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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My Grandmother has Parkinson's and I have decided to be her carer

Hello Gary,
I have decided to be my grandmothers carer, she has recently been diagnosed with Parkinson's, and has also had a brain clot removed and has type 2 diabetes. She is only 70 years and has always looked after herself never drank or smoked and has always been active. She is quite non responsive, does not have the tremor and is now walking with assistance. I have been walking her and doing exercises, she has recently been taken off Panadol as she was receiving it 8 times per day and drowsy and tired. Is there anything I should be doing by way of recovery and exercises, or can you suggest or advise alternative activities for her, or dietary supplement to prevent her tiredness? She is very keen to get active again but is always tired. Can you help? We were thinking of trying the acai berry drink, do you know of any other alternatives for energy boosting? I look forward to any suggestions you have regarding this, kind regards, "S"

Further information from "S" - She is currently on Sinemet and simvastatin recently taken off Panadol, but is still quite sleepy maybe due to the fact she is unstimulated, and sits for long periods of time at once.
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Gary Moller comments:
"S"; Please discuss this with your Grandmother's doctor and heed the advice given.

Sinemet is prescribed to reduce the tremor associated with Parkinsons and Simvastatin is prescribed to lower cholesterol. While I can understand the need for Sinemet, I do wonder about the merits of prescribing a cholesterol lowering drug even though she has had a brain clot.

The problem with any drug is the side effects which can be worse than the disease in many cases, or can lead to complications, especially in the elderly and/or debilitated individual. Statins can cause fatigue, muscle weakness, joint and muscle pain, as well as "brain fog". Cholesterol, in combination with cholecalciferol (vitamin D) is esssential for life. It also happens to be the precursor to hormones, including the sex hormones which gives us the drive and energy for life. And it just so happens that cholesterol lowering drugs also reduce the uptake of critically important fat soluble vitamins - A, D, E and K. Without these in large quantities an already debilitated person will fail to thrive. These are essential for healthy brain function as well as other things like strong bones, strong muscles and resistance to disease.

If raised cholesterol is a problem, there are good alternatives for healthy management including:

• Taking vitamins E and C and a broad spectrum anti oxidant to mop up any harmful free radicals from oxidising cholesterol before it can do harm to healthy tissue, including arteries. These also thin the blood.
• Increasing her intake of healthy Omega 3 oils, including falx oil, evening primrose oil and fish oil. These help create a healthy cholesterol profile in the body and thin the blood so that it flows better and is less likely to clot. These oils are beneficial for the brain.
• Taking Lysine amino acid daily along with vitamin C. This combination has been patented by the Linus Pauling Institute as a treatment for heart disease.

For robust health, including a good brain, strong bones and muscles and resistance to disease, your Grandmother needs large amounts of vitamin D. The best way for her to get vitamin D is to put her out in the midday sun, exposing her thighs and body. In most cases, just 10 minutes per side is ample time - just enough to go slightly pink. On days she does not get sun on her body, give her a quality vitamin D supplement. Free range eggs, liver and whole raw milk (if you can get it) are excellent sources of the fat soluble vitamins. Fish heads and eyes are one of nature's richest sources of vitamin A. All of these supplements are available from my internet store. Call me if you need help with narrowing the choice of product.

You might want to start the day with a Super Smoothie for breakfast - exactly as the athletes would have. Make sure there are plenty of dark berries in it. Berries like blue berries and blackberries. Treat your mother as if she were an athlete in serious training.

With regards to diabetes, you need to ensure that her condition is extremely well managed beginning with monitoring her blood sugar several times a day and keeping a diary record. She should be on a diet that is natural and without processed fats, sugars and oils and definitely no flavouring, colourings and preservatives. Please read these articles about diabetes. Give her foods that are wholesome and rich in anti oxidants. It is too easy to feed a diabetic up on junk food that ultimately does much harm over the long term.

Brains, like any organ in the body, shrivel will lack of use. On the other hand, they strengthen with use. Your Grandmother needs constant stimulation. But the same principles of conditioning apply to the brain as they do to muscles: Weak muscles must be exercised gently at first with ample rest in between and good nutrition. As the brain becomes used to the stimulation, you increase the intensity and the duration. So start gently because she is recovering from a brain injury and has Parkinson's to cope with and age is not on her side. The goal is to prevent further deterioration with any improvements being a welcome bonus, if you get any.

Get her to do daily brain exercises, like cross word puzzles, chequers, scrabble, card games like Snap. I am particularly keen on the "Memory Card Game". Start with simple brain exercises and go from there. Get her outdoors into parks, the beach, shopping malls, theatre and so on as much as possible. Socialise. Stimulate, stimulate and stimulate.

There is a tendency to develop the Parkinsonian Shuffle - small jerky movements affecting walking in particular. Have your Grandmother practice marching, try using a drumbeat, a metronome or music with a good beat for her to follow. Each time she falls into a shuffle, have her stop and always restart the walking by a distinct instruction that has her stop, stand up straight and then step forwards with her left foot and right hand. Ballroom dancing with its rhythm and music may be perfect for her. Whatever you do, keep it simple and repetitive.

I am especially keen on doing long sweeping movements in a chest deep swimming pool. This helps get rid of the short jerking movements that are characteristic of Parkinsons. You will need to visually demonstrate the movements. Keep them long and flowing. If she begins to jerk and shuffle, stop the action, get back into position and then resume the movement. Be patient.

At all times, take care that she does not slip or trip, since risk of a fall is high. The exercises described will reduce her risk of a catastrophic fall. Take care.

Finally, "S", you must not neglect your own needs. The needs of a carer are often overlooked with the consequence that there are exceptionally high rates of depression, alcoholism, exhaustion and financial distress. Plan for regular breaks. Arrange for others to take over at regular intervals. Do not be shy in asking other family for help, including helping with the bills. Make sure that you have others who you can turn to for help. People you trust who you can talk with. Do not get isolated and worn down. Seek out helping services in your area and make full use of them. Ensure that you get everything, including financial and other support from Government and non-Government agencies.

All the best and please let us know how you get on.

Stroke study misses the point

Stroke rates have been falling over the past 20 years, but findings from an extensive study have
found that Maori and Pacifi c populations in Auckland are not benefi ting from this drop. Research carried out by HRC Pacific Health PhD scholar Kristie Carter, shows that stroke rates for Pacific people have increased since 1981 to almost double that of New Zealand Europeans.

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in New Zealand and a major cause of disability. This number is predicted to double by 2020.

The study has drawn similar conclusions to related research in the United States and the United Kingdom, which showed disparities between African-Americans and Caucasians.
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Gary Moller Comments:
With the other half of my family being Polynesian, I feel I have a reasonably good insight into the healthcare practices of Polynesians, including the standard of health services provided. The standard of health care; especially following an episode of ill health could be much, much better and much more can be done to improve risk factors, principally diet, which trends away from healthy traditional foods to most unhealthy Western junk food.

However; an equally important factor and probably the most important reason why Maori, Pacific Islanders and Africans suffer substantial declines in health status across the board, when moving from their natural homelands to higher latitudes and large cities, is Vitamin D deficiency. While I need just 5 minutes of sunlight a day to keep healthy, my darker skinned relatives require from 10-50 times as much sunlight, depending on their complexion.

In some populations as many as 90% of urbanised dark skinned people are Vitamin D deficient and this greatly increases their susceptibility to all kinds of serious health problems including heart attack, heart failure, diabetes, stroke, internal cancers, depression and osteoporosis.

While studies, like the one referred to here are useful, I remain frustrated that the obvious and extemely well documented role of Vitamin D (Obtained mainly via sunlight) continues to be ignored by health experts who should know much better. Vitamin D levels are seldom, if ever measured, in cases of ill health, including stroke.

If any of your family or friends suffers a bad turn of health, including stroke, insist that his or her doctor orders a test of Vitamin D levels in their blood.

To be exact; what you are asking to be measured is their "25(OH) vitamin D". If those levels are found to be below 40 ng/ml, you must get those levels boosted immediately and the best way to do that is to recommend an extended holiday in a place like tropical Rarotongo or Samoa.