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.

________________________
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?

Further reading:

http://chriskresser.com/behind-the-veil-conflicts-of-interest-and-fraud-in-medical-research

Is this the final nail in the coffin for statin drugs?

This is one of the most damning scientific articles, yet, that confirms what many health experts already knew -  that statins are not "heart healthy".  They are a lie.  

Unfortunately, the billion dollar statin industry has its own momentum and, as we all recognise and accept, businesses are in the business of growth and profit - health promotion is a secondary consideration.  Add the fact that medicine, including in-service medical education, is dominated by the pharmaceutical industry.  It is therefore hardly a surprise that statin sales continue to increase despite the burgeoning scientific evidence that they do a lot of harm and no good.

Please read the article scientific abstract below and then wonder why this has not had any publicity in mainstream media.  Meanwhile I can guarantee you that there will continue to be the weekly drugs industry TV propaganda, dressed up as news, announcing the latest exciting science breakthrough in the search for "The Cure".

There are effective, healthy alternatives to statins: Alternatives that have no nasty side effects other than looking good and feeling great.  Why doesn't your doctor prescribe these instead of harmful drugs?

Expert Rev Clin Pharmacol. 2015 Feb 6:1-11. [Epub ahead of print]

Statins stimulate atherosclerosis and heart failure: pharmacological mechanisms.

Okuyama H1, Langsjoen PH, Hamazaki T, Ogushi Y, Hama R, Kobayashi T, Uchino H.

Author information

Abstract

In contrast to the current belief that cholesterol reduction with statins decreases atherosclerosis, we present a perspective that statins may be causative in coronary artery calcification and can function as mitochondrial toxins that impair muscle function in the heart and blood vessels through the depletion of coenzyme Q10 and 'heme A', and thereby ATP generation. Statins inhibit the synthesis of vitamin K2, the cofactor for matrix Gla-protein activation, which in turn protects arteries from calcification. Statins inhibit the biosynthesis of selenium containing proteins, one of which is glutathione peroxidase serving to suppress peroxidative stress. An impairment of selenoprotein biosynthesis may be a factor in congestive heart failure, reminiscent of the dilated cardiomyopathies seen with selenium deficiency. Thus, the epidemic of heart failure and atherosclerosis that plagues the modern world may paradoxically be aggravated by the pervasive use of statin drugs. We propose that current statin treatment guidelines be critically reevaluated.

KEYWORDS:

ATP generation; atherosclerosis; coenzyme Q10; heart failure; mitochondrial toxin; selenoprotein; statin; statin cardiomyopathy; vitamin K2

If this is not enough, here are two abstracts about the association of statins with diabetes - not good at all:

Ochsner J. 2010 Spring;10(1):16-21.

Diabetes Metab J. 2013 Dec;37(6):415-22. doi: 10.4093/dmj.2013.37.6.415.

Diabetogenic effect of statins: a double-edged sword?

Yoon JS1, Lee HW1.

Author information

Abstract

Statins are widely prescribed cholesterol-lowering agents, which have been demonstrated to significantly reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. However, recent trials have reported that statins cause worsening of hyperglycemia and increase the risk of new-onset diabetes. The association between the diabetogenic effect of statins with intensive dose and accompanying major risk factors for diabetes has been demonstrated. However, statins do not appear to have a class effect on insulin sensitivity in non-diabetic patients. Numerous mechanisms have been suggested to explain how statins cause β-cell insulin secretory dysfunction and peripheral insulin resistance leading to incident diabetes. According to findings from an aggregate of large clinical trials, the benefits of statin treatment appear to outweigh the risk of new-onset diabetes. Therefore, it would be inappropriate to discontinue the use of statins for prevention of cardiovascular events because of its potential risk for development of incident diabetes. This review addresses the currently available evidence related to statin use and new-onset diabetes from a clinical perspective.

KEYWORDS:

Cardiovascular diseases; Diabetes; Statins

Curr Diab Rep. 2013 Jun;13(3):381-90. doi: 10.1007/s11892-013-0368-x.

Do statins cause diabetes?

Goldstein MR1, Mascitelli L.

Author information

Abstract

A wealth of evidence has established that cholesterol-lowering statin drugs, widely used for the prevention of cardiovascular disease, do increase the risk of new-onset diabetes, possibly by impairing pancreatic beta cell function and decreasing peripheral insulin sensitivity. Groups at particular risk include the elderly, women, and Asians. The diabetogenic effect of statins appear directly related to statin dose and the degree of attained cholesterol lowering. Statins can cause hyperinsulinemia even in the absence of hyperglycemia and the potential mitogenic effects and implications of prolonged hyperinsulinemia are discussed. Suggestions are made as to how physicians might avert the hyperinsulinemic and diabetogenic effects of statin therapy in clinical practice, and modulate the detrimental effects of these drugs on exercise performance. Finally, long-term studies are needed to determine if the deleterious hyperinsulinemic and diabetogenic effects of statin therapy undermine the beneficial cardiovascular disease risk outcomes in various segments of the population.

PMID:

 

23456437

 

[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

And it has long been known that statins destroy muscles mostly due to coenzyme q10 depletion.  Anybody taking statins drugs, even low dose, should be prescribed high doses of q10:

Coenzyme q10 and statin-induced mitochondrial dysfunction.

Deichmann R, Lavie C, Andrews S.

Abstract

Coenzyme Q10 is an important factor in mitochondrial respiration. Primary and secondary deficiencies of coenzyme Q10 result in a number of neurologic and myopathic syndromes. Hydroxyl-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors or statins interfere with the production of mevalonic acid, which is a precursor in the synthesis of coenzyme Q10. The statin medications routinely result in lower coenzyme Q10 levels in the serum. Some studies have also shown reduction of coenzyme Q10 in muscle tissue. Such coenzyme Q10 deficiency may be one mechanism for statin-induced myopathies. However, coenzyme Q10 supplements have not been shown to routinely improve muscle function. Additional research in this area is warranted and discussed in this review.

KEYWORDS:

Coenzyme Q10; mitochondrial dysfunction; myopathy; statins

As an aside, you will note that most scientific abstracts finish with a statement recommending further research!  Of course, this is a reasonable and logical thing for researchers to say.  After all, they rely on securing more funding to keep in business!  I do not have a problem with this, so long as there is some funding to put into action what is already known from research into the "problem".  Sadly, this seldom happens.  The drive for more research funding for finding the next high value patent medicine totally dominates.  Sure, let's continue the search for"The Cure"; but, in the meantime, let's get on with applying what we already know - and we know a lot.

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.

Candida and Fungal Infections? Gary Moller recommends you explore this programme: Click Here!

Gary: 

My ex-wife has spent the last 30 years managing nursing homes for people bear the end of life.  She once commented about her patients, "When we take them off their drugs, they live longer".

What amazes me about this study is why on earth would a doctor continue with statin drugs with a terminally ill patient in the first place? Anybody with a skerrit of knowledge of how these cholesterol lowering drugs work knows that these contribute to heart failure, kidney failure, dementia and even some cancers.  

Please read on and take note of the savings estimates.  These drugs are horrifically expensive and we are paying for them via taxes and health insurance fees.

________________________

Contact: Sarah Avery
sarah.avery@duke.edu
919-660-1306
Duke University Medical Center
www.twitter.com/Duke_Medicine 

Stopping statins may benefit terminally ill patients

CHICAGO – People in the late stages of cancer and other terminal illnesses are not only unharmed by discontinuing statins for cholesterol management, they may benefit, according to a study presented Friday by researchers at Duke Medicine representing a national research network.

The finding addresses a thorny question in treating people with life-limiting illnesses: When, if ever, is it appropriate to discontinue medications prescribed for other conditions that will likely not lead to their death?

In an analysis presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting in Chicago, the researchers reported that discontinuing statins in patients with advanced illnesses resulted in improved overall quality of life, lower costs and no increased deaths. In fact, the patients who stopped taking statins appeared to live slightly longer.

"When you look at the number of medications people take when they are dying, it doubles in the last year of life," said lead author Amy Abernethy, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Center for Learning Health Care at the Duke Clinical Research Institute and a member of the Duke Cancer Institute. Abernethy represented the Palliative Care Research Cooperative Group, a national research network focused on improving care for people with serious illnesses.

"Cancer patients, for example, take medications for pain, nausea and other problems associated with advanced disease," Abernethy said. "Many don't have an appetite, and simply swallowing medications can be a problem. So the issue is whether some longstanding medications such as cholesterol-lowering drugs might be safely discontinued, but there has been little research to help guide clinicians in making that recommendation."

Abernethy said the researchers identified statins as a good candidate to explore the issue, because the drug is widely prescribed and benefits can take years to accrue. Other drugs the researchers could eventually study include medications for blood pressure and blood clots.

In their study of statins, Abernethy and colleagues enrolled 381 patients who faced the likelihood of dying within a year. All patients had been taking statins for at least three months; roughly half were randomized to continue taking the drug, the other half to discontinuing it.

The researchers followed the patients for up to a year to monitor survival, cardiovascular events and changes in quality of life.

Among the 192 study patients who continued statins, the median survival was 190 days; the 192 participants who stopped taking the drugs had a median survival of 229 days.

Those who discontinued the drugs reported a better overall quality of life, particularly in their psychological wellbeing, and saved money: $716 per person over the course of the trial for name-brand drugs, and $629 for generics.

Using U.S. population estimates, the researchers reported that as much as $603 million a year could be saved if patients in the late stages of fatal illnesses were to cut out statins.

"This is a decision that needs to be discussed between patients and their doctors; it's not something that should be done independently or in a one-size-fits-all manner," Abernethy said. "But our study found that patients who discontinued statins reported improvements in quality of life. This runs counter to the idea that discontinuing a treatment would cause people to somehow feel as if they were getting less care or inadequate care."

Abernethy is a leading advocate for extending palliative care -- extra support from care teams to relieve both pain and improve quality of life -- to patients facing life-limiting illnesses. She said findings from this study should force new discussions.

"These are conversations that need to be had," she said. "This brings us to a new era of asking how to right-size care, and how to bring evidence to that issue. There is an important message here that taking things away isn't always bad."

###

In addition to Abernethy, study authors include Don Taylor at Duke, along with Jean Kutner, Diane Fairclough and Patrick J. Blatchford at the University of Colorado; Laura Hanson at the University of North Carolina; Christine Ritchie at the University of California, San Francisco; and Janet Bull, Four Seasons.

The National Institute of Nursing Research provided funding for the study (UC4-NR012584, U24-NR014637).

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.

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Can statin cholesterol-lowering drugs cause localised motor neuropathy?

The drug referred to is of the "statin" class

"Dear gary the Guru,
Was wanting a bit of background re: Statins and muscle weakness. My mother-in-law was extremely active until about Christmas, since when she has struggled on but can feel herself getting weak. 

Her quads strength, hamstring strength, and soleus / gastrocs strength are all pretty good, but iliacus and psoas are lousy.She's been on Lipitor for 2 years. 

Does it build up to a crescendo in its effects, and could it imitate an extremely localised motor neuropathy to the femoral nerve roots alone? Really odd. All the lower lumbar and sacral myotomes are essentially normal, except for T12-L1-2 levels which contribute to femoral n."

(Name withheld)

The following are excerpts from an article by Dr Dach:

"Contrary to current dogma, higher cholesterol levels in the elderly are not a heath risk.  Studies show that higher cholesterol in the elderly is associated with increased survival, while lower total serum cholesterol values in the elderly are a robust predictor of increased mortality. "

.........

"...the absolute mortality benefit in the best case scenario, in secondary prevention trials, is only 0.5% – 0.6% per year.  This benefit is underwhelming, and actually quite shocking that it is such a minimal benefit when the drug company marketing would suggest much larger benefits."

"So in conclusion, Statin drugs do have a mortality benefit, however, this is restricted to men with known heart disease amounting to about 0.5% per year reduction in mortality compared to a placebo.  This benefit is so miniscule that one wonders why statin drugs are recommended at all, considering their severe adverse side effects with memory loss, neuropathy, muscle pain and weakness.  For women, the elderly, and all men without underlying heart disease, Dr Sinatra reminds us that statin drugs are unnecessary and potentially harmful."

Full article here: http://jeffreydachmd.com/statin-drugs-revisited/

________________________

Gary:

I have seen an identical case of loss of hip flexor function in an elderly woman.  The only obvious cause for this unusual condition was damage to muscles and nerves from the statin drugs she had been prescribed for "high" cholesterol.  

Loss of hip flexor use is partially disabling and makes an elderly woman at greater risk of fracture from stumbling and falling (hip fracture is a leading cause of death in elderly women).

If you have been advised to take cholesterol lowering drugs, think twice.  If you have been on these drugs (statins), consider the safe and natural alternatives.

Severe side effects include: 

Memory loss, neuropathy, muscle pain and weakness.  In my experience, these terrible side effects are not uncommon.  Remember that less than 10% of adverse reactions ever get reported.  Some cynics believe it is closer to 1%.  Whatever the official figure, the true rate is at least ten times that!

Statin side effects are more common in people who are active (The higher the level of activity, the higher the need for co-enzyme Q-10).  Statins interfere with Q-10 and mitochondrial function.  People on statins and those with a low intake of dietary co-enzyme Q-10 will have low Q-10 stores and damaged mitochondria

A low fat cholesterol-lowering diet - a diet that is consequently low in Q-10 rich foods like red meat and eggs.

What do you do for your Mother-in-Law?

Intervening is often not easy because you may be perceived to be interfering with the intimate doctor-patient relationship that may have been operating comfortably for many years.  Besides, "Doctor knows best about these matters".  Besides, many people are terrified about anyone other than the doctor interfering with their medications in case they drop dead from a heart attack (Although there is some evidence that the best way to prevent a heart attack is to get into nutritional balancing, lifestyle changes and dispense permanently with the drugs!).

Having said this, here is what I would do:

• Ask her doctor to file an adverse drug reaction report with the Center for Adverse Reactions Monitoring (CARM).  Good luck with this one:  I have never known of a Dr ever filing a report, even in obvious cases of harm.  I wonder why?
• Get a Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis done and then commence a nutritional balancing programme.
• Report the muscle damage to her doctor and seek convincing reasons why she should continue to take the drug (Remind yourself and the doctor that the weight of research evidence that there is no benefit, beyond minuscule, if that, for elderly women).
• Regardless of any of the above, she would benefit from a daily supplement containing co-enzyme Q-10.  This may stop some of the ongoing damage being done to the mitochondria by the statin and possibly reverse some of the harm.  If she stops taking the drug, continue the Q-10 on a twice daily basis for several months.

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.

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....

_______________________________________

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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More evidence that Cholesterol-lowering statin drugs cause significant harm

"Cholesterol-lowering statin drugs significantly increase a person's risk of cataracts, muscle weakness, liver dysfunction and kidney failure, according to a study in the British Medical Journal." Medpage Today

__________________________________________

Gary:

While this study adds to the growing body of evidence that statins cause more harm than good, my view is that the harm being caused is still far greater than what is being reported.  Especially among those trying to remain active, as compared to the majority (Couch Potatoes).

Statins have a much more damaging effect on people who are active and I see this constantly probably because I am working mostly with active people; or - in cases of statin use - people who are struggling to remain active.  Liver and kidney damage from statin use need not be complete failure for it to wreak untold damage on one's health; even slight organ damage will show as fatigue and a steady deterioration of health that may never be linked to statin use.

New insights into link between anti-cholesterol statin drugs and depression

Image via Wikipedia
Scientists are reporting a possible explanation for the symptoms of anxiety and depression that occur in some patients taking the popular statin family of anti-cholesterol drugs, and reported by some individuals on low-cholesterol diets. These symptoms could result from long-term, low levels of cholesterol in the brain, the report suggests. It appears in ACS' weekly journal Biochemistry.

Article here.

_______________________________________

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!
Your email address:

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Related articles by Zemanta

• Truth About Statin Drugs (fitnesstipsforlife.com)
• What are Statins? (brighthub.com)

My husband has been on cholesterol statin tablets for at least 8 years

Will an overpriced drug really
fix your leaky plumbing?

"My husband has been on cholesterol statin tablets for at least 8 years (at the moment simvastatin 20 mg) and we would like to know what you can offer as an alternative to statins. He is 67 yrs weighs 80 kgs, non smoker, very healthy and physically fit for his age and the only other medication he is on is Doxazosin MES 2 mg for bladder. We are healthy eaters.

I have researched alternatives to statins but really need qualified guidance and whether you can supply anything."
________________________________
Gary:
I am afraid I do not have anything positive to say about statins which I think are horrible drugs.  Statins do untold damage to the body that is often first felt as joint and muscle pain and fatigue.  The pain may get to the point of being unbearable.  These symptoms can creep up on a person over several years and usually discounted as being due to arthritis or fibromyalgia/polymyalgia and getting old.

Free statins with your burger and fries - Recommendation by medical researchers

"Fast food outlets could provide statin drugs free of charge so that customers can neutralise the heart disease dangers of fatty food, researchers at Imperial College London suggest."

"Statins have among the best safety profiles of any medication. A very small proportion of regular statin users experience significant side effects, with problems in the liver and kidneys reported in between 1 in 1,000 and 1 in 10,000 people."

Imperial College London News Release 

For immediate release 

Thursday 12 August 2010

_________________________________

Gary:

When I first read this report I thought it had to be a joke.  But no, these people are dead serious.  But far from improving health, these "health professionals" are recommending a course of action that would be an unprecedented health catastrophe.

Statins are associated with numerous disastrous side effects including loss of muscle, severe joint pain, brain damage, erectile dysfunction, kidney damage and heart failure.

Far from being one in 1,000 or 10,000, my own experience is for adverse events to be nearer one in 10 or one in five.  The sad fact is that less than 10% of drugs adverse reactions ever get formally reported.  Some argue that the real rate is nearer one percent or less.

If consumers really want to reduce heart attack risk, the best action is to stay at home and cook their family a healthy balanced meal from raw ingredients.  Instead of dishing out statins with their fries, a much better health gesture by the fast food outlets could be to hand out a voucher for free night class cooking lessons.

for more about the dangers of statins, here is the link to what I have written on about them.

People who recommend the indiscriminate drugging of entire populations need to be exposed for who they really are: Over-educated Drugs Pushers - not health professionals - no more and no less.

_______________________________________

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!


Your email address:

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If you have been prescribed cholesterol lowering statins, be aware that the lawyers are now on the case

"We will continue to watch for reports of myopathy and rhabdomyolysis as well as tendon ruptures and interstitial lung disease in patient using statins like Zocor or simvastatin. 

If you have developed any of these possible Zocor side effects, or know about such a situation, you can submit a Comment, below, or send me an email." Tom Lamb

DrugInjuryLaw.com

_______________________________________

Gary:

An increasing number of health professionals, including me, have been publicly voicing deep concern at the damage being done by cholesterol lowering drugs known as statins.  

"The Statin Damage Crisis" by Dr Duane Graveline

Dr Graveline's third book on statins called "The Statin Damage Crisis" will be available in March.

Originally planned as a new edition to "Statin Drugs Side Effects," it will instead be released as a stand alone title so that the highly relevant material in "SDSE" will still be available.

Dr Graveline wrote the following introduction to this latest title:

Early on my NASA doctors told me my amnesia response to statins was nothing but a coincidence but I persevered to write my first book, "Lipitor, Thief of Memory" and now find that over 1,000 cases of amnesia and memory loss have been reported to the FDA, just from Lipitor alone.

Then I learned of statin damage to nerves and muscles and profound behavioral and personality changes, demanding I write a second book, "Statin Drugs Side Effects." Even this broadly encompassing book was insufficient to describe what I have learned more recently of the truly dark side of statins - their ability to alter the very fabric of our makeup.

I had long wondered why muscle and nerve damage seemed permanent and even progressive like my own ALS-like condition. Now I have found that the ultimate effect of statins on CoQ10 and dolichols is to damage the DNA of the mitochondrial life - force within our cells - mitochondrial mutation masquerading as premature old age.

Duane Graveline MD MPH
Former USAF Flight Surgeon, Former NASA Astronaut, Retired Family Doctor

Visit the books page

______________________________________

Gary comments:

Statins do not improve health nor do they extend life. They can cause irreparable harm.

Despite all the evidence to the contrary, doctors continue to dish these dangerous drugs out like lollies, all the while claiming they are "healthy". Yeah right!

Please follow the trail of my many articles about these scandalous drugs by clicking on the Key Words below this article.

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Good Cholesterol - Bad Cholesterol? Exposing the lies behind the expressions

We hear all the time about "good" and "bad" cholesterol.  These expressions are a load of rubbish, intended to demonise compounds that Humans can not live without.  It appears to me the lemming-like rush to dish out statins and to make huge profits is completely out of whack with the facts.

Fact:  Cholesterol is good for you.  Without cholesterol you will wither and die.  This is fact.  This is why a cholesterol free diet and cholesterol lowering medications are associated with declining health.

Fact: Statins do not increase life expectancy or improve quality of life.  To the contrary: Statins cause harm

Fact: Most of the cholesterol floating about your body is manufactured by your own body.  

Question:  If cholesterol is so "bad" then how come the body makes so much of the stuff?

Fact: Hormomes, your cell structure and thousands of biological actions are dependent on a ready supply of cholesterol.  The sure way to reduce a randy man's libido is to mess with his cholesterol and, hence, testosterone.

Fact:  Cholesterol does not harm the body.  Oxidised cholesterol is what does the damage.

Good chlolesterol - Bad cholesterol: What's the real difference?

HDL (high density lipoprotein) is more stable than LDL (low density lipoprotein) and therefore more likely to oxidise and cause harm.  LDL is not "Bad".  LDL is merely less stable than HDL.  LDL is equally, if not more important for health than HDL since it is essential for production of the steroid hormones.

Both HDL and LDL are "Good" cholesterol.  There is no such thing as "Bad" cholesterol.

There is no place in medical science for emotive terms like "good" and "bad".  In this case, we should be using "stable" and "less stable".

How do you prevent cholesterol from oxidising (going rancid)?

Prevent oxidising by encouraging rapid turnover of the cholesterol in your body and creating conditions that reduce the rate of odidisation of fats:

• Regular exercise
• Lots of sunlight on your body (UVB radiation converts cholesterol into cholecalciferol which is in turn converted into steriodal hormomes like testosterone, adrenalin, thyroxine and oestrogen)
• Have fat antioxidants circulating, including L-Carnitine, vitamin E and vitamin C
• Eat a wide range of healthy fats while avoiding hydrogenated and homogenised fats and oils

Important 

If you are diabetic or have elevated blood sugar levels:  It is the oxidative stress on fats in your body, including the cholesterols that causes much of the damage to your blood vessels and, hence, the cardiovascular and peripheral vascular diseases associated with raised blood sugar levels.  

Medicated or not, supplement daily with the nutrients that are known to reduce the oxidative stress on fats.  This especially includes L-carnitine, as well as the others mentioned here.  For more about L-Carnitine and its importance for diabetics, please read this article here.

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Do heart medications and cholesterol lowering medicines really improve your health?

Have been told by your doctor that you are at risk of heart disease?  Have you had a heart attack or stroke?  Have you been advised to go on cholesterol lowering statins and other heart medicines?  Before you go on these drugs, think twice.  If you are already on any of these medicines, you can still think twice.

I urge you to research your condition thoroughly.  Do not blindly assume that your doctor or cardiologist is really up with the latest in healthy heart management.  Do not assume that agencies like the Heart Foundation are looking after your best interests either.  Health is Big Business nowadays - a huge worldwide money-maker that thrives by having one hand in your pocket and the other firmly gripping your taxes.  

The reality is that there is no benefit to "Health Inc" by you, the consumer, actually being healthy.  And, if you insist on being healthy, then they will do their best to have you worry about being well!

Health Inc: Advocacy organisations, hospitals, Government Departments, private and university research institutions, PHO medical clinics and drugs companies that participate in a multi billion dollar money scramble.  All supposedly working for your benefit.  More like an exercise in smoke and mirrors to keep fooling you, the hapeless consumer, into keeping on handing over your hard earned wages and taxes to them.  The major gains in public health have come through measures such as clean water, sewage, housing and education - Not from drugs based medicine, much of which is subject to challenge.

Take control of your health: If you want to live a long and healthy life, then you need to look after yourself, if you will excuse the double meaning.

Here are two websites about heart disease and other health issues that are a wealth of information for you the consumer:

• http://pi-bill-articles.blogspot.com/
  

The author of this blog is a consumer who spent 20 or so years on heart medication before he realised the truth about what these drugs were doing to him.  This blog is full of medical research  information about statins and other heart medications, along with his comments.  Well worth the read.

• http://jeffreydach.com/
  

Move over to the Dach Side with this doctor who has seen the light.  I have nothing but praise for Dr Dach who does a terrific job at explaining the real mechanisms behind illnesses such as heart disease and he offers advcie about healthy interventions.

Please note:  I am most definitely not anti medicine.  I have nothing but praise for modern emergency medicine.  If I was run over by a bus tomorrow, modern emergency medicine may be my saviour.  The same can not be said of drugs based medicine when it comes to preventing and treating diseases associated with ageing, nutrition and lifestyle. 

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Anti-Cholesterol Drugs that are currently in litigation for adverse side effects

Baycol
Baychol is a statin anti-cholesterol drug which was recalled because muscle damage releases muscle debris into the bloodstream which then clogs up the kidneys and causes renal failure.

Lipitor
Lawsuits were filed in New York claiming that Lipitor (atorvastatin) causes memory loss, peripheral neuropathy, fatigue and muscle damage. Lipitor's labelling warns patients to tell their doctor if they suffer any symptoms of muscle pain or weakness.

More Lipitor litigation against Pfizer was filed on September 28, 2005 in Boston by Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro claiming Pfizer deceived consumers about the benefits of Lipitor through deceptive marketing and advertising activities. Billions of Lipitor profits come from patients who do not benefit from the drug.

According to the complaint, Pfizer launched a massive campaign to convince the public that Lipitor is a beneficial treatment for nearly everyone with elevated cholesterol, even though no studies have shown it to be effective for women and those over 65 years of age who do not already have heart disease or diabetes.

Crestor
Crestor (rosuvastatin) is a statin anti-cholesterol drug similar to the recalled drug Baycol. Compared to other statins, Crestor has the greatest kidney toxicity, causing muscle breakdown products to clog the kidneys. During clinical trials, patients taking the 80 mg dose of Crestor began to show clogging of the kidneys with the muscle debris. Because of this finding, the 80 mg dosage was discontinued.
Source: http://www.drdach.com/
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Gary Moller comments:
It is standard that everybody who is identified as having raised cholesterol and/or had a "turn" with their heart, is placed on a cholesterol-lowering drug. I have written several articles about this here. The trend to progressively lower the bar for medicating cholesterol is almost at the point where just about the majority of older New Zealanders should be on these powerful drugs! Ridiculous and dangerous if you want my opinion.

Cholesterol is essential for life and anything that interferes with its uptake and the way it is used within the body will cause ill health - eventually. I have seen enough cases of ill health that appear to be related to the use of cholesterol lowering medication to be convinced that a person is better off not taking these except in the worst cases and even then, only temporarily.

The better approach to managing cholesterol is to use diet and exercise to maintain healthy levels and ratios of cholesterol and to also have a diet that is rich in anti-oxidants, like natural vitamin E and vitamin C to maintain healthy arteries and to prevent circulating fats from going rancid. Rest assured that there are effective natural therapies as alternatives to these medications that can cause so much ill health.

Myopathy known to occur with statins

"While the statins are effective in providing protection from coronary and cardiovascular events, they are known to cause myopathy (usually dose-related) and, rarely, rhabdomyolysis. A clinical diagnosis of myopathy is made when there is muscle pain or weakness accompanied by a creatine kinase (CK) level more than ten times the upper limit of normal. Rhabdomyolysis is a severe form of myopathy with muscle breakdown leading to myoglobinuria, which may result in renal failure and death.

The Centre for Adverse Reactions Monitoring (CARM) has received eight recent reports (including two fatalities) of rhabdomyolysis occurring in patients taking between 20mg and 80mg of a statin daily."
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Gary Moller comments:
This medsafe NZ report raises a number of interesting issues:

Officially myopathy and rhabdomyolysis are "rare" with rates of from 0.03% to 1%. Such rates depend on not just the Dr detecting the condition; but reporting it in such a way that it is recorded in offical databases. In m y experience, this hardly ever happens and only in the most serious cases leading to severe disability or death - assuming the disability or death were directly attributed to the culprit medication.

Co-morbidities and other medications complicate the detective work. So, for example; while the patient might have died from heart failure, the medication might have damaged the heart muscle. Or, as a result of the severe muscle weakness caused by the statin, the patient might have slipped, broken a hip and subsequently died from the complications of a blood clot. The official cause of death would not be the statin.

If these medicines have such nasty side effects, it begs the question: "Why do these things continue to be prescribed?" Especially when there are such effective non-medical alternatives that have absolutely no side effects other than looking and feeling great.

"Because they reduce heart disease risk and because the side effects are very rare", you might say.

"Rare?" At a recent presentation to more than 50 "Oldies" I was cornered afterwards by two women who had been prescribed statins. Both had suffered severe muscular pain and weakness and one had visible severe muscle wasting of her thighs and was having trouble walking. I was horrified at the damage.

Assuming that about 10 of the total audience were on statins, is this occurence "RARE"?