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August 11, 2008
Health Alert - Low Cholesterol is Deadly
Posted by Jack
http://www.wellnessclubsofamerica.com/Copy_of_Cholesterol_Low_Part_1_c.htmlPatients taking some common medications for high cholesterol and irregular heart beats can suffer severe muscle damage because of a problem in the way the drugs interact, a government study warned.
"...low cholesterol levels, even though they are in a proper proportion of HDL and LDL can be deadly."
The “cholesterol is harmful” hypothesis is but one of several theories that have been advanced over the past 200 years to explain the phenomenon of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). The body and especially the brain needs a certain amount of cholesterol to function properly, afterall the brain is nearly 50% cholesterol. Depriving the body of cholesterol can lead to anxiety or panic attacks, depression and even stroke! Some people wrongly assume that lowering cholesterol will lead to reduced arterial plaque (hardening of the arteries), however at the end of the study there was no statistical difference in the progression of arterial calcified plaque betweeen those who took statin drugs to reduce cholesterol and those who did not.
...Cholesterol is NOT the Cause of Heart Disease
The Food and Drug Administration said doctors should use extra care when prescribing Zocor, generic Zocor, or Vytorin to patients who are also taking amiodarone, a heart rhythm drug marketed as Cordarone or Pacerone. The danger is higher for patients taking more than 20 milligrams a day of the cholesterol drugs, the agency said.
The generic name for the cholesterol medications is simvastatin.
Muscle injury is a risk with any of the cholesterol drugs known as statins, including Lipitor, particularly for the elderly. Although the risk of such injuries is low overall, they can be serious because they can lead to kidney failure and even death.
Want to know more on this subject? Try this link.
Posted by Post Scripts at August 11, 2008 01:28 PM
Comments
This is another example of the man bites dog kind of story that the mainstream press engages in. You sometimes fall victim to the same need to have something that sounds like "news." You have confused the recent inacurately reported mainstream story, which repeats the well known but very rare side effects of muscle pains and liver damage that statin drugs have for some very few people, with the unrelated, old contrarian opinion that lower cholesterol is not the answer to every form of heart disease. We've known that all along too. It is not going to have much effect on a genetic defect like mitral valve collapse or electrical malfunction. But high cholesterol does clog up arteries, and blocked arteries are the culprit in most heart attacks. So lowering cholesterol may not prevent every single heart attack, but it works for many if not most. So it only saves about 300,000 lives per year, not every one.
Posted by: Dan at August 12, 2008 08:00 AM
Dan, I think the main part of the study was that very low cholesteral levels are dangerous.
Lets say if you are a runner (you are), eating a very healthy diet (you do) and then you used drugs to lower your already low cholesterol level (?), to incredibly low levels... did you pass the point of benefit? A question worth asking.
Think of it like taking in no cholesteral; now you understand the role of cholesteral and you would say well of course that would be bad. Really bad! So what is a healthy ratio of HDL cholesterol to LDL? Is it 100/90? Is is 130/100? Or 50/60 or 50/50? There is rational evidence out here to suggest that when you drop under 80 HDL you could be begin to push the healthy limits of your bodies need for cholesterol, i.e. at risk for a number of side effects as noted.
Of course genetics plays a part in how our bodies accumulate plaque and react to cholesterol levels, but the main point is all good things have their limits and it would be wise to know how far down you can push your LDL and HDL levels before you turn an advantage (low cholesterol) into disadvantage (too low).
"Actually, red meat and natural saturated fats like those found in meat, eggs, and full-fat dairy can raise your HDL, the "good cholesterol", and have no negative effect on blood triglycerides, and generally have a neutral effect on your LDL. High monounstaturated fats like those found in real nuts and olive oil have also been shown to be beneficial with regards to lipid levels and ratios. FYI, pork fat or lard is higher in monounsaturated fat (oleic acid - the same kind found in olive oil) than saturated fat. High polyunstaturated fats like those found in liquid vegetable oils tend to lower HDL and LDL levels. Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils on the other hand tend to lower your HDL while raising your LDL. These hydrogenated fats should be avoided. Problem is that they are found in virtually all processed foods - just check the labels on a box of crackers or loaf of bread."
Posted by: Jack at August 12, 2008 09:20 AM