The heart: An amazing organ that beats approximately one hundred thousand times per day! As we wrap-up “Heart Month” I’d like to shed a little light on a topic that make my blood boil: Statin Drugs.
Cholesterol medications are taken by one in four Americans, ages 45 and older. There are roughly 127 MILLION Americans over age 45 on statins alone. They are the #1 selling prescription drug in America. In the last 10 years the amount of people on statin drugs has dramatically increased. But what if Cholesterol wasn’t the problem? What if cholesterol had virtually nothing to do with Cardiovascualr disease? More over, what if statin drugs were doing MORE HARM than good?
That seems to be the case. Dr. Oz did a controvertial episode suggesting everything we know about cholesterol is WRONG. You can see that video here.
So on top of the fact that statin drugs are worthless and have very little to do with lowering your chances of Cardiovascular disease, it seems more and more research is emerging pointing to the dangers of these drugs. The latest research found here reveals that more frequent statin drug use is associated with accelerated coronary artery and aortic artery calcification, both of which greatly contribute to cardiovascular and all-cause mortality.
What is perhaps most alarming about this new finding is that statin drugs have already been shown to significantly increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, prompting the FDA on Feb. 27th, 2011, to add “diabetes risk” to the warning label of all statin drugs marketed in this country.
Wait, so not only do statins likely induce type 2 diabetes in susceptible populations, but they also ACCELERATE the cardiovascular complications associated with the disease? I thought statins are supposed to reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, not accelerate it…
What to do: Well if you watch or read more of the Dr. Oz episode the Doctors state the most important tests to get to assess the real risk of cholesterol and heart disease. It’s called the particle size test. Google it.
What else? How about getting off your butt and exercising! Studies show that high intensity exercise for just 12 minutes/day is far more beneficial for weight loss than that boring “cardio” of 45 minutes on the treadmill. And the fact is those closer to their ideal weight are far less likely to develop heart disease. If you don’t have 12 minutes/day to exercise, you’re doing something wrong in your life!
What foods can help reduced cardiovascular disease? FAT! Healthy fats like cod-liver oil, sardines, almonds, cashews, walnuts, salmon, chickpeas, and barley…to name a few.
If you know someone on a statin drug please share this information with them, and expose them to the peer-reviewed and published research that already exists on potential naturals alternatives: My friends at GreenMedInfo have put this together.
God Bless, Dr. McNabb
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