British Doctor Quits Statins for 5 Years Then Gets a Coronary CT Scan to See the Results

[sos007]

I came across this video this morning on Youtube and thought everyone would find it of interest:

youtu.be/nS0Qr7wRr9o(Not working as expected?)

The name of the doctor is identified in the video.

Eat right, move, supplement and measure regularly!

Accountability is the key to changing habits.

[Paul12]

Yes but.... if you take a PLAC test it is quite possible to have very high PLAC and zero calcium. Plus calcium score does not measure small or new plaque. So yes live right etc I 100% support that but also get thoroughly tested to see progress

[Paul12]

I disagree. A high PLAC score and 0 calcium score simply shows that the plaque is elsewhere. The calcium score gives false security.

Please see: healthcentral.com/article/t...

[Paul12]

The link suggests the cause may be calcium levels and thus to have the calcium score test for location. High levels of Lp-PLA2 are present in unstable rupture-prone plaques and it appears that Lp-PLA2 is released from these plaques into the circulation where it`s levels can then be measured by a the PLAC test.

Individuals with elevated levels of Lp-PLA2 are at heighted risk for heart attacks and strokes irrespective of their other risk factors.

The example you have given re 15 year risk proves my point completely.

Someone who has a HIGH PLAC test result is at high risk. If the calcium score is 0 they are STILL at the high risk. Therefore to believe the 15 year warranty gives an incredible false sense of security.

Think of it this way. You have zero calcium test and THINK you're safe. You have PLAC test and it's really high. Thankfully you haven't been lulled into this false sense and know you're at high risk

You can have high insulin resistance score and zero calcium score. High particles, high VAP/NMR test and zero calcium score.

[Dash65 in reply to Paul12]

However all the studies show if you have a 0 calcium score ,regardless of other risk factors,99% will still be alive 10 years later.Not so for any range of calcium score

[Paul12 in reply to Dash65]

I don’t believe that for a second but if true I can only conclude they ALSO had low IR and LOW PLAC but simply were not tested

My comments refer to someone with high IR and high PLAC and zero calcium. For them the calcium score gives a totally false sense of security

[Dash65 in reply to Paul12]

There are quite a few studies of 25000,45000 people etc and they all produce roughly the same result. 0 calcium score only 1-2 % risk over 10 years.Calcium score corresponds to risk of event much better than any other measure as someone else states "it sees the disease"These are asymptomatic people at the start of the study.

I have an very high cac for age 99.9% percentile and track blood results like Homocysteine,Thyroid,Mag, Small Ldl,APO A/B ,Vit D,HB1AC,Insulin level etc and try to keep everything ideal range with low carb diet plus supplements.Blood work looks great but there's no actual study to see if it makes a difference. LP(a) is my problem and not easy to reduce.

[Paul12 in reply to Dash65]

Cardiac Scoring or Calcium Score, is a non-invasive CT scan of the heart. It will calculate your risk of developing Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) by measuring the amount of calcified plaque in the coronary arteries.

Lp-Pla2 is an enzyme that increases when you have increasing plaque build up in the systemic vascular system, so ALL the blood vessels in the body.

Plaque rupture and repair is a dynamic process that is happening all the time in the blood vessels

See also article.sapub.org/10.5923.j...

The thing to remember is that a PLAC test can be repeated monthly (for example) and progress tracked. CACS can be 0 today and then get a lot worse over the next few years and you would not even know.

sciencedirect.com/science/a...

[Dash65 in reply to Paul12]

I agree that Plac is a useful test.CAC test does not show CVD risk, it shows how severe you already have CVD (in the coranary arteries only).I follow the cureality site where people track CAC with Max yearly cac scans to show progression of CAC score which has been shown to relate to level of risk for an event.It's a fairly rigid regime but a fair amout of evidence that people can hugely slow progression of CAC score.I don't know the answers but in my case by following it I have reduced markers like crp 4. To 0.7, trigs 2 to 0.6 hdl from0.8 to 1.4,almost eliminated small ldl,Hba1c 6.3% to 4.6% etc sustained over 2 yrs now.The DR's haven't got any answers so I adopt what appears to have some success.

[Paul12 in reply to Dash65]

Well done! The right course I am sure

[Paul12]

Yes - remember high IR can co-exist with zero calcium score. Good luck!

[JAS9]

Taking a step back and looking at all of the indicators: markers, blood labs, scans, etc., please realize that no single one gives you an infallible big picture (or, as most patients want, a single number that sums up all the risks). Instead, someone with experience needs to look at all of them and evaluate what they are telling them about your risk of heart attack and stroke. A single number is unrealistic. Sure, there are some indicators that are more reliable or important, and a good cardiologist should take that into consideration too.

Viewing it this way, cholesterol can be seen to be one of many indicators. How important is it in the big picture? That depends on what other indicators are saying. It's not the implacable monster we once believed it to be, but a high serum level of cholesterol is also not benign if other indicators are telling us that there's a problem.

I follow a WFPB diet, and my lipids are great. My doctor thinks my cholesterol, at 145 is too low, but it's not; my body makes all of the cholesterol that it needs, unlike those who overload their system with cholesterol from meat, dairy, and eggs. I keep an eye on my lipids, blood pressure, and homocysteine. If any of those get outside my comfort zone, I'll take a more aggressive series of tests, scans, etc. That's my 2 cents.

[sos007 Ambassador in reply to JAS9]

This reply is to everyone who posted a comment in response to my posting or to others:

We learn from engaging each other and challenging concepts and information.

Everyone made good points about the importance of other tests and that no single test provides complete information. I'm in total agreement with that and that's why I have shared in my previous posts about many of the non-traditional tests that I routinely take throughout the year to hold myself accountable for my diet and lifestyle choices.

I view my health as a 100 piece puzzle and the routine tests done by most doctors in most of the developed countries of the world only provide us with a piece or two. From one or two pieces of clearly, a much more complex puzzle, doctors prescribe medications such as statins that have the potential to cause harm.

I hope everyone does their own homework before accepting a statin prescription from their doctor.

In the end we should not be pursuing quick fix medications and we should not be vilifying cholesterol. Cholesterol is the symptom of the disease, it is not the disease itself. The disease is cardiovascular disease and to address it we need to address the cause: a poor diet and lifestyle. IR - insulin resistance is generally caused by poor diet and lifestyle.

A whole-foods, plant-based diet (animal protein used in moderation), no sugars or simple starches, and daily exercise will keep both your cardiovascular system and your brain healthy, and by extension, the rest of your body.

Supplement where necessary - for most - Vitamin C, Folic Acid, B12, B6, D, and E.

Good health to all.

[Paul12 in reply to sos007]

Maybe the overall cause is bacteria so to add to the above....oral hygiene

[Markl60]

I think the guy in the video is correct in his action but it would be for more informative if he had taken a text five years ago and then now. What if his score 5 years ago was 10 and its now fifty odd, would we be so optimistic ?

[sos007 Ambassador]

@Concerned: Thank you very much for the interesting video. It emphasizes the importance of ferritin levels, and other blood metrics including various cholesterol ratios which most doctors overlook.

About a year ago I asked a close friend of mine to send me his blood-work results so I can analyze it as his doctor recommended he start statins after a recent check up.

He is my age, Asian, rail-thin and you would think from just looking at him that he'd be in great health. However he was experiencing lethargy and unexplained weight loss.

I found his hb-A1C and fasting glucose levels were pre-diabetic and his ferritin was extremely high.

I told him that he had haemochromatosis and was on the verge of full-blown diabetes if he didn't already have it.

He was in experiencing oxidative stress which results in organ tissue damage and the body feeding on itself due to insufficient insulin production not allowing the glucose to get from the blood stream into the body's cells to use as energy. This results in the body burning its own fat and muscle for energy.

(source: diabetes.co.uk/symptoms/une...

After asking him about his diet he admitted that he was a sugar junkie because he is very busy with work and snacked on crappy processed foods and donuts all the time. He also admitted to eating a lot of pork in his diet.

I recommended that he immediately begin blood donations every 2 months to get his iron (ferritin) levels down and to cut out red meat as well as the sugar and simple carbs in his diet.

What's interesting is that his doctor's review of the results only suggested that he take a statin with no dietary advice or suggestions about the elevated ferritin.

Within 8 months (4 blood donations) of making these changes his ferritin dropped to normal levels, his triglycerides collapsed, blood sugar came down and he reports that he has never felt better on his new diet which is whole-foods plant based that I recommended.

His liver enzymes also greatly improved.

Lesson - doctors are trained to deal with 'acute' illness - they don't have time to provide health coaching with nutritional advice and conduct thorough follow-ups.

WE MUST TAKE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY for our own health and the solution is never to take a pill for therapeutic purposes (different from taking a drug for acute conditions which may be necessary).

Hence statins, and metformin for pre-diabetics is generally not a good idea. Better to deal with the cause, not the symptoms of disease.

[sandybrown]

Why use a British doctor's video clip with USA $?

How much did the doctor get paid for the video clip.

This doctor work is very different!!!

[sandybrown]

"A red herring in vascular calcification: ‘nanobacteria’ are protein–mineral complexes involved in biomineralization" .

I watched the video clip, and another one, it was suggested to Google :

Nano bacteria.

"A red herring in vascular calcification: ‘nanobacteria’ are protein–mineral complexes involved in biomineralization"

Thank you for the link, there is always a book involved.

[sandybrown]

There is more..............

The below list is from the Internet, there are 15 conditions listed, I am afraid none related to heart problems.!!

Number 6 related to brain & stroke.

Learning every day.

"Nanobacteria infection is common in people worldwide and the emerging scientific evidence illustrates the role of this microorganism in disease. The following medical conditions are believed in some cases to be initiated by Nanobacteria infection that produce calcified deposits:

Medical Conditions Associated with Nanobacteria Infection

1.atherosclerotic plaque

2.kidney stones

3.gall stones

4.cataracts

5.scleroderma

6.brain aneurysms ( calcification in the brain leading to strokes )

7.ovarian cysts leading to cancer

8.many types of arthritis ( calcified deposits in joints and tendons )

9.breast calcification leading to breast cancer

10.some forms of psoriasis

11.prostate calcification leading to prostate cancer

12.periodontal disease ( calcification of dental plaque )

13.fibromyalgia

14.fibrous scar tissue

15.Alzheimer’s disease.

The scalar energy pathogenic cleanse serves to disassemble Nanobacteria by releasing or negating the molecular bonds of that infectious agent. Subsequently, the calcium shell that enveloped the Nanobacteria will likewise disassemble or fragment and eventually be eliminated from the body. The ability of the scalar energy pathogenic cleanse to disassemble Nanobacteria and subsequently fragment calcified deposits will result in the cure, palliation or prevention of many calcified-related medical conditions."

[Jessie1234]

Hello sos007.

I've chatted you before re Haemochromatosis and the long wait to be seen by a consultant in the UK ( N.I.) prior to phlebotomy. The Blood Donation Service won't touch you without a consultant's say so. Luckily my ferritin is not too high. I'm making moves to go privately to a consultant and changed my diet. Mainly plant food, some fish and a little chicken, meat a few times a month and sugar consumption is v low. I read your post about your friend with interest. Thank you for all your support. I'm looking forward to when I can up the vitamin C!

[sos007 Ambassador]

It's too bad the system is so inflexible. I'm happy to be of help.

You might find this video of interest:

youtu.be/f1oRlVKwrio(Not working as expected?)

The first few minutes may seem boring but hang in there and you'll find it of great value.

[Jessie1234 in reply to sos007]

Thank you sos007. Very interesting. Thankfully the majority of our food is home made but not so the next generation.

[bobski1]

A lot of non doctors commenting on this .

“A little learning is a dangerous thing.

Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian Spring;

There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain,

and drinking largely sobers us again.”

― Alexander Pope, An Essay on Criticism

[sos007 Ambassador in reply to bobski1]

While your point is well-taken, it must be remembered that doctors are not infallible and there are severe flaws in the way healthcare is delivered in many countries in the world. Prescription drugs kill an estimated 100,000 plus people annually in the United States alone. Taking personal responsibility for one's health is the most logical way forward in a medical system burdened by bureaucracy and inefficiency, not to mention conflict of interest in dealing with pharmaceutical companies.

'Tentanda via'.

[bobski1 in reply to sos007]

I agree with all you say about looking after your own health and doctors are fallable . I`ve already ended up in intensive care twice because of medication given even though my countries health care is the best in the world . I take with a pinch of salt online videos because everyone is unique ,the only point I would stress is check your medication and it`s leaflet enclosed it is so easy to find that your medication can conflict with each other and cause you problems.