Posted on December 13, 2012
First approved by the FDA in 1987, statins are arguably the most widely prescribed drug in the industrialized world today, not to mention the most profitable. In fact, Lipitor was the world’s best selling drug until its patent expired recently. Yet most trials that prove statins’ effectiveness in preventing cardiac events and death have been funded by companies and principle investigators who stand to benefit from their wide use. In February this year, the FDA warned that statins could increase users’ risk of Type 2 diabetes and memory loss, confusion and other cognition problems. The side effects of statins range from debilitating muscle and joint pain to transient global amnesia, neuropathy, cognitive dysfunction, fatigue and muscle weakness. There is even growing evidence of a statin link to Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Barbara H. Roberts, M.D., author of The Truth About Statins: Risks and Alternatives to Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs, exposes many of the problems with taking these drugs. She writes, “There is no question that many doctors have swallowed the Kool-Aid. Big Pharma has consistently exaggerated the benefits of statins and some physicians used scare tactics so that patients are afraid that if they go off the statins, they will have a heart attack immediately. Yet high cholesterol, which the statins address, is a relatively weak risk factor for developing atherosclerosis.” For example, diabetes and smoking are far more potent when it comes to increasing risk. Dr. Roberts also writes about a patient that caused a fire in her home by forgetting that the stove was on, and another was a professor who experienced such memory loss on a statin he could no longer teach. The only thing more shocking than the side effects she writes about is the apparent blindness of the medical establishment to these side effects. Until half a year ago, there were practically no warnings at all.
Today there are so many people on statins, and more patients are coming in complaining that their memories are failing. The ridiculous side of these drugs is that they don’t have any affect on the cholesterol you eat; instead they pretty much stop the production of it in your liver, and pull it from your body. We all need cholesterol to stay healthy. It is what keeps our skin waterproof and what the body needs to make all of our hormones. Perhaps most important, is its role in forming and maintaining cell walls and structures. Our cells also need it to help them adjust to changes in temperature, and our brains need it for the myelin sheath (the cover that surrounds the nerve cells and helps to increase the speed by which information travels along the nerve). If you look at the long lists of side affects now, I think you will have a better idea why they occur. In my opinion, the risks you take by being on a statin far out weigh any benefits.
Do your research and understand what this drug does to you. There are so many healthy alternatives; you owe yourself to at least try.
Olive oil is rich in polyphenols, which have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Several studies have shown that the Mediterranean diet reduces total mortality and especially death from cardiovascular disease, yet it gets little media attention (no money to be made). The Mediterranean diet is a plant-based diet that includes colorful vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, cheese, nuts, olive oil, seafood, red wine with meals, and very little meat. Take control of your health, first by making informed decisions about whether or not you need a drug to stay healthy!