Showing posts with label cholesterol medicine. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Cholesterol: It is increasingly evident that the emperor has no clothes

If you have a history of cardiovascular disease in your family, or if you are on medication for cholesterol then you must read this.

Here's an excellent article about cholesterol by Dr. Mercola"

"For the past half century, cholesterol has been touted as a grave health hazard, and dietary fat and cholesterol have been portrayed as being among the “deadliest” foods you could possibly eat.

This may finally change, as limitations for cholesterol will likely be removed from the 2015 edition of Dietary Guidelines for Americans. It’s about time really, as 60 years’ worth of research has utterly failed to demonstrate a correlation between high cholesterol and heart disease.

Not only does undamaged natural cholesterol not cause heart disease, it is actually one of the most important molecules in your body; indispensable for the building of cells and for producing stress and sex hormones, as well as vitamin D.

Cholesterol is also important for brain health, and helps with the formation of your memories. Low levels of HDL cholesterol have been linked to memory loss and Alzheimer's disease, and may also increase your risk of depression, stroke,violent behavior, and even suicide."Full article by Dr Mercola here

How to determine your cardiovascular risk

If you live in the USA and want to be independently tested for cholesterol and other measures of heart health, you are welcome to contact me because I can arrange this for you, explain the results and help work out an intervention that is best for YOU. If you live elsewhere, then you will have to consult your doctor.

Thursday, February 19, 2015

More evidence that statins are neither effective, nor safe for preventing heart disease

This is sensational news!

How statistical deception created the appearance that statins are safe and effective in primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease

David M Diamond1–3 and Uffe Ravnskov

http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.1586/17512433.2015.1012494

We have provided a critical assessment of research on the reduction of cholesterol levels by statin treatment to reduce cardiovascular disease.
Our opinion is that although statins are effective at reducing cholesterol levels, they have failed to substantially improve cardiovascular outcomes.
We have described the deceptive approach statin advocates have deployed to create the appearance that cholesterol reduction results in an impressive reduction in cardiovascular disease outcomes through their use of a statistical tool called relative risk reduction (RRR), a method which amplifies the trivial beneficial effects of statins.
We have also described how the directors of the clinical trials have succeeded in minimizing the significance of the numerous adverse effects of statin treatment.

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Gary:
Never before have I seen a published research paper that so clearly accuses fellow doctors and researchers of deception, manipulating statistics and minimising risk in order to present a distorted and harmful version of the truth. This is sensational news and how they ever got to publish their findings in an international scientific publication is beyond me. Maybe the tide is turning? About time, I say.

Statin Drugs do not improve health -

Statin drugs cause harm!

What this means is the Heart Foundation will have to throw out all their manuals ands completely rewrite their healthy heart guidelines. Their lucrative Heart Tick is worthless. Their advice about saturated fats such as avocado and coconut oil, let alone animal fats and eggs lacks credibility.

Total cholesterol levels between 4-6nmol/L are healthy and of no cardiovascular risk consequence.

Here are the official guidelines. These guidelines are set by committees of experts, the majority of whom have financial ties with the statin industry. I recommend you ignore anything below 6nmol (240mg/dl).

As cholesterol levels go progressively lower than 3nmol/L have increasingly poor health, more infections, cancers, confusion and dementia and lower life expectancy.

Level mg/dL	Level mmol/L	Interpretation
< 200	< 5.2	Desirable level corresponding to lower risk for heart disease
200–240	5.2–6.2	Borderline high risk
> 240	> 6.2	High risk

In my opinion, which is increasingly being supported by reports such as this, is there are no health benefits from taking statins by anybody, other than possibly those at the extreme end of cardiovascular risk.

Even for those at the extreme of high cholesterol, greater health benefits are to be obtained from identifying and dealing with the root causes of heart disease, principally inflammation and the deposition of calcium into the soft tissues including the blood vessels. Statins do not address either of these.

I wonder why this has not had any mention in the mainstream news? Maybe its another one of those lies that is too big to fail?

Monday, May 13, 2013

Consumer Alert: 300+ Health Problems Linked To Statin Drugs

Gary:
Readers will be aware that I am not a fan of cholesterol lowering drugs which cause enormous harm. This article by Sayer Ji pretty much sums up my opinion of them:

A growing body of clinical research now indicates that the cholesterol-lowering class of drugs known as statins, are associated with over 300 adverse health effects -- research boldly flying in the face of national health policy, medical insurance premium guidelines, statin drug manufacturer advertising claims, and the general sentiment of the public, with approximately 1 in every 4 adult Americans over 45 currently using these drugs to "prevent heart disease."

The Cholesterol Myth

For well over 40 years, statin drugs have successfully concretized a century old myth about the primary cause of heart disease: namely, that cholesterol "causes" plaque build up in the arteries, ultimately leading to obstruction of blood flow, and subsequent morbidity and mortality.

Indeed, the medical establishment and drug companies have been singing the praises of this "cholesterol myth," to the tune of 25 billion dollars in statin drug sales, annually.
.......
Fundamentally, statin drugs damage the muscles and nerves in the body -- so much so that a dose as low as 5 mg a day can kill a human. There are well over 100 studies demonstrating the myotoxic, or muscle-harming effects of these drugs, and over 80 demonstrating the effects of nerve damage, as well. When you consider that a vast proportion of our body is comprised of muscles and coordinating nerve systems, this drug has the potential to cause damage to the entire body, and undoubtedly does so universally, differing only in the matter of degree -- the damage occurring acutely in those at the tip of the iceberg, asymptomatically in the majority of others at the base.

Full article here: http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/consumer-alert-300-health-problems-linked-statin-drugs

About this website

The advice in these articles is given freely without promise or obligation. Its all about giving you and your family the tools and information to take control of your health and fitness.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

The evidence grows that cholesterol-lowering drugs do not improve life-expectancy

"Those with the highest cholesterol levels were found to be 35 per cent less likely to die than individuals with the lowest levels. Those with persistently low levels of cholesterol were found to be at significantly increased risk of death. "
http://jeffreydach.com/2012/03/27/statin-drugs-revisited-by-jeffrey-dach-md.aspx

If you, or a loved one are on medication to reduce cholesterol, please think again. While there may be a nominal reduction in heart attack risk, this is more than offset by the "all-causes mortality" due to the many nasty side-effects such as increased risk of cancer, infection, suicide, cardiomyopathy, muscle loss and dementia.

There are many effective alternatives to drugs for reducing heart attack risk such as Coenzyme Q-10, flax and fish oil, magnesium, Ginkgo, vitamin E and Vitamin C.

One of the most effective ways to improve your lipids profile is to cut out all the sugars and refined flour from your diet and replace with protein, natural fat, vegetables, whole grains and fresh fruit. Ironically, that means avoiding most of the processed foods that come with the "Heart Tick"! If it says "99% fat-free" - avoid it like the plague - it most probably is full of sugar, flour and/or toxic chemicals. Excess carbs get converted into fats, including LDL cholesterol and triglycerides.

If you do have elevated risk of heart disease, the first step is to have a Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis completed. This scientific test will help to determine the most effective dietary and supplementary intervention for your special makeup.

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About this website

The advice in these articles is given freely without promise or obligation. Its all about giving you and your family the tools and information to take control of your health and fitness.

Monday, March 07, 2011

Getting Off Statin Drug Stories

Getting Off Statin Drug Stories

by Jeffrey Dach MD
Case Number One, Martha
Martha is 55 years old, healthy and no history of heart disease. Nonetheless, Martha has been taking a statin drug for "high cholesterol" under the care of "the top cardiologist" in South Florida for the past five years. Martha has also under my care taking a bioidentical hormone program for menopausal symnptoms which have all resolved by now. Every six months, we run a lab panel which always shows low choesterol of 170, courtesy of her statin anti-cholesterol drug.

Left Image: courtesy of Uffe Ravnskov, Fat and Cholesterol Are Good For You, book cover.

Just Ask Judith Walsh MD in JAMA
And, every time Martha comes into the office to review her lab results, I print out a 2004 JAMA article by Judith Walsh, MD who reviewed thirteen statin drug clinical trials from 1966 to 2003.(1) Dr. Judth Walsh concludes that cholesterol lowering drugs provide no health benefit for women. I give her this article and, at the same time, explain to her that no woman should be on a statin drug. Lowering cholesterol with a statin drug has no health benefit for women, that's a fact, and ......
More....

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About this website

The advice in these articles is given freely without promise or obligation. Its all about giving you and your family the tools and information to take control of your health and fitness. Please give me your support by subscribing to my free email updates. Please shop at my Online Store. Please encourage your family and friends to do the same. While we may not always be able to compete with the big operators on price, we aim to more than compensate through personal service!
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Tuesday, August 10, 2010

An 87 year old man seeks advice for problems with walking

Conventional (mechanical) sphygmomanometer wit...

Image via Wikipedia

I have been prescribed calcium tablets by my Doctor and will continue to take them. At my age (87) I guess it will not make much difference.

However there is another matter on which I would like your recommendation. I am in reasonable health for my age but progressively I am having difficulty in walking any distance. The main difficulty is that my leg muscles get very tired - the calf and upper leg muscles. If I stop walking for one minute the muscles recover to enable me to walk a further 2/300m.

Can you recommend a product which will help rejuvenate my leg muscles? All I want to do is to take a walk for 20 minutes or so which I have been able to do until about two months ago.

Medications

Glipizide 5mg
Lipitor 20mg
Enalapril 5mg
Atenalol 50mg
Allopurinol 100mg
Frusemide 40mg
Plendil 2.5mg
Cardia 100mg
Osteo-500 1.25g
Terazosin 2mg
Insulin 30/70

I have had Type II diabetes for 20 years. Have had a triple heart bypass 8 years ago. Due to partial kidney failure I am not able to take anti-inflammatory medication.

Statin Drugs: The Treatment was a Success - However, the Patient Fell Apart

10 June, 2008
“Since this time I have struggled with incredible muscle stiffness and pain. I feel 70 years old no joke intended. This year in a 4 month period I suffered the following injuries or disorders.

Compartment Syndrome Both Legs, Operation for Release of calf muscles.Groin Tear. Physio Rest. 8 Weeks.Hernia, Operation Repair.Detachment of Left Bicep Tendon to the forearm, Surgery next week. 6 week in cast + Long recovery.Hip? Back Disorder . Pain Left Buttock to ITB and Calf. MRI to be done next week then off to the Orthopaedic again.

My Question to any one is what the hell do I do about this extreme muscle stiffness that continues to cause injuries.I guess I will start with giving up the Lipitor, however my readings were up around 7.8 and its Hereditary cholesterol.”
(Male 48yrs)
_____________________________
Gary responds:
I was guest speaker at a cardiac rehabilitation conference last week. It was sponsored by a statin manufacturer which I duly noted on arrival.

Should I recount my experiences to the conference audience of the carnage I encounter every week from the side effects of statins? I was reminded of the John Cleese "Fawlty Towers" skit about "Don't mention the War" while in the prescence of his German guests. Of course, Basil Fawlty (John Cleese) could not resist the temptation, adding a few goose steps and Nazi salutes for good measure. Well, I did a John Cleese. I had to be true to myself and not shut up lest I offend the people paying the bills. The conference organsiers were very good about it and thanked me and generously gave me an Icebreaker Merino Beanie as a gift.

Some statins appear worse than others. Regardless, there is a common thread of fatigue, joint and muscle pain and muscle damage to the severity of rupture.

Unless there is an urgent and compelling case for administering these drugs, safe natural alternatives should be tried and exhausted before resorting to them. If a person is on these drugs they should be taking daily Coenzyme Q-10 to help offset the damage.

If a person on a statin reports fatigue, brain fog, muscel and joint pain, the possibility of the stain being a contributor should be considered and not ignored as it most often is. It should be withdrawn immediately and replaced with natural alternatives, including Coenzyme Q-10.

There is a general reluctance by doctors to withdraw an offending drug - Why?

Is it because to do so implies that there is harm by prescription with all the potential ramifications of a complaint being made to the Health and Disability Commissioner and a claim laid with ACC for medical error? No doctor want this with all the disruption to their practice and everything else that goes with an investigation. Better to say nothing, keep the patient on the drugs, tell the patient they have Polymyalgia caused by a mystery virus and prescribe prednisone and methotrexate.

There are many alternatives to taking a statin. Read the many articles and follow the links to the likes of Dr Dach's website.

Do you have a question?
Email Gary: gary at myotec.co.nz (Replace the "at" with @ and remove spaces). Please include any relevant background information to your question.

Monday, May 26, 2008

Has your doctor told you about this? - Memory loss and depression with lipid-lowering agents

"Prescribers are reminded that the risk of psychiatric reactions associated with lipid-lowering agents is not limited to statins. The symptomatic onset of psychiatric reactions, particularly memory loss and depression, can occur within days after initiation of treatment with statins, fibrates, or ezetimibe. Reports have been received where the symptoms occurred within four days after commencing treatment with ezetimibe. However, reactions can occur up to one year after initiation of treatment. In most reported cases, the symptoms resolved upon discontinuation of treatment. It is suspected that memory loss and depression are due to a reduction of brain cell membrane cholesterol, rather than direct adverse effects of the lipid-lowering agents themselves.

It is important that patients are advised to inform their prescriber immediately if they experience symptoms suggestive of depression, memory loss, or other psychiatric reactions. Prescribers should consider the lipid-lowering agents as a possible causal explanation in patients presenting with psychiatric symptoms, particularly memory loss or depression."

References

Tatley M, Savage R. Psychiatric reactions with statins, fibrates and ezetimibe. Drug Safety 2007:30(3):195-201.
Australian Adverse Drug Reactions Advisory Committee (ADRAC). Ezetimibe and depression – a possible signal. Aust Adverse Drug React Bull 2006;25(5):19. www.tga.gov.au/adr/aadrb/aadr0610.htm

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Gary Moller comments:
If you are a regular reader of this blog you will be aware that I am not a fan of lipid-lowering medications. Why on Earth would any doctor prescribe these drugs to an otherwise healthy person, let alone a person with health issues is beyond me. Especially when there are perfectly safe alternatives for all but a few cases of high cholesterol.

Meanwhile, health experts keep lowering the cholesterol bar for when to prescribe lipid lowering drugs. Now there is barely a single male (and many women) over 40 years who has not got "high" cholesterol. As the report above indicates, cholesterol is essential for life and it is not without consequences to start interfering with it chemically.

Fact:
Every cell in your body, including the brain cells, needs cholesterol to function.

Depression, confusion, baying at the moon, aching legs and impotence. Are these adequate reasons for staying away from these drugs which are wrongly being promoted (pushed?) as safe and effective for the treatment of conditions like hyperlipidema (High cholesterol)? If you are on lipid lowering drugs, has your doctor adequately explained the possible health risks?

Do you have a question?
Email Gary: gary at myotec.co.nz (Replace the "at" with @ and remove spaces). Please include any relevant background information to your question.

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