In the United Kingdom, it would not take long for one in four adults over age 40 to take statin drugs, which is what is currently happening in the United States for those over age 45. Physicians in the said country have access to a computer program that is designed to analyze individuals within a 35-year age bracket to see if they need to be taking statins, too.
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But really: why the extensive use and prescription of statins despite the widely documented side effects? A paper published in the American Journal of Cardiovascular Drugs, for instance, cites nearly 900 studies on the adverse effects of statins or HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors. You will truly wonder why one would still take statins.
Statins Side Effects to Watch Out For
Muscle problems are the leading adverse side effects that are linked to statin use. Also widely reported are cognitive issues and pain or numbness. A range of other problems that include elevated blood glucose and tendon problems are also on record.
Statin drugs – apart from their ability to lower cholesterol levels by 50 points or more — often do not show immediate side effects. This makes it appear that they are beneficial and that the health problems manifesting are not their side effect.
Taking statins in strong doses and for a lengthy period of time entails a lineup of consequences, including cognitive loss, anemia, neuropathy, acidosis, frequent fevers, cataracts, and sexual dysfunction. Serious and possibly life-threatening ones include increased cancer risk, suppression of the immune system, serious degenerative muscle tissue problem, pancreatic dysfunction, and hepatic dysfunction.
The health risks are further amplified by several factors, including taking other medications.
Worse, You Likely Don’t Need Statins
The proliferation of statin drugs in the market are brought not by necessity, but by powerful marketing, corruption, and corporate greed.
The odds are very high – in fact, greater than 100 to 1 – that those taking statins drugs do not need them. The only subgroup that may get benefits are patients with familial hypercholesterolemia, a genetic disorder than makes them resistant to traditional cholesterol-normalizing measures.
If your doctor is telling you to get a total cholesterol level check, you should be informed early on that this test will tell you practically nothing about your risk of heart disease, unless it is 330 or higher. What usually happens is that many people do get this test and are prescribed a statin drug depending on their results.
If you have become overly concerned about lowering your cholesterol level to a specific number, it is completely missing the point, along with some crucial markers of heart disease. In fact, there are individuals with cholesterol levels over 250 who actually are at low heart disease risk because of their elevated HDL levels. On the other hand, there are those who have cholesterol levels under 200 that were truly at a high heart disease risk based on their HDL/cholesterol and triglyceride/HDL.
HDL percentage remains a highly potent heart disease risk factor. Here is what you should do: divide your HDL level by your total cholesterol. The result should ideally be above 24 percent. Being below 10 percent reflects a significant indication of heart disease risk. You may also do the same step with your triglycerides and HDL; the result should be below 2.
Statin-Free Ways to be Cholesterol-Healthy
Never underestimate the power of simple, natural lifestyle strategies to help you keep your cholesterol at optimal levels.
Normalize your insulin levels through reducing or eliminating sugar and grains. You should also take a high-quality krill oil for its omega-3 fatty acids.
Stay active, too! Exercise regularly for a range of profound health benefits. Do this while eating the right foods for your Nutritional Type and consuming a good portion of your food raw. Additionally, address your emotional challenges and stresses, and avoid excessive smoking and drinking alcohol excessively.
About the Author:
Andrea Petersonis a health blogger who lives in Vermont and moderates a number of wellness forums on the Web. She considers herself married to healthy living; she shares health diet and lifestyle tips to family and friends. She is currently running a blog series on statins and drug-free ways to normalize cholesterol.
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