Statins - Research shows that they are
doing far more harm than good.
"These findings on statin's major adverse effects had been under-reported and the way in which they [were] withheld from the public, and even concealed, is a scientific farce."
This was a quote from the authors of The Ugly Side of Statins. Systemic Appraisal of the Contemporary Un-Known Unknowns Link to Article,
an article published in the Journal of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases in 2013. Currently, 1 in 4 Americans over the age of 45 are on statins, and they bring in over $20 billion dollars a year. Their purpose is to lower cholesterol, which they do, but we forgot to look at all their other side effects.
(We also forgot to ask whether or not lowering cholesterol in all these people was absolutely necessary.)
What else did the authors have to say?
The article above concluded that there was an increased risk for diabetes, cataracts, erectile dysfunction, cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, and infectious diseases in people that take statins. Since the article was published, more research has shown that statins:
•Breakdown muscle tissues by 30%, resulting in weakness and muscle pain, normally in the shoulders, upper arms, thighs, or low back.
•Increase liver enzymes, causing liver damage. This will appear as fatigue, loss of appetite, and possible pain in the abdomen.
•Cause neurological side effects such as memory loss, confusion, muscle twitching, and muscle weakness.
•Increase your risk for type II diabetes by as much as 50%, because lowering cholesterol levels can increase insulin levels.
•Deplete your body of much needed cholesterol!
What effects do statins have on the heart?
Now let's also look at the effects of statins on heart health, the thing they're actually supposed to be helping. It is well researched that statins lower CoQ10 storages in the body. CoQ10 is an enzyme that helps energy production of the heart muscles and possesses antioxidant properties. The two articles below show that people with heart conditions are normally lower in CoQ10, supplementing with CoQ10 increases levels in the body, and that increased levels allow better outcomes for patients with hypertension, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, and people who are recovering from heart attacks. Statins actively decrease this important supplement and have been shown to greatly increase cardiovascular risk in women and diabetic patients, and minimally in other groups.
But don't we need to lower cholesterol?
If you missed the two posts on the importance of cholesterol and the real cause behind why it's elevated, please take a second to look over them.
If you have already read them, then you know that we need cholesterol in our body and that it is actually dangerous to lower it too much. You also know that taking a drug to lower cholesterol is not the best option. In fact, it may be the worst!
Please educate yourself on the dangers of statins and discuss them with your medical doctor. Make an informed decision about whether or not your cholesterol needs to be lowered in the first place, and if it does, look at alternative options. When it comes to statins, it's not just your heart at risk, but every part of your body.
yours in health,
dr samantha boldt
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