FUNDAY

Why statins and low cholesterol cause heart attacks and strokes; Cholesterol Myth
No studies have ever proven that high cholesterol causes heart disease since this simply is not true. Inflammation, not high cholesterol, leads to arteriosclerosis. Yet the pharmaceutical companies keep pushing the cholesterol myth to promote drug sales, while ignoring the fact that they are endangering lives.
Statins are the most commonly prescribed form of medicine for the treatment of “high” cholesterol. The drug companies have failed though to inform the public about the dangers of not only these drugs, but also of the dangers of low cholesterol, which among other things can cause heart attack and stroke.

I find it rather ironic that the drug companies are pushing statins claiming they help prevent heart disease when these drugs are well known to increase the risk of heart failure, heart attacks, and strokes! There are several reasons for this.

Other than liver damage, the best known side effect of statins is a condition known as rhabdomyolosis. This is a condition in which muscle tissue deteriorates. The deterioration occurs from declining levels of CoQ10 in the tissues, which is required for the proper function of cells and their energy production. What people often do not stop and think about is that the heart is also a muscle, and is prone to the same damaging effects from the use of statins. If taking statins I highly recommend taking at least 200mg of CoQ10 daily to help reduce the risk of statin induced heart failure.

The increased risk of heart attack and stroke actually occur for a totally different reason. If you read my blog articles on the dangers of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), you will see that the risk of heart attack and stroke are related. Several NSAIDs, such as Vioxx and Celebrex, have been either pulled off the market, or have required stronger warning labels, warning of the increased risk of heart attack and stroke from these drugs. Even though the drug companies tried to make it sound like a new discovery, the risk had been known prior to the drugs ever reaching the market. The problem stems from the way these drugs work. NSAIDs interfere with inflammatory prostaglandins. Inflammatory prostaglandins are hormones that dilate blood vessels. For example during injuries these hormones open up blood vessels to increase oxygen and nutrient levels to the area to promote healing. By inhibiting these hormones, the NSAIDs decrease blood flow to the organs, including the heart and brain. If the blood supply is sufficiently reduced to the heart and brain, heart attack or stroke can occur.

So what does all this have to do with statins and cholesterol levels? Prostaglandins, as with other hormones, are formed from cholesterol. Therefore, reduced cholesterol levels lead to decreased prostaglandin formation, and thus decreased blood flow to the organs. This explains why studies have consistently shown increased mortality with decreased cholesterol levels!
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The Cholesterol myth
One of the largest frauds perpetuated on the American public has been the false claim that high cholesterol causes heart disease. Even though this has been known for decades to be false, the myth keeps getting promoted by the drug companies to increase drug sales of drugs, such as statins. The whole idea of high cholesterol causing heart disease started with a faulty, outdated rabbit study from the 1920s. No solid evidence of high cholesterol causing heart disease in humans has ever been shown. In fact, evidence is to the contrary. Several studies have confirmed that as cholesterol levels go down that the mortality rate goes up, primarily from increased heart attacks and strokes.

What I really find interesting is how doctors, who should be reasonably intelligent, don’t seem to be questioning how it is that people can have low cholesterol and clogged arteries, or high cholesterol and clean arteries. In fact I just heard a commercial for Lipitor, where Dr. Jarvic is claiming that high cholesterol can lead to heart attack and stroke. I would love to ask him in person to explain this mechanism since there is absolutely no science whatsoever to back up his claim!

Cholesterol levels are actually totally irrelevant to the risk of arteriosclerosis. It is inflammation, not high cholesterol that leads to arteriosclerosis. Cholesterol is actually a healing agent for the body. Where there is an injury in the body, cholesterol will increase in that area to aid in the healing by acting as both a patchwork, and as a precursor for other substances, such as hormones that play a role in healing. Various things can cause trauma and inflammation to the arteries, and are well known for increasing the risk of heart disease. These include high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, and even bypass operations. Damage to the arterial lining leads to inflammation. In response, cholesterol floods the area and lays down as a “patchwork” over the injured area. The problem is that if the source of inflammation is not removed then the cholesterol will keep depositing in an attempt to heal the injured area.