Currently viewing the category: "statins"

Low Cholesterol’s Cancer Link Illustrates Innate Intelligence

By On · Add Comment · In cancer, HDL cholesterol, health, heart disease, high cholesterol, innate intelligence, LDL, statins

Oh boy, here we go…so you know that I’m not shy about discussing my health. I’ve got nothing to hide, and I approach my health from a very proactive position. I also have a belief system that is integral to how I care for my health—I know that one day I am going to die, could be tomorrow, but for me to experience my life to the fullest today, I am quite certain that it requires me to care for my body as one of my most valuable assets. So I don’t obsess about “never getting sick,” I just treat my body like I love it, and I trust that it knows—through its innate intelligence–how to run my body, provided I treat it in the right ways. Simple.

So long-time readers of this blog will recall that I have high cholesterol. Have I ever been worried about it? No, never. Not even a little. In fact, I just had my annual physical in February. Once again, stellar health, thank you, thank you…athlete’s numbers…’cept I have high cholesterol.

If you’ve been following my story, you’ll recall that my doc (love him, bless his heart…and I mean that sincerely; he is the greatest) has, of course, recommended I go on statins. Now I’ve got my inner theories about it, regarding liability and stuff like that, but whatever…he knows I’m not going to take them. It’s simple: my HDL levels (“good” cholesterol) are above and beyond excellent. My total cholesterol to HDL ratio is at the “optimum” level. Ha ha ha…I’m in the absolute lowest risk category for heart disease: I’m not taking statins!

And my doctor knows this. I saw the perplexed look on his face when I pointed out those values to him (I guess that’s not the typical presentation of his high cholesterol patients). Shrugging it off, he still recommended the statins (and has every year for the last four). Sigh…

Okay, here’s the point of this piece: A recent study has shown that low levels of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, in the absence of cholesterol lowering medications, has a strong link to cancer. What?! That’s right, and although we’ve known of this link for a long time (30+ years), this study was the first ever look at the low LDL-cancer link over an extended period of time (~19 years), and only in patients with no history of taking cholesterol-lowering drugs.

The results showed a couple things. One, the link cannot be due to taking statins since all subjects were statin-free throughout the study, and two, low cholesterol cannot be a byproduct of the cancer itself, since low LDL levels were observed well before any preclinical signs of cancer were present. In other words, statins don’t cause cancer, and cancer doesn’t cause low cholesterol. That we know.

What we don’t know is what the connection is. Hmmm…. Well let me give it a try: I believe that the body has an internal wisdom, an Innate Intelligence, that directs its operation. I believe this system is flawless. The body knows what to do at all times, and provided with the right fuel (whole, natural foods), necessary movement, proper bodywork and tension relief, adequate rest, adequate hydration, full, deep abdominal breath and minimal toxins, it will continue to operate flawlessly until it expires (which it will also do flawlessly).

However, too many people do not observe the natural laws of health—they eat poorly, fail to exercise regularly, ignore bodywork until they are in so much pain they can’t stand it, get little rest, drink too many sodas and not enough water, breathe shallowly from their chest, and take multiple drugs and other toxins, and so, yeah…their Innate Intelligence get severely challenged and fatigued; or it can only do the minimum with the resources it is given and becomes overloaded.

Further, we have a medical science that believes its own limited observations are the whole to the puzzle, and it make erroneous conclusions based on this small, piece-wise information, and yet it still believes it knows how to run the body better than Mother Nature does. And then we find out later that there is, in fact, more to the puzzle. You don’t say…?

But taking all the above points into consideration: Somehow when LDL cholesterol is disrupted from one of its many functions—that is, when it’s in too low of concentration—leads to cell overgrowth or cancer. Thus, not that statins, by lowering cholesterol, will cause cancer, but instead, perhaps this medical campaign to reduce cholesterol at all costs is an erroneous one. Perhaps the body produces what it needs (cholesterol can be both endogenous [created within] and exogenous [recieved from without]), and putting everybody on statins, particularly those with stellar numbers in all other health measurements, is just plain foolish.

No medical doctor or pharmaceutical researcher will ever know human physiology better than the human body does. Why the arrogant medical scientific (?) machine believes that it understands what cholesterol levels should be better than the body does is completely perplexing to me. If we were simply talking about a few hundred thousand people on statins because they have super-dangerously high levels that puts them at severe risk of heart disease, then…okay, I would understand. But to have tens of millions of Americans on these useless and dangerous cholesterol lowering drugs is purely idiotic.

So once again I have to believe it all comes down to three things–money (pharmaceuticals), liability (doctors protecting their asses) and job protection (medical professionals making sure they do not become obsolete). That’s the reality behind the cholesterol-statin push in the western world. I’m sure that’s why my doctor recommends statins to me despite my excellent health, I’m sure it’s why statins are called “the best selling drugs of all time,” and I’m sure it will continue until the next blockbuster drug addressing normal physiology comes along to take it’s place. Shouldn’t be too far off—stay tuned.

New Warning on Statins

By On · Add Comment · In diabetes, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), healthy lifestyle, heart disease, high blood sugar, lifestyle modification, magic bullet, memory loss, number needed to treat (NNT), statins

Well, well, well…didn’t I just say so? Looks like statins–those mega-popular cholesterol lowering drugs pushed by every general practitioner in existence–are getting new safety warnings about risks of memory loss and elevated blood sugar. You don’t say? Why yes, looks like the ol’ magic-bullet is being knocked down a notch or two, and with good reason.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reports that it’s making labeling changes to the statin drugs–like Lipitor, Crestor, and Zocor–that will warn of memory loss and confusion reported among certain patients taking statins. Although the feds reassure us that the brain effects are not permanent–apparently going away with discontinuation of the drug–still they find it best to label the drugs to warn us of the potential for waking up in Niagara Falls with no recollection of how we got there. Doh!

Further, the updated labels will also mention elevated levels of blood sugar, associated with diabetes, that have been reported in some patients taking statins. Wait…early onset Alzheimer’s-like symptoms and diabetes?! Wow, get some right away…thanks doc. Yes, although the increased risk is small, an increasing number of studies is showing it’s there nonetheless.

Cardiologists, however, are sticking to their guns, stating that the benefits of statins outweigh the risks. “Patients should not see this as a new danger with the drugs, but as a known abnormality that appears in blood testing and should be discussed with their doctor,” said Dr. Kevin Marzo, chief of cardiology at Winthrop-University Hospital in New York. He goes on to say that he doesn’t see the new warnings making much of a dent in how (read: how much) the drugs are prescribed.

Okay well this much we can assume, doctor; but let me paint a more complete picture for the generally trusting public. What cardiologists mean when they say “the benefits of statins outweigh the risks” pertains to a certain demographic, in reality a minuscule fraction of the tens of millions that are currently taking the drugs. Remember from a 2008 post on statins, the number needed to treat (NNT) for even one person to receive benefit from statins is 100. So in other words, for every person receiving benefit, 99 do not; or in bigger numbers: 9.9 million of every 10 million people on statins gets NO BENEFIT!

So what they really mean is the best ways to lower heart disease risk are (in descending order):

  • Lifestyle modification including exercise, healthy diet, omega 3 fatty acid consumption, healthy vitamin D levels, healthy gut microbiota
  • Statins + lifestyle modifications
  • Statins
  • Doing nothing

What cardiologists assume (and for some people correctly) is that many patients will do nothing. But that’s not you, right? No need to assume the risks associated with statins. Do the right things and you won’t have to, no matter how much your medical drug dealer pushes.

Parents Are Responsible for Child’s Weight

By On · Add Comment · In American Academy of Pediatrics, cardiovascular health, childhood obesity, children, cholesterol, HDL, LDL, lifestyle changes, parents, side effects, statins, weight loss

This post is about weight loss.  It’s about basic physiology, and personal responsibility (ooh, dirty words).  I recently tweeted a bunch on a subject I wrote about three years ago.  The number of responses I received was incredible.  The subject was on giving the cholesterol lowering medication, statins, to children.  In 2008, the American Academy of Pediatrics, recommended screening children as young as two-years-old for high cholesterol.  If a child is found to have high cholesterol, the Academy recommended putting him or her on statins to prevent future cardiovascular disease.  My response today is the same as it was three years ago–it’s a freakin’ crime!

I know too much about physiology and human health to accept this as a treatment option for children, let alone the first line of defense.  Statins have side-effects, and they are also based on a faulty premise–that low density lipoproteins (LDLs) are the most important factors in cardiovascular health.  While definite contributors, LDLs are simply not as important as high density lipoproteins (HDLs) when it comes to cardiovascular risk.  To consider giving drugs that most people take for a lifetime to children as a preventative is purely irresponsible.

But, really, the criticisms I encountered weren’t about points I made on statin use in children.  They were mostly directed at a particular line, an idea,

“Childhood obesity? Excuse my language, but…that’s effin’ child neglect and abuse by lazy, undisciplined, ignorant parents.”

Now many people said, “Bravo! Thank you for telling it like it is.”  Many others, however, felt it was callous, off-base and out-of-sync with the real causes of obesity.  Some tweeters informed me that my understanding of basic physiology was prehistoric, and that my solution to the obesity problem (I didn’t know I had actually given one) was short-sighted and erroneous.  So in the next few posts I will attempt to clarify my thoughts on weight loss/weight gain, the obesity epidemic and parental responsibility as it relates to the weight–and health–of a child.

I am actually going to start with my thoughts on parental responsibility.  I contend that if you as a parent are not responsible for your child and his or her health, then who is?  This question is only obvious to those parents who share this philosophy, and won’t be to those believing (either consciously or subconsciously) that health is the responsibility, and byproduct, of something outside themselves.

Every parent will say that they take full responsibility for their child, but far too many act otherwise.  What you do your children will do, period.  They eat what you eat, they think like you think, and they care for themselves in the same way you care for yourself.  How is your child’s weight, then, independent of you?  Oh, you didn’t shove the cookies down his or her throat…but did you buy them?  Maybe you thought it was harmless to feed your child cookies as a baby…I hope you know better now (Plenty of tweeter critics claimed to not feed their children junk food…listen, your obese child is eating junk food–WAKE UP!)

Parents of heavy children have lots of support for their innocence.  The concept that “your illness is not your fault” is preached by many doctors, psychologists, talk show hosts, media celebrities and support groups; and while it’s true that illness is not a fault, it certainly isn’t true that we have no hand in how our health plays out.  More importantly, though, everyone has the potential to achieve and maintain great health, no matter what the current circumstances.

When health issues arise, the most important thing to do is determine where changes need to be made.  Whether talking about major lifestyle modifications–like quitting smoking, or changing food habits, or exercising–or simply getting checked by a professional, change is an absolute necessity in correcting any health problem.  How soon you make that decision can mean the difference between life and death.  Symptoms are your body’s way of telling you something needs attention.  Ignoring them is the worst possible approach you can take toward your health.

Obesity, as a morphological symptom, is a major change–and it just doesn’t happen overnight.  Once parents see it unfolding, they have a responsibility to act (neither children nor teens can make this decision on their own) and create change.  For parents of chubby or obese children, this also means how you decide to change.  A child isn’t going to change independently from his or her parents.  Are you going to change your diet to a more healthful one?  Are you going to eat less, and decrease your intake of junk foods, fast foods and sodas?  Are you going to work out, play sports with your kids or take fitness classes together?  Your child isn’t going to change without you–you’ve got to change as well.  And simply dishing them off to Little League will not do either, as building their confidence before they compete in groups will be paramount to their psychological health and well-being.  The bottom line is that parents must get actively involved in the obese child’s life, if they are to stand a chance of losing weight.

For new parents, it simply begins with creating good habits from the very start–the foods you expose your children to, the activities you share, how much television you watch, and so on.  You control the environment, and your choices contribute to your children’s bodies, and their health.

Obesity is reversible, that’s a fact.  How you see things, and how you approach the world determines your chances of overcoming (or your child overcoming) obesity.  Too many people lose weight for it to simply be a ‘hopeless situation’.  Blaming obesity on genetics, hormones, depression, lack of health insurance or anything else will not change the fact that everybody is capable of being either obese or anorexic, as well as everything else in-between; it just comes down to one’s habits in determining where one will weigh-in on the scale.  You have the power to change anything with regard to your health, or that of your child’s.  Understanding this, and fully embracing it, is the only way to create lasting changes.  Denying it will only get you the same, which is definitely your prerogative, but don’t act as if you have no hand in the matter.

I Have High Cholesterol

By On · Add Comment · In blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, health care crisis, LDL, medical paradigm, statins

I want to share with you a personal story about my health, which I think will be a great illustration of the conundrum facing the modern medical paradigm.

I just got my annual physical results from my doctor. He told me that my numbers all came back perfect. All except one: You have high cholesterol. Yawn. OK, how high. 270. This is high despite your HDL being pretty high also. And your LDLs, which are your bad cholesterol are 181. In the absence of other factors–like you are not 40 lbs overweight, and your blood pressure is good, and you don’t smoke–it probably won’t go down with diet and exercise alone, so…you’ll probably want to get that treated.

And my HDLs are at what number? 89.

And my total/HDL ratio? Oh…hmmm….well, that’s actually pretty good. It’s 3.1.

For those who don’t know, HDLs are “good” cholesterol; they remove the so-called “bad” cholesterol (don’t know how a substance produced by the body, and needed to break down and digest fats can be considered bad, but, whatever). HDLs in the 40 range are considered “normal”. 89, might I say, is outstanding…thank you very much.

The total cholesterol to HDL ratio is a good determinant of the risk for cardiovascular disease. Just for a little perspective, 5.0 is “average” risk. Anything under 3.4 is “very low” risk. I’m 3.1.

Here’s the problem: My caring doctor–bless his heart–knows damn well that I’m at a low risk for cardiovascular disease. I’m 41-years-old and in the best shape of my life. I’m 155 lbs, have stellar blood pressure (120/70), don’t smoke, don’t drink, don’t do drugs; I’m on no medications; I do not partake in risky behavior. Why the bleep is he recommending treatment* (which is prophylactic statin medication, if you didn’t know)?

I’ll tell you why–for liabilities sake. He knows that if he doesn’t tell me that I have high cholesterol, and he doesn’t recommend “treatment” (frickin’ treatment, lol), and I drop dead of a heart attack, even if it’s because I snort a gram and a half of cocaine! he’s liable. That’s right–tort litigation! Just ask Billy Mays’ doctor. Coroners found cocaine in his system; but nooo, his family insists it was high blood pressure that killed him. Not saying that they are seeking damages; but it’s the potential I’m talking about. Every doctor is afraid of being sued. Medical malpractice insurance is one of the highest costs facing doctors today. So what do they do to keep their premiums down? Order every frickin’ test humanly possible. Cha-ching.

And they “treat” 41-year-old males in great health with statins, otherwise known as, “the best selling drugs of all time.“

It’s not doctor greed, I tell you–it’s attorney greed. And public ignorance. There I’ve said it. Nobody is talking about that part of the health care crisis.

*Just so you know: I’m not taking them.

Wisdom

By On · Add Comment · In heart attack, medicine, nutritional supplements, paradigm, statins, stroke, vitamins

There has been a long history of competition between conventional medicine and proponents of nutritional supplements. Conventional medicine spends a lot of time “debunking” the utility of nutritional supplements. You know what I’m talking about; you’ve heard it; you’ve heard the medical “experts” on T.V. say that taking vitamin supplements is useless. I’ll bet it confused you.

It confused you because common sense tells you that vitamin supplements are helpful. It also confused you because you’ve heard from so many people–your chiropractor, your acupuncturist, your trainer, your nutritionist, other medical doctors, the same T.V. news program reporting on a different story–that taking vitamins is good for you. So which one is it: good for you, or not necessary?

Well you won’t get a straight answer any time soon, as the mainstream medical machine is stepping-up the propaganda. According to new reports, vitamins C and E are useless for cutting the risk of heart attack or stroke. So are vitamins B12 and folic acid, according to another report. However, a third report shows that the statin drug Crestor cuts the risk of heart attack and stroke as well as reduces deaths from both, even in people with normal cholesterol. Wow! Frickin’ drugs, man…they’re miraculous!

Okay, here’s my problem with these studies. Taking nature and trying to squeeze it into a faulty paradigm is erroneous at best, and dangerous at worst. Vitamins are substance not produced by the human body, but necessary for life. We get most of our vitamins from the foods we eat. But the important point is: we need them. We do not need drugs. Drugs are useful, but we don’t need them. We’ve gotten through ~200,000 years of evolution (or 99.9% of our existence) without drugs…but not without vitamins. True, we have been supplementing for a far shorter time than we have been taking drugs…but we need vitamins. So the real questions should be: Do vitamins supplements work, and what do they work for?

The problem with the types of studies mentioned above is that modern researchers are trying to fit a natural and essential substance into a medicinal paradigm. Today’s medical paradigm is a disease treatment paradigm, not a health paradigm. Nothing wrong with fighting disease, but it’s entirely different than enhancing health. To look at vitamins for their disease fighting properties alone is nonsensical. They are life giving substances, health-enhancing material–taking vitamin supplements promote life, they don’t necessarily fight disease. That’s where medicine goes wrong; with medicine everything is about fighting disease.

Frankly, this paradigm and disease-fighting model is severely limited, and becoming progressively more expensive. When we spend billions of dollars studying and focusing on a small percentage of the population’s health woes then, ultimately, to sustain the costs, the model must be carried over to the general population. Thus the powers that be start rationalizing why we need drugs “even in normal people.” I’m not saying it’s a conspiracy–these well meaning “experts” believe it. Why? Because they create studies, and collect data, that fit into their model. And the results, by design, are forced to reflect the operative paradigm, so we get limited knowledge. As it has been said: Knowledge comes from knowing the facts, but wisdom comes from asking the right questions. So validating substances, or the practices surrounding them, based on their disease-fighting capabilities alone is simply foolish.

Fish Oil Found Heart Smart

By On · Add Comment · In cholesterol, chronic heart failure, fish oil, HDL, LDL, omega-3 fatty acids, statins
I love it when medical science finally catches up to the rest of the world regarding health practices. The medical community is finally starting to realize the mega-importance of supplementing with fish oil…well, sort of. Check out the latest study published in the medical journal, The Lancet. It showed that when it comes to fighting chronic heart failure, fish oil supplements may work slightly better than a popular cholesterol-reducing drug.

The Italian study looked at 7,000 heart failure patients, half taking a daily omega-3 fatty acid supplement, and the other taking a placebo. The patients were followed for four years. They did the same study with the popular statin, Crestor. As it turns out, less people died in the omega-3 group than in the statin group. Although the difference between the two was small, the benefits of supplementing with fish oil is obvious–it’s natural and it has few, if any, side effects. The same cannot be said for statins.

Statins work by lowering “bad cholesterol” or LDLs, while omega-3 fatty acids work by increasing “good cholesterol” or HDLs. As I’ve pointed out in earlier posts, when it comes to heart health, good cholesterol reigns supreme. Furthermore, omega-3s are much cheaper than “the best selling drugs of all time” that are the statins, so supplementing with them makes good financial sense too.

So there you have it: Fish oil supplements are better for your heart than stains. According to Dr. Douglas Weaver, president of the American College of Cardiology, “This study changes the certainty of the evidence we have about fish oils.” Thank you doctor. Glad you’ve finally come around. Now let’s see how it affects statin sales. Anybody want to guess?

Now This is Getting Sick!

By On · Add Comment · In child abuse, childhood obesity, children, cholesterol, diets, magic bullet, obese, parenting, pediatric, statins
Okay, now I’ve heard it ALL! Check this out: the American Academy of Pediatrics has issued guidelines stating that children as young as two should be screened for high cholesterol. And even better, get this: they are recommending that children as young as eight should be started on statins. Whoa, ho, ho…hold on, Nellie…isn’t that the sickest thing you’ve ever heard? Our nation’s pediatric association–the professionals taking care of our children–is recommending statins, cholesterol lowering drugs, for our youngsters? I don’t know about you, but I’ve effin’ heard it all now.

Let me get this straight: the American Academy of Pediatrics is recommending that American children should be screened for high cholesterol and given statins to combat any risk of future heart disease, instead of getting their asses up and moving and exercising like normal kids? Holy crapoly!

Now to be fair, I understand where this idiocy stems from; I mean, let’s face it, Americans are blowing up to gargantuan proportions. Recent reports disclose that the number of obese Americans has grown significantly, yet again, over the last two years, making the current numbers 25% of the general population. I spend a great deal of ink on this tragic situation in my book, The Six Keys to Optimal Health, and, yes, it’s a many-faceted problem for the obese adult.

But childhood obesity? Excuse my language, but…that’s effin’ child neglect and abuse by lazy, undisciplined, ignorant parents. There, I’ve said it, and you all know it’s true. Letting your kid drink more than one Coke a week is child abuse. Feeding your kid Frosted Flakes is asinine and inexcusably ignorant or neglectful, or both. Letting your kid sit his or her fat ass in front of the T.V. for hours watching the Kardashians’ fat asses is equally ignorant and neglectful, and is also child abuse. According to a recent Canadian study on childhood obesity, kids who watch television while eating lunch take in 228 more calories than those who ate without the television on. Duh! Wake the eff up, parents! Sitting on your ass all day watching the boob tube and stuffing your face makes you fat. It does the same to your kids who–guess what?–learn from you! Duh!

And another study points out that parenting styles are what have the greatest effect on children’s eating habits. Duh! We need a study to know that? Wake the eff up, parents! Being too permissive in what you let your children eat will eventually lead to obesity. Yes, Junior wants PopTarts. Too bad…you’re getting an apple…now put down that WiiFii and go out and play.

And being too strict isn’t any good, either. You know exactly who I’m talking about, Food Nazis. Let the kid have an ice cream every now and again. Being authoritarian when it comes to food practices can also lead to obesity…the closet kind. I don’t know why Junior is blowing up, he only gets radishes at home. Duh!

According to nutritional experts conducting the study, the best thing parents can do to influence healthy eating habits in their children is to “set a good example with their own diets.” Duh! Both strict and permissive parents typically fail to serve as good dietary role models for their children, according to the researchers.

But here is my biggest beef: What the hell is wrong with the parent who sees their kid blowing up and doesn’t make him run his fat ass around the block every damn day till he gets back in kid shape? But he doesn’t want to…Yeah, no kidding. Get up and run, Engelberg! You mean, you’d rather give your kid statins than make him exercise or send him to military school? WTF?!?! And the American American Academy of Pediatrics recommends this???

According to one idiot doctor: “If we are more aggressive about this in childhood, I think we can have an impact on what happens later in life…and avoid some of these heart attacks and strokes in adulthood, says Dr. Stephen Daniels, of the academy’s nutrition committee. You know, this is what’s so pathetic about our current health system and it’s downright brain-dead paradigm: drugs like statins have been developed for lazy, undisciplined individuals who know better but just can’t get themselves to do what’s right because they have zero willpower. Doctors know this, and many will rightly say, “Patients don’t comply.” Yeah, that’s why they recommend statins and other meds, because they know the average lazy American (or busy, or challenged, or depressed, or underprivileged, or whatever convenient BS excuse is needed to not work hard) won’t do what it takes, so give ’em the ol’ magic bullet. Kids, however, are under the guidance, and yes, control of their parents. In no way should non-compliance be allowed–not by doctors, not by P.E. teachers, not by parents, nobody. Period!

So now you know how I feel. If you want to eat whatever you want to, at whichever quantity you want, if you don’t want to exercise, if you would rather be obese than do the work to bring it down, I’ll be the first to say, “That’s your choice, killer…do as you please.” But when it comes to your kids, if you are not teaching them the right dietary habits, if you are not acting as proper role models for their health and future well being, if you are not insisting that they go outdoors and play and exercise like normal kids should be doing, and you are thinking about giving them statins, then you are a child abuser plain and simple. Don’t do that to your kid. Shape up!

We Need MORE Statins!

By On · Add Comment · In cholesterol, nutrition, statins
More, more, more. We need more statins. What’s the delay: MORE STATINS! Is anybody listening?

Somebody must be, because statin use jumped 156% from 2000 to 2005. Woowee! Anybody, get the implications of this? Let me explain it this way. Either Americans are ignoring conventional wisdom and wolfing down cholesterol causing fatty foods like there’s no tomorrow–foods that we all know we should be avoiding (Don’t our doctors, and television commercials, and magazine articles, and New York City government, and Hollywood movies, and our neighbors, and the newspapers and radio stations all tell us endlessly that we should avoid fatty foods and trans fats and all the other cholesterol increasing substances, I mean, don’t we all know that?), yet cholesterol levels are spiraling out of control, and millions of us are on the verge of a heart attack or worse! right now–orrrr,  we are being duped like never before? Hmmm, let me think about this.

In 2000 15.9 million people were taking statins; in 2005, 29.7 million. That’s 10% of the entire population. Ten percent of the entire country has dangerously high cholesterol levels and needs to be on statins? Yeah. B.S.

OK, OK, let’s look at it this way instead: In 2000 Americans spent about $484 a year on statins for a total cost of $7.7 billion. In 2005, we spent $661 per year for a total of $19.7 billion.

So, let’s see, what makes more sense to you? Are the numbers of statin prescriptions going up because we are all so pathetically ignorant and weak-willed that we just can’t possibly stop our indulgences, despite pervasive dietary and nutritional information being pumped at us from all directions OR is somebody making a shipload of money from this crock of cow dung?

You decide.

Statins–Miracle or Myth

By On · Add Comment · In cholesterol, drugs, heart attacks, Lipitor, NNT, pharmaceutical industry, statins, The Six Keys to Optimal Health
Seems like everybody today is on statins–13 million Americans to be exact. And only 12 million more worldwide. Hey, how can more Americans be on a drug than the rest of the world combined? Seems fishy doesn’t it? Does to me, except for one fact: America is prime and ripe for marketing manipulation; and no drug has been more hyped than the statins. Can you say best selling drug of all time?

We look at the very interesting mathematics behind the marketing of statins on the latest episode of the Dr. Nick Show (Episode 7). In it we discuss NNT, the number needed to treat for one person to benefit from a drug. Lipitor, the most popular statin (see the commercial here), accounting for approximately $14 billion in sales annually, has an NNT of 100 in its clinical trials. That is, it takes 100 people taking the drug for one to benefit. In other words, 99 out of every hundred (99%) people taking Lipitor get no benefit from the drug. What? That’s right, NO BENEFIT!

So what gives? I mean these drugs have been touted as simply miraculous. They are the answer to high cholesterol, that supposed villain responsible for many heart attacks (listen, I debunk this myth in my new book, The Six Keys To Optimal Health; please pick up a copy). Well, these latest findings sure put a dagger into that nonsense. And am I the only one frightened by the notion that “statins should be added to the water supply“, as some researchers have suggested? Hell no.

If I’ve said it once I’ve said it a million times, nobody is going to care as much about your health as you do. Not your doctor, not the government, and not the pharmaceutical industry. Drug manufacturers will always try to portray their product in the best light. And doctors simply don’t have time to scrutinize every drug that comes out, so they rely on drug reps to give them the skinny on the latest drugs. When drug reps tell doctors that their statins reduce heart attacks by 36%, doctors believe these numbers. Add to that a certain dogma that has its way of infecting all large institutions and well…I guess it takes the public to be on its own toes.

So there you have the truth. Listen to the latest episode of the Dr. Nick Show for more information on the fallacy of statin drug efficacy. And keep tuning into this blog for the latest in health news and information. I promise, you won’t get this information from your medical doctor. No time. Sorry.

OTC Statins?

By On · Add Comment · In anti-oxidant, atherosclerosis, cholesterol, essential fatty acids, free radicals, LDL, lipoproteins, Merck, over-the-counter medications, rhabdomyolysis, statins

In an unusual display of rationality, the FDA rejected drug maker Merck and Co.’s bid to make it’s cholesterol lowering statin, Mevacor, available as an over-the-counter medication. Hallelujah! I almost can’t believe it.

Statins lower blood levels of LDL cholesterol (the bad stuff) by blocking a key enzyme necessary for the production of these lipoproteins. LDLs, or low density lipoproteins, are known to be precursors of atherosclerotic plaques, which harden the arteries and can lead to such cardiovascular diseases as heart attack and stroke, our leading killers in this country. As a result of this number one killer distinction, modern medical science has championed statin drugs as the savior of American heart health.

But wait, statins are drugs, and all drugs have physiological side effects, some of which can themselves cause illness and disease. To paraphrase 16th century alchemist and physician Paracelsus, “Poison is in everything, and no thing is without poison. The dosage makes it either a poison or a remedy.” Ah, so very true. Should we, therefore, really make what’s currently only obtainable by prescription available to the masses at the local drug store?

Well according to some brilliant and sound-minded physicians (and one altruistic pharmaceutical company), the answer is yes. Proponents believe that everyone, not just people with high levels of LDL cholesterol should be on statins. Statins are today’s aspirin, you know, the drug one celebrity doctor claims we should name a town after. Ha, ha, ha. Oh, the folly of it all.

According to one brilliant mind, the sharp intellect known as Dr. David Nash of Philadelphia’s Thomas Jefferson Medical College, “You should put this drug in the drinking water.” Whoa! Do you all feel as safe as I do? That’s awesome. I’m so happy to see that some of our nation’s most highly esteemed physicians think that mass medication is the answer to our health woes. Even better that they hold so much influence over public health policy. Effin’ right aye!

But, thankfully, wiser heads have prevailed…for now. In a 10-2 vote, an FDA panel rejected Merck’s bid. The panel felt that “too many of the wrong people would use the drug if it no longer required a prescription.” Uh, yeah. They based their conclusions on a study of nearly 1,500 people, where many wanted to buy the drug although they were poor candidates. I guess the drug companies want to maximize profits by pushing out the middle men–namely, doctors! Call me crazy, but I still think the physician is the best person to evaluate a person’s need for a potent drug–yes, even more than television commercials. I know, I’m so yesterday.

Here are some of the risks associated with statin drugs: permanent liver damage, rhabdomyolysis (read about this man’s experience here), nervous system damage, neuropathy, kidney damage, erectile dysfunction, temperature regulation problems, and amnesia (careful, you’ll forget to take your statins). For a more comprehensive list of dangerous side effects linked to statins look here.

Why rely on statins when blood cholesterol can be lowered most effectively through sensible diet (read my book, read my book), exercise, and supplementing with essential fatty acids. Furthermore, we know that LDLs alone are not “bad”. Only when they are oxidized (mostly by free radicals) do they become sticky, leading to plaque formation on the arteries. So by taking a good antioxidant (read my book, read my book), you can seriously lower your risk of developing atherosclerosis.

Unfortunately wellness isn’t as hip as mass medication is in the current health (?) paradigm. Summing up this idea is yet another proponent of mass statin consumption, New York‘s Mount Sinai Medical School physician and Merck consultant, Dr. Valentine Burroughs, “We’re still failing to prevent this epidemic (heart disease). It’s time to take bolder action, to try new approaches.”

Yeah, like spiking our drinking water. Sign me up, man.

A Case Against Statins

By On · Add Comment · In atherosclerosis, bad cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, essential fatty acids, good cholesterol, HDL, heart disease, LDL, magic bullets, statins
One of the first things doctors learn in rudimentary physiology class is that, when it comes to preventing heart disease, high HDL or “good” cholesterol is more important than low LDL or “bad” cholesterol. In fact, HDL levels are four times greater than LDL levels in their ability to predict the development of coronary atherosclerosis. Basic, basic, basic physiology.

But an interesting thing happens between doctor school and practicing–it’s called influence from the outside world. In the case of doctors, that influence often comes from pharmaceutical industry. C’mon Campos, not another evil pharmaceutical industry story (hey, I haven’t written one yet, please). No, no–it’s more like another example of how we’ve come to worship outside factors when it comes to our health. Check this one out.

Recent research published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that no matter how much bad cholesterol is lowered in the blood, it’s the amount of good cholesterol that still reigns supreme. Yes, the concentration of your HDLs (high density lipoproteins) plays a vital part in preventing cardiovascular diseases, like heart attacks and strokes.

Yeah, so? Well if you haven’t heard yet, those hyper-pedastalized miracle drugs known as statins are some of the most prescribed drugs of our day. Statins work by lowering LDL (low density lipoproteins) levels in the blood, and this, it has been promised, will lower our risk of heart disease. Great! Prescribe them like crazy. People don’t work out. People don’t eat right. Who cares? Give ’em statins. You’ve got boderline high cholesterol. Statins. You’re almost diabetic? Statins. You’ve seen the cholesterol commercial and you’re concerned? Statins.

Statins. Statins. Statins.

Well I’ve got news for you. You want to lower your risk of cardiovasular disease? You’ve got to watch what you eat and work out, period. Oh yeah…it’ll help if you quit smoking too, but how about just starting with exercise? You see, I’ve got a real problem with the idea of looking for magic bullets. They are illusions, people–ILLUSIONS! They give false security and false hopes. Nothing in life is free. You’ve got to work for everything. Exercise. Diet. That’s the real answer. Not statins.

OK, I’ll be fair. For people who have dangerously high levels of LDLs–if I was their MD–I’d give them statins for a very brief period, and I’d absolutely prescribe heavy doses of lifestyle management (read: nutrition and exercise). But I wouldn’t perscribe statins for people with boderline normal cholesterol levels as some Dr. Idiots are recommending (also read this–effin’ scary).

According to Dr. Philip Barter of the Heart Research Institute in Sydney, one of the lead authors of the study, “Even when LDL is taken down to very low levels, the kind of levels people say should be the aggressive targets, having a low HDL is still associated with a substantial increase in risk. (emphasis mine)” So, basically, you’ve got to work to bring your HDL levels up to par. And here’s the beauty: It’s the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL that really matters (see this brilliant explanation here), where total cholesterol = HDL+LDL. Therefore, HDL+LDL/HDL. So, if you bring up your HDL levels, you don’t need statins. Duh.

OK, here’s how you can raise your HDL levels–exercise regularly, eat wholesome foods, take essential fatty acids, and moderate your smoking and drinking habits. And you can naturally decrease your LDL levels by decreasing saturated fat intake, maintaining good body composition, increasing dietary fiber, and increasing aerobic exercise. Booyah!

But wait…fugdat. Ain’t there a drug I can take, Homey?

Sure Pfizer is working on one. It’s called torcetrapib. Oh wait. It killed people in a large drug trial. Oh well–I guess you’ve gotta work out. Says Barter again: The alternative is to “become lean and become very active. That’s probably as effective as anything we have at the moment. But most people who try don’t succeed,” Barter said. “The biggest frustration is that we don’t have the magic bullet like we do for the LDL.”

Ah yes, the ‘ol magic bullet. Well, keep looking–it’s your time, your money, and your health. If you want to believe, then be my guest. But I’ll just be over here dancing with the Tooth Fairy.

Copyright © 2013 Dr. Nick Campos - All Rights Reserved.