Statin Drugs for Cholesterol Lowering Won't Necessarily Save Your Life

In January of 2008 there was some unsettling news that came from the FDA about the risks of the cholesterol lowering medication Vytorin (a combination of Zetia (Ezetimibe) and the statin drug Zocor (simvastatin)). Data from the Enhance trial that was not previously revealed by the manufacturer, Merck/Schering-Plough, showed that the combination drug did not reduce atherosclerotic plaque any better than the generic statin drug, simvastatin, when given alone.

In fact, if anything Vytorin seemed to make atherosclerotic plaque worse, although it had a greater effect on lowering cholesterol. Vytorin has also been associated with an alarming increase in risk of liver damage. In addition, the Zetia that is in Vytorin has never been shown to reduce the risk of heart attacks or strokes. And Vytorin, at $2.84 a pop, as well as Zetia ($2.63) costs a heck-of-a-lot more than simvastatin, which is less than a dollar per pill.

Doctors use cholesterol lowering drugs to get cholesterol down to normal levels. However just because a drug lowers cholesterol levels doesn't mean it will do what patients care about most, that is save your life, or even reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

The most commonly prescribed drugs to lower cholesterol, the statins, include Lipitor, Zocor, Crestor, Mevacor, and Pravachol. Statins lower LDL cholesterol by blocking an enzyme that churns out LDL cholesterol in the liver, called HMG CoEnzymeA reductase. Thirteen million prescriptions are written for statins every year. Ezetimibe (Zetia) is a drug that blocks absorption of LDL cholesterol by the small intestine, thus lowering LDL cholesterol levels in the blood. Zetia acts on cells lining the small intestine to interfere with their uptake of cholesterol. If we followed the recommendations of the experts, cholesterol lowering drugs would be given to every American with an LDL of greater than 130 mg/dL over age 45.

Since half of Americans over age 35 have an LDL greater than 130 that would mean that almost half of all Americans or 100 million people should, theoretically, be taking statins. Since a year of statins costs up to $3000, that would cost $300 billion a year. Comparing national guidelines for who should take a statin across different countries, the guidelines which called for the most liberal use of statins (you guessed it, the U.S.) which called for 25% of the population to be on statins, saved no more lives than the guidelines for one of the most restrictive countries, New Zealand, which would treat 13% of the population.

For healthy males without a history of heart disease and without risk factors for heart disease (smoking, hypertension, family history of heart disease, familial hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, obesity and diabetes), there isn't any evidence that cholesterol lowering drugs are helpful in terms of preventing heart attacks and strokes. For men with risk factors, the majority of the studies show that they may prevent heart attacks but don't decrease your risk of dying. Cholesterol lowering does not prevent heart attacks in women without heart disease or in men without heart disease who are over the age of 70.

And taking a statin won't prevent you from having a heart attack or dying if you have heart disease. It only slightly lowers your risk, by about 0.2% per year. The only study to show that statins reduce risk of death in patients without heart disease showed that although after 15 years men taking Pravachol had fewer deaths (106 versus 135 on placebo), there was a 51% increase in prostate cancer. Other studies have shown a slight increase in the risk of cancer, especially with the use of high dose statins to bring cholesterol down to very low levels. Statins can also cause liver damage, depression, memory problems, and joint pain. They can also cause damage to the muscle tissue which results in muscle pain. In rare cases this can lead to a breakdown of the muscle tissue which results in kidney failure. Zetia can headache, dizziness, diarrhea, muscle and joint pain, and more rarely jaundice, gall stones or inflammation of the pancreas.

Bottom line? The drugs you are taking to prevent heart disease may not be as useful as you think, and in some cases may be doing more harm than good. Let the buyer beware.

Why Doctors Think Cholesterol Lowering Drugs Will Solve My Problem and How I Know They Won't

Let's start with the money. Cholesterol lowering drugs are the top earners for the pharmaceutical industries. In 2004 Pfizer netted $10.9 billion in sales from their cholesterol-lowering drug atorvastatin (popularly known as Lipitor). It beats their other wonder drug - Viagra!

Consider another statin called Crestor costs $1,400 a year for the 20-milligram dose. That is more than $3.80 per day. Now, if you are told that a high cholesterol level means you are about to have a heart attack you will want to pay $3.80 per day - for the rest of your life, even! That is what synthetic drug therapy for high cholesterol and most of these lifestyle-related conditions amounts to anyway. This means big profits for the pharmaceutical industries.

Most patients are "lazy" and unwilling to change their poor habits, and doctors know that. They know that we tend to want to do the same things that make us sick, such as enjoy the high cholesterol foods, neglect exercise and the healthy habits, and not suffer for it. Therefore, pills are great cover-ups. So we eat more cholesterol and stifle our liver - preventing it from functioning normally.

Drug Research and Medical Claims

From a study of 18,000 people using the cholesterol-lowering drug Crestor, the report claims that that Crestor reduced heart attacks and strokes by a whopping 50%. However, what does this mean when you translate this into practical meaning for your life?

It means that "Ninety-five people would need to be treated for two years to prevent one event." Drug companies report this as a 50% reduction in heart attacks and strokes! Using this relative risk reduction interpretation is very effective in advertising, but will your doctor tell you about the number needed to treat?

Prescribing these cholesterol lowering drugs pay good kickbacks for pharmacies and medical institutions. There appears to be a strong alliance between the Drug Monitoring agencies and the manufacturers. Notice that a drug is only pulled from the market if the collateral damage (this is a war of sorts) becomes too high. Side effects are considered normal, but any natural remedy or food that intimates a cure of preventative value is labeled as "evil".

With a good diet, regular light exercise (in my own home), and safe health habits, I am able to maintain a total cholesterol level of around 143 mg/dl. We can do better preventing a heart attack or a stroke than the statistical 1 out of every 95. They call that a 50% relative reduction risk, but that looks like a sales gimmick to me. And don't put that in my drinking water either...

One British doctor even suggested that it be made mandatory that statins be put in drinking water...

So it is the money. It is the whole reason why doctors will think that cholesterol lowering drugs are the solution to you high cholesterol situation. In fact, the JUPITER study is trying to prove just that, and one British doctor even advocated that it should be made mandatory that statins be put in drinking water.

You have got to be determined to win the high cholesterol war or you could become just another cholesterol statistic - legally dosed to death!

Copyright ? 2008 by Bentley Thompson

Bentley writes about lifestyle-related conditions such as diabetes, obesity, high cholesterol, and cardiovascular diseases. He advocates the anti-diabetes diet which he describes on his websites. You may read more of his articles at

Cholesterol Lowering Drugs - Do You Really Need Them?

Do you really need cholesterol lowering drugs? Does anyone? This article looks at the controversy surrounding the subject.

To the mainstream medical community statins are a valuable tool in the prevention of heart disease and strokes. To a small, but growing number of medical professionals, statins are dangerous and unnecessary.

Since the 1950s, the popular theory has been that high intakes of saturated fat and cholesterol-rich foods are the primary cause of heart disease and atherosclerosis. This theory has been disproven on several occasions, by scientists that have examined the traditional dietary habits of isolated populations.

For example, the diet of the Greenland Eskimo population was very high in fat. 50% or more of the daily caloric intake of the population was from fat. Yet, there was practically no heart disease in the population.

Another example was found in the South of France. Again, the diet was very high in saturated fat and cholesterol, but the incidence of heart disease was low.

The traditional Mediterranean diet is another example. Foods high in fat, such as olives, olive oil, fatty fish, nuts and avocados were popular. But, the incidence of heart disease and obesity was low.

Some doctors and pharmaceutical companies advocate the use of cholesterol lowering drugs, as a rule, not an exception. The typical course of action taken today is dietary counseling and encouraging physical activity in combination with prescribing statins.

The doctors don't even wait to see if diet and exercise have the desired effect, before writing a prescription. With all of the contradictions and controversy, why does this practice continue?

That's hard to say. The reason might be all of the television advertising that the pharmaceutical companies are allowed to do. Those ads make it seem like everyone should talk to their doctors about cholesterol lowering drugs.

Another reason might be the continued search for a miracle drug; some pills that will help everyone live a long and healthy life. In truth, there are no magic pills. But, there are answers.

Statins were originally found and extracted from the oyster mushroom, a Japanese delicacy. Other Japanese mushrooms, such as Shitake, have natural anti-inflammatory activity. These health benefits are not present in commercial button mushrooms or Portobello varieties.

The explanation for the contradictions seen in dietary habits of non-US populations has to do with the "type" of fats consumed, not the amount. Olives, fatty fish, nuts and avocados contain a relatively high amount of omega-3 fatty acids. The red wine consumed in the South of France might make a difference, too.

In other words, if we could teach people how to eat, they might not need cholesterol lowering drugs. Research has proven that the unnatural trans-fatty acids created when vegetable oils are partially hydrogenated cause and increase in LDL (bad) particles and a decrease in HDL (good) particles.

Researchers have also found that nutrients present in raw sugar cane, black tea, green tea, rice bran, pumpkin seeds and other foods help to increase the good particles and lower the number of bad ones. Prescriptions are now written for fish oils, because they are known, without a doubt to lower triglycerides or fats in the bloodstream and raise HDL levels.

Eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly is important. Taking some good dietary supplements is important, too. Very few people actually need cholesterol lowering drugs.

If you are concerned about your cholesterol levels, talk with your physician before deciding to use natural cholesterol lowering supplements for reducing high cholesterol.

Want to know more? Click here for more information on lowering cholesterol naturally natural cholesterol supplements for a safe natural alternative to help you balance your blood cholesterol levels.