Originally Posted by
Fat Boy
Let me encourage you to do some homework on statins. They will drop your cholesterol, but they do not have _any_ effect on morbidity/mortality rates until after you've already had a heart attack, and even then it's not a big effect. If you have high cholesterol numbers, then find out why they're high. I'll bet it has nothing to do with the amount of fat in your diet and everything to do with the amount of refined carbs, specifically wheat/grains. Are your triglycerides high? That's a carbohydrate problem. How about your LDL? Get them to actually do the particle size test. If you're loaded up on small particles, then that is refined carbs causing that as well. How about blood sugar? Do you have any diabetes issues? Controlling blood sugar/insulin is a _big_ deal.
The big fat no-no is hydrogenated oils and trans fats. The second is vegetable/corn oil. If you stay away from both of those, then you may have some fixes that aren't as difficult as you might think.
You would be hard pressed to find a cardiologist in America who would agree with you that statins have little or no affect on mortality and morbidity -- unless you limit the population to those who have no risk factors.
Numerous studies (and I have not kept track of them) have shown that as LDL increases, the chances of a heart attack increase as well. They also show a benefit from lowering elevated LDL for those with risk factors - but not a guarantee. The main risk factors are:
-- DM2
-- Obesity and/or waist circumference over 40" (in men)
-- High blood pressure
-- Unfavorable lipid profile
-- Family History of premature heart disease
-- Smoking
-- Age 55 in men or 65 in women
The controversy comes into the medical picture when it is pointed out that half of all people who have heart attacks have "normal" cholesterol levels. There are a couple theories running to explain that:
-- The Esselstyn's claim the 'normal' value (200 total) is too high. That people with a total cholesterol below 150 do not have heart attacks.
-- Others claim that an unfavorable cholesterol profile is only part of the story -- that there are other things that also contribute to heart disease. The leading contender for the runner up right now is inflammation as measured by HS-CRP. And some even claim that the main benefit of statins is not lowering LDL but lowering inflammation. (Another recent addition to the list is TMAO.)
But, the medical consensus is clear: a poor cholesterol profile (elevated LDL and/or low HDL) contributes to heart disease and statins decrease the LDL.
That doesn't mean that statins are the only way to do that. In fact, every recommendation starts with life style changes and, if they are insufficient, then taking a statin will decrease your elevated chances of having a vascular related event.
For myself: I have seen the results of clogged arteries and I will do whatever can to limit that happening in my arteries. LDL cholesterol is one of the main ingredients in the recipe that clogs the arteries -- and statins are one way of reducing LDL.