Statin drugs

[gu99]

I have battled high cholesterol for most of my adult life and am now at 170 (total) with the aid of a statin drug.  I have seen some reports that say that even though statins reduce cholesterol numbers there isn't the expected correlation with reduced incidence of heart disease. Is that true?  And if so, why should I continue taking a statins and risk liver damage?

[gu99]

This is good information.  Thank you all.  I think I have much to discuss with my my GP and Cardiologist at my next appointments.

I was especially interest to see that statins have been linked to hormonal imbalances.  At my last annual physical my GP found that I had low testosterone levels and wanted to immediately start HRT. Knowing that it was a huge step, I've been resisting. Now I have some additional information and maybe HRT is not the answer.

Thanks again to all.  Please keep up the discussion.  It never hurts to have more information and viewpoints.

[gymdandee]

inflammation sometimes starts as early as childhood. And they always run their course slowly, silently, and steadily with inflammation as the key.
In fact, name just about any disease, and you can bet that inflammation is a part of the
picture. Heart disease, arthritis, Alzheimer’s, asthma, or osteoporosis—all of these
conditions can be traced back to inflammation.
The pill pushers behind Big Pharma know this well their entire business is built on it.
If we learned one thing from the Vioxx scandal, it’s that prescription anti-inflammatories kill and a whole lot faster than the diseases I just mentioned, too.
Your immune system is a complex array of cells that work to protect your body
from invaders viruses, bacteria, allergens, and toxins, to name a few. Inflammation is
what happens when this system springs into action.
inflammation doesn’t ravage your body without leaving a few clues. And knowing your levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) can give you a fair warning as to what kind of trouble it could be causing.
Your body makes CRP in response to many different kinds of inflammation—and
elevated CRPs are associated with increased risk of a variety of serious conditions
including heart disease, diabetes, and dementia.
there’s an excellent blood test called the highly sensitive CReactive
protein test (hcCRP).your level should be less than 1.0. Levels
between 1.0 and 3.0 are termed borderline But anything above this range can mean trouble, and should always be followed by a recheck in one to three months.
to prevent inflammation start with diet. And the Mediterranean standard is the best one to keep. anti-inflammatory supplements, adding some omega-3 fatty acids especially in the form of (EPA), a key anti-inflammatory fat. I suggest 2,000 mg of EPA per day. Probiotics (healthy gut bacteria found in fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, and sauerkraut) can also help. tumeric (which is found in curry), ginger, and rosemary. Resveratrol (found in grape skins and red wine) is also a powerful anti-inflammatory and one that is especially helpful in protecting against cancer.
anti-inflammatory vitamins , vitamin D (at least 1,000 to 2,000 units a day)
may be the most important although you clearly need adequate amounts of vitamins A,
C, and E along with the minerals zinc, magnesium, potassium, and selenium.
Exercise is another proven in-flammation-reducer, partly as a result of its fat-burning
effect, fat cells increase inflammation. You should get 30 to 45 minutes of
vigorous exercise (the kind where you really work up a sweat) at least five days a week—
with some strength training also fit in for at least two of those days. And make sure you
get a professional to help you devise a routine and to show you good exercise form just
slopping around on your own is a surefire way to get injured!
physical and emotional stress is a large, essential piece of the antiinflammation
puzzle which means not only cutting down the stress in your
environment, but also learning how to cope with it better . Good nutrition
and exercise can both help this, as can a wide variety of mind-body techniques, including
meditation, deep-breathing exercises,

[erijon]

Actually, the statement;

"That explains why hardening of the arteries has become an epidemic only in the last 100 years"

Is not completely accurate. The reason that heart disease is so prevalent in the past 100 years is because it was not an accepted cause of death until 1920 and was rarely used until the 1930s. The reason for such a dramatic increase over the past 100 years has been proven to be more of a result of accurate reporting. The rules for reporting and  ranking  causes of death were developed by the NCHS (National Center for Health Statistics) around 1950. These standards were revised in 1967 and again in 1979 to the standards being used today. Prior to that, causes of death were reported based on each physician's discretion and heart disease was rarely used until well into the 1930s. It was not until the introduction of the above listed standards that causes of death were correctly reported and ranked based on one singular set of rules. This is when heart disease saw it's largest increases year over year. It is most likely true that heart disease was just as prevalent in 1900 as it is today, it just was not reported as it is today.

Just another thought on the increase over the past 100 years. Also, have you considered airborne irritants as a cause for inflammation in the body? We are all affected by the quality of the air we breathe. Just a thought.

[gymdandee]

I would rather not mention the Co.  I will tell you he has worked with the FDA on various
investigations with products.
One study showed that people who had higher levels of bacteria in their mouth were
more likely to have plaque buildup (atherosclerosis) in the carotid artery.
This bacteria is thought to enter the bloodstream through the gums and adhere to the plaques in the arteries, contributing to the narrowing of the arteries.
Another theory is that the presence of the bacteria triggers inflammation, which is the body’s response to foreign substances, that can cause illness.
This inflammation and swelling could also contribute to the narrowing of vessels and possibly cause blood clots to form in the arteries.
The No. 1 source of inflammation in the body is a bad diet. That explains why hardening of the arteries has become an epidemic only in the last 100 years:
Exercise helps keep arteries elastic Like I mentioned in an earlier try the peak 8 routine
I f you give me a list of vitamins and or supplements i will let you know the ones that are approved and the ones that failed and why they failed.

[Flycaster305]

I credit statins for keeping me alive the last twelve years, but I've mixed in exercise, diet, weight loss and lifestyle changes at the same time.  My blood tests have been perfect, and I pay extra to outside my insurance coverage to test for vitamins, etc. A balance seems prudent.

What pharma does your son work for?  

[erijon]

As I recall, we have discussed the FDA and your son's experiences before, it was very interesting. I'm only going by what I've read and the discussion with the doctors I volunteer with. I also have read the FDA warning concerning supplements, not all things are equal.

Consumer Labs may run tests on some supplements, but there is a vast difference between a Consumer Labs test and a multi-year NIH managed drug trial with tens of thousands of participants tracked for years after the trial is over to validate the findings.

However, I can understand that some things may slip through the loop holes in the system, but I think the odds are better when they are controlled by the FDA.

Jon