (e.g.

exercise, quitting smoking, losing weight, increasing nutrient intake)

or one can decrease the cholesterol level directly (e.g. statins, red

yeast rice, various " natural " therapies).

 

The two are fundamentally different. The former assumes cholesterol

levels to reflect other positive and negative processes in the body.

The latter assumes cholesterol levels in and of themselves to be the

causative agents in health-damaging processes.

 

These two understandings can make the difference between helping and

harming the body.

 

If cholesterol is needed, for example, to manufacture hormones

involved in stress adaptation such as cortisol, and therfore

cholesterol levels rise along with harmful chronic stress, removing

the stressors and learning to master relaxation will lower cholesterol

at the same time as lowering cortisol and the harmful stress that

elicits those compounds.

 

On the other hand, if those stressors remain in place, and the body's

need for cortisol and need for cholesterol remains intact, what harm

could result in sabotaging the body's ability to meet that need with

" cholesterol-lowering " drugs?

 

Of course, it is a misnomer to refer to statins as

" cholesterol-lowering. " Statins have other independent effects, such

as anti-inflammatory effects. But statins do not directly inhibit

cholesterol synthesis. They inhibit the precursor to all isoprenes,

mevalonate. They should be called isoprene-lowering drugs, which means

that they equally attack cholesterol, squalene, coenzyme Q10, and the

very many proteins that utilize varying isoprene side-chains for many

different functions.

 

It will be a long time before we find out fully what the true effects

of statins are, although as Dr. Ravnskov has pointed out, evidence

already indicates they cause some forms of cancer.

 

If their value is in their anti-inflammatory action, would it not be

safer to pursue the many natural therapies such as nutritional

supplementation that can more safely inhibit inflammation? It makes

sense to start with the basics and begin reincorporating some of the

substances found naturally in human diets-- such as small amounts of

DHA and EPA-- that are missing in standard modern diets, before we

begin popping expensive pills that disrupt a plethora of important

biological systems within our bodies.

 

Weston A. Price Foundation Annual Conference

Conference Details

 

Friday, November 11, through Sunday, November 13, The Weston A. Price

Foundation will be holding its Sixth Annual Wise Traditions Conference.

 

Conferences in the past have featured Dr. Uffe Ravnskov's presentation

of his hypothesis that cholesterol protects against infectious

diseases, Dr. Kilmer McCully discussing his revolutionary work on

homocysteine, Dr. Russel Blaylock's presentation of his work on

excitotoxins, and many other excellent presentations.

 

This year's conference will feature social activities, workshops on

fertility awareness and fermentation of beverages, 2 main tracks on

heart disease and cancer, and a long list of featured speakers,

including Dr. John Cannell, President of the Vitamin D Council, and

Dr. Noel Solomons, Director of the CeSSIAM International Nutrition

Foundation.

 

For more information on the conference,

http://www.westonaprice.org/conference/conference2005/index.html

 

 

Travel and Lodging.

 

You can get a conference-related discount at the Westfield Marriot

where the conference is being held of $139/night for double, triple,

and quadruple occupancy by making reservations here.

 

If you need to make travel arrangements, we encourage you to use Price

Line, with which you can search for the cheapest price according to

your own specifications.

 

You can also use PriceLine for hotel accomodations if those at the

West Marriot are too pricey. Plus, you'll help

Cholesterol-And-Health.com by using the link below:

 

1Priceline

http://service.bfast.com/bfast/click?bfmid=37923709 & siteid=41511500 & bfpage=120x6\

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support our continued growth by forwarding this newsletter to a

friend, who can by clicking here.

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Copyright and Disclaimer

 

Please take notice that the contents of this newsletter and

Cholesterol-And-Health.com are copyright of Chris Masterjohn, 2005,

and that this information is not to be construed or understood as any

form of advice. Please visit our disclaimer page here.

 

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