Will cholesterol still be public enemy number 1 and statins still the wonder drug in 15 years time..............?

[florence5]

At the moment I am reading 'The Great Cholesterol Con' by fellow Scot Dr Malcolm Kendrick which I am sure many of you will have read. He quotes from many pieces of research, one of which reports that low cholesterol is significantly associated with all cause mortality in women over 50 and men at all stages.

The book has not helped me to define a clear opinion, as I don't have enough medical knowledge to judge it and we all know that data can be used selectively, but, for me, it has cast significant doubt on the dangers of raised cholesterol levels.

Statins have been pushed by the medical profession for a number of years now, but I have concerns that this may be a similar scenario to that of HRT 15 years ago. GPs very forcefully told women (myself included) that they must take HRT, as it would protect them from heart disease following the menopause. These supposed benefits have since been proved to be a fallacy and in fact the opposite is the case. When I take statins my body tells me that I have ingested a toxic substance, although I know this is not the case for everyone. I dislike the phrase 'side effects' which suggests these are secondary and therefore minor complications.

I wonder if another 15 years will bring about a significant change in medical opinion on cholesterol and statin medication?

[MikePollard]

Frankly no and no.

There are increasing numbers of people who have seen that the dietary guidelines that have so glaringly failed us for the last forty years are the king's new clothes. Big pharma and big food interests are killing us. I feel we are approaching a tipping point and a new dawn, but I shan't be holding my breath for a sea change anytime soon!

[suki65]

hi i havent read this but will ,

I am the same as you florence ,i have never been poorly before but since taking statins ,i am suffering with the effects of taking statins ,been told all of a sudden i have osteoarthritis ,i have so much pain in my left arm ,my thighs have changed shape ,swelling on legs,and back and very very low ,low vitamin d level 17 ,i am just saying all this has come on since taking statins doesnt it seem strange ?

i will never take another statin ever i have found another wat intermittent fasting eating for 8 hours a day and no more .

I will be writing anonomusly to my hospital complaining about what statins have done to my body and how i am having to repair it alone

[sandybrown]

Hi,

It is inflammation not cholesterol, "Do GPs know what to and how to check inflammation?".

What medication are there to prevent implementation?

Only time will tell.

[DakCB-UK]

Well, statins have been used by the NHS for 30years shop far so I expect it'll probably be going another 15, unless something like bergamot is adopted swiftly.

[cleocat in reply to DakCB-UK]

Bergamot?

[sandybrown]

Hello,

Thanks. Your assumption is correct, as an engineer the word implementation is used a lot in my writing. Statin as a secondary medication at low dosage, may be in the best interest of a patient. NHS food advice and statin advice goes hand in had.

[Penel]

The role of cholesterol in the body is complex. It is vital for our health, but a high level of LDL appears to be a risk factor in CVD, according to many scientists.

Statins have helped many, especially those with hereditary cholesterol problems. Unfortunately all statins can have adverse side effects, especially in a high dose, and there is no alterative standard treatment for those patients. Life style modifications may not work for everyone.

I would hope that in 15 years, scientific research will have found out more about human biochemistry and that there will be alternatives to statins for those who need them.

[hairyfairy]

I`d be happy to take statins if they didn`t have such horrible side effects, & if they were proven to be safe. I was prescribed them, & i felt so awful on them that i had to stop taking them, yet I`m still being pressured to start taking them again by my doctor.

[florence5]

Thanks everyone, for your comments and useful information. For me, taking statins is a bit like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. I have been told that I was given statins not so much for their cholesterol lowering properties but for the protective, stabilising effect they have on plaque. However, I am not going to be able to continue taking them and will have to wait (hopefully not 15 years) for an alternative medication which can deliver this effect without damaging the rest of my body. Meanwhile, I will do my best with all the dietary information received. I look forward to a new dawn for all of us.

[Hidden]

Great to hear there are people out there that agree about a substance that we as humans have in our bodies since`man has been on this earth. It's such a pity that the pharmaceutical companies and doctor are making so much money out of human suffering.Cholesterol is part of our defense against bugs, disease. That is why Cancer and heart disease is on the increase. I am a nurse in a Hospice and most of our patients are still taking their Statins even up to their death.

[florence5 in reply to Hidden]

Great to hear from a health professional who has first hand experience and is willing to speak out.

[Hidden]

In the good old days people usually died of old age. Doctors then allowed their patients to die, but these days things have changed. Doctors have now been given lots of new toys to play with. Testes for almost any disease known to man and a few others that have been given names to that,that was never a disease in the first place.Cholesterol was never a disease or an illness before, but along came a Russian who in his wisdom decided to make himself famous by force feeding rabbits with meat ( Rabbits are vegetarians) to see what effect it would have, and so was born the biggest money making disease known to man.

[florence5]

Thanks Traci, I look forward to reading about these.