Why lower cholesterol?...because the myth has persisted that high cholesterol, especially LDL (low density lipids) cholesterol is causing heart attack and stroke.
The guidelines of "healthy" cholesterol keep being lowered to the benefit of drug companies and to the detriment of the public who take the statin drugs. Cholesterol lowering statin drugs are a blockbuster revenue stream for drug companies...20 billion dollars a year.
The reason behind this thinking is that high cholesterol-content-plugs are found obstructing coronary blood vessels (heart attack) and cerebral blood vessels (stroke).
At first glance it seems that reducing cholesterol would reduce atherosclerosis and cardio-vascular accidents. This is not true, study after study demonstrates that the reason that cholesterol (LDL type) accumulates and lines the blood vessels is because of inflammation.
A thicker atherosclerosis (lining) can "chip off" and plug a coronary or cerebral artery more easily...or the rough lining can cause a blood clot and cause heart attack or stroke also.
Julian Whitaker, M.D. reports in his June 2008 HEALTH & HEALING Newsletter: "As for statin drugs, for most of the 40 million Americans recommended to take them for the rest of their lives, they're an ineffective, expensive, side effect-riddled fraud."
The truth of the matter is that high levels of cholesterol do not co-relate with higher cardiovascular accidents and mortality. Dozens, even hundreds of studies, provide compelling evidence that lowering cholesterol is the wrong approach to health...but not any drug funded ones.
In fact, many studies prove lowering cholesterol is usually a harmful practice. One study actually demonstrated that patients over 75 years of age live longer if they have higher levels of cholesterol than those who have low levels of cholesterol.
The paradox is that the amount of circulating LDL is not nearly as significant as the inflamed condition of the blood vessels where it accumulates.
C-Reactive Protein (CRP) tests are much more reliable indicators of cardiovascular events. They measure blood inflammation. What happens is that inflamed blood vessels attract LDL like a magnet, because it is like a bandage on a sore.
Without inflammation, the dangerous accumulation does not occur because the danger is not really the LDL levels in the blood, but rather, the inflammation in the vessels that produce a atherosclerosis plaque that can "chip" or cause a blood clot.
Studies at the famous Mayo clinic and at Harvard University clinics find that the C-reactive protein level (the marker for inflammation) has a much higher co-relation and is a more reliable predictor of cardio-vascular accidents.
Why then are the cholesterol lowering drugs (statins) so highly prescribed? The simple answer is GREED...not the doctors, but the drug companies. The cholesterol lowering drugs are block buster, billion dollar revenue streams for the drug companies.
Lipitor alone, reportedly generated over 12 billion dollars revenue last year for Pfizer.
It would not be so bad if there was a benefit to taking these drugs. Arguably they are a health hazard, rather than a benefit. Probably the most destructive side effect of statin drugs is their depletion of CoQ-10 enzyme. Why is CoQ-10 so important?
CoQ-10 is important because it is needed in every cell of the body. It is the spark that causes the "burn" of ATP. What is ATP? It is Adenosine tri-phosphate which is the fuel that every cell in the body needs and ATP cannot function without CoQ-10.
What happens when CoQ-10 is deficient? Muscle weakness is one of the most prominent symptoms that occur. Aches and pain in the muscles and a lack of energy was found, in one study, present in two thirds of those on a statin drug.
Dr. Stephen Sinatra, renown cardiologist and author of several books, says that in his experience, 70% of those on a statin drug manifested symptoms of muscle pain and weakness.
Why is there double the heart failure rate with those on statins? It is because the heart muscle is a real hog of energy with its constant contractions. Some estimate it needs ten times the amount of energy (ATP) that other organs of the body need. Since CoQ-10 is a necessary link in the energy chain, not enough fuel (ATP) is able to be utilized and so the heart muscle stops. Death results.
Cholesterol is vilified when in reality it should be protected. Yes, too much of anything is bad but the opposite, too little, is no small matter.
What are some of the symptoms and effects of low cholesterol and CoQ-10 levels?
1. Muscle weakness and fatigue, low energy
2. Higher heart failure rate (twice as high)
3. Cognitive decline and compromised brain function
4. Higher incidence of liver cancer and failure
5. Vitamin Deficiency
6. Declining testosterone, causing low libido, and more
belly fat and muscle weakness
7. Declining estrogen, cortisol and other steroidal
hormones
The ubiquinol form of CoQ-10, as much as 100mg, is highly recommended by cardiologist Stephen Sinatra. Note: Author has no interest in the Vitacost website but he obtains 100mg of ubiquinol there.
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