The Heart and Those Good Old Statins...

[LindaC]

Left undiagnosed [still crazily disputed by some arrogant, ignorant endos] my heart suffered as a result... I cobbled my health together with vits/mins + supplements, Armour, then T3... then you get to a point in life where 'they' try to push statins [my #'s are fine] onto you for 'health reasons'. Nooooooo!

Received today via Daily Health Alert: [apologies, I can't cut and paste this link!]

It has been said many times before: sooner or later, cholesterol-lowering statin drugs will turn out to be the biggest drug scandal of all times (LC, with hypothyroidism as the biggest health scandal!).

Cataracts, type 2 diabetes, depression, muscle pain, fatigue, memory loss, kidney damage, liver dysfunction, neurological damage, migraines and digestive problems are just a few of the side effects associated with statin drugs. And now you can add heart disease to the list. Yes, you read that right. These drugs — routinely given to more than 12 million patients in the UK — can actually increase your risk of the very thing they are supposed to prevent.

The latest findings of a study, published in the journal Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology, have shown that patients taking statin drugs are more likely to suffer from hardening of the arteries — a leading cause of heart disease. In addition, the researchers also found that statin drugs have a negative effect on vital body processes linked to heart health, which can "cause, or worsen, heart failure."

Commenting on the findings, lead researcher, Dr Okuyama of Nagoya City University, Japan, said: "We have collected a wealth of information on cholesterol and statins from many published papers and find overwhelming evidence that these drugs accelerate hardening of the arteries and can cause, or worsen, heart failure." Researchers also discovered that patients taking statin drugs were more likely to have calcium deposits in their arteries, a phenomenon directly linked to heart attacks. This is because statins block a molecule needed for the body to produce a vital K vitamin, which prevents calcification of the arteries. Dr Okuyama added that many earlier industry-sponsored studies, like the notorious JUPITER trial, which show the benefits of statins, are completely unreliable. As a result, Dr Okuyama proposes that current statin treatment guidelines be critically re-evaluated.

Dr Malcolm Kendrick, who has done extensive studies on heart health and statins, said: "This study demolishes the argument that these drugs should be prescribed to anyone, as the harms clearly outweigh any previously suggested benefits."

Dr Peter Langsjoen, a heart specialist based in Texas, said: "Statins are being used so aggressively and in such large numbers of people that the adverse effects are now becoming obvious. These drugs should never have been approved for use. The long-term effects are devastating."

As expected, the die-hard statin supporters are conveniently keeping their heads in the sand. Oxford professor Sir Rory Collins has warned that overstating concerns about statins could "cause very large numbers of unnecessary deaths from heart attacks and stroke."

And a spokesman for the UKs Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), said: "The benefits of statins are well established and are considered to outweigh the risk of side effects in the majority of patients. Any new significant information on the efficacy of statins will be carefully reviewed and action be taken if required." Needless to say, if we were to sit patiently until these mainstreamers finally wake up (and admit) to the debilitating and life-threatening side effects of these drugs we’d be in for an extremely long wait indeed…

But it will happen. There is no way with all the evidence mounting against these drugs that they will be able to keep this scandal under wraps for much longer.

[Marz]

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/256...

I posted the above link somewhere this morning It was published last March - and yet there was VERY little in the media - typical. Shows the power of U-NO-HOO !!

[LindaC in reply to Marz]

Sorry Marz, didn't see yours I get lots of stuff and sometimes do or don't bother with it but particularly at the moment - when its cold and heart stuff can be at its worst - I recall the couple of times docs have tried to push statins on to me [seriously, my #'s are good] when the prevention I needed was to have my thyroid issue taken seriously to PREVENT the heart arrhythmia developing in the first instance.

I must get the book you got. Have you read this good book?

Before the Heart Attacks: A Revolutionary Approach to Detecting, Preventing, and Even Reversing Heart Disease Hardcover – June 28, 2003: Robert Superko, MD

Heart attacks are preventable; fatalities from heart attacks should be virtually unheard of; and heart disease can be controlled, possibly even reversed, says renowned researcher and cardiologist H. Robert Superko, M.D. In his groundbreaking work, Before the Heart Attacks, Dr. Superko for the first time outlines his innovative program to the public.

Dr. Superko was among the first physicians to question why standard screening tests missed so many pending heart attacks, and his search for the answer evolved into an entirely new approach to diagnosing, preventing, and treating heart disease.

The key to this groundbreaking cardiology is a new generation of screening tests that allow doctors to go beyond early detection of heart disease, to predict problems before they occur. Now doctors can step in and give you an individualized action plan that can forestall the disease before you suffer a first symptom! By targeting the metabolic and genetic underpinnings that can lead to tomorrow's heart attacks, you have the power to change your cardiac destiny....

[Marz in reply to LindaC]

LindaC - absolutely no problem. I think it is good when things are duplicated - as we all have brain fog in varying degrees ! I just popped the link up so people can see it - that it's REAL Also there are lots more research papers on the right hand side of the link I posted about statins.

No I have not read the book you mentioned.

[shaws]

They are still prescribed by doctors who are apparently unaware of the dangers and taken by their patients who expect their doctors to be more up-to-date than they appear to be.

[LindaC]

Yes that be so. I hear from friends where they stated someone as being 'quite clever' but taking loads of drugs for BP, T2D and, of course, statins for both

[SAMBS]

It's not only heart attacks, a clot or embolism can end up in the wrong place also, causing problems like mine and many others in the brain!

I forgot to note where this morning, but I read an article that linked sitting for long periods with the Thyroid also, probably because of the potential for clots! ....As in flying long haul?

It was talking about office work, sitting at computers, even sitting watching TV, where it suggested that instead of zapping through ads on recording, you got up and walked about a bit!

I think when new H&S REgs came in about chair and desk heights, it also said about not sitting stationary for longer than 20 minutes before getting up and moving - all to do with the circulation of course, again not sure where the Thyroid fits in to this equation - I'll need to check it out sometime!

[LindaC in reply to SAMBS]

Yes SAMBS, thank you for that reminder! You've always got such interesting stuff to say

I had a huge lot of bloods done in 2014 to account for long haul flights and that was fine [for that moment in time]. Due to my low temps, I now go and do some exercise whenever I feel like I'm 'going down' with the cold, so thereby helping to move more with the Jan/Feb heart attack 'threat'

Circulation... legs and feet start taking on a not so nice look with age still, being alive supersedes everything.

Look after yourself, be well xox

[SAMBS in reply to LindaC]

Thanks Linda, well I see you know me now - if someone mentions it I look it up - I must stop doing because it means that I'm sitting down for too long I'm hopeless on the bloods so each to their own I say.

I know what you mean about the legs though....... and age xx

[LindaC in reply to SAMBS]

Yes SAMBS, you are very thorough and I was thinking about what you said when sitting typing... 'Oh, just another thing I shouldn't be doing'! Oh I'm still as fit as that proverbial lop BUT little bits of blue on the legs is not a good look lol xx

[SAMBS in reply to LindaC]

....beauty before age then!

[SAMBS in reply to LindaC]

Oops sorry - the bit about the heart went straight over my head....I do hope you'll be okay if long haul caused you problems. Wear some support tights if poss, good for the legs and circulation....you probably do already I suspect.

On one of the UK shopping channels the other morning (early!) I saw them demonstrating some new support tights, very chic and classy they looked, it's a new material and not as ugly as the ones we buy from the chemists!

When flying, long (twice) or short haul (frequently) I always used to have strepsils medicated lozenges with me, the pink ones are sugar free, and having discovered that little trick by accident , I realised I stopped getting sore throats which then turned into colds afterwards. I've told several friends and they found it worked for them also :-)).

Aeroplanes may have air conditioning but it's recirculated around the cabin, so I also turned off the little air thing above my head. S x

[LindaC in reply to SAMBS]

No, the heart is an arrhythmia that was dreadful until I took Armour, then T3... its still there but much improved.

Husband and me been using flight socks for decades, just in case - travel comfortably! Thanks, I used to take Stepsils as a kid [always had tonsilitis!], I'll have go. Ricola - in all of its flavours - I first got in the US, then found it here - great when its on half price [Sainsb's] and stock up. Sleeping with CPAP, I have to leave a halved one in my mouth overnight - has to be sugar free

I know, the recirculation isn't good... xox

[SAMBS]

I'm pleased to say I was never put on Statins anywhere and would not have taken them anyway - my husband was when he was diagnosed as Type2 in the UK a few years before we moved here - where within 8 months after arrival and an ECG was told he needed a triple bypass! However there is a family history of congenital heart disease on his side. Whether the Statins caused it, or because he was also taking at same time as Metformine I do t know. I now have my suspicions though, given my problems with Metformine and Levothyroxine at the same time! Fortunately I stopped taking the Metformine quite quickly because of side effects - muscle strength loss and fatigue, two things I'd never had having been the sailing crew who hauled ropes in when we tacked!

Lee-ho Metormine off you go - became my motto.

[LindaC in reply to SAMBS]

Metformin isn't good but there are even worse than that - there are other ways now of fixing T2D. Yes, my mother had a 5-graft bypass... undiagnosed hypo + sleep aponea [never overweight] - given loads of drugs for T2D and statins... 'they' just keep bunging up the bits instead of finding out what's wrong at the outset.

Family history has well shown me to keep away from most of their 'smarties'... my motto

[Josiesmum]

Also I have read that statins deplete CoQ10 so doctors should tell patients that they must supplement this while on statins. My mum has been on statins for 20 years and has never been told this

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

[LindaC]

Yes Josiesmum, it is shocking that people aren't told what is needed. My cousin and some relatives have been taking statins for years and have never been told that either. Even though I wouldn't go near statins, I began taking the recommended Co-Q10 Ubiquinone x2 @ 30mg per day and increase to x3 in winter. Hope your mum is doing OK xox