I heard a great interview that I wanted to share. The cholesterol chatter started in 1948 with the “Framingham Study,” which followed 5,000 people and looked at risk factors for heart disease (blood pressure, smoking, cholesterol, etc.). They only found a significant association with heart disease when total cholesterol was over 300. Very few people are that high, and almost all of those affected have a genetic disorder called Familial Hypercholesterolemia (affects 1 in 250 people). 80% of your cholesterol levels are determined by genetics. Another set of people have genetically low cholesterol (below 150), and they were the main ones to see very low heart disease levels. They mostly looked at people under 60. The crazy part is, they noticed that after 50 years old, mortality rates increased as cholesterol levels decreased. In 1996, one of the Framingham researchers summarized the study by saying, “Unless LDL is above 300, there is no correlation with heart disease.” The ONLY correlation can be found when you divide good cholesterol (HDL) by total cholesterol. Then they looked at the best randomized trials and found no correlation between total cholesterol and heart disease. So the only benefit from statins is that they’re anti-inflammatory and help with clotting. Well, so does spinach. So the trials did show a small benefit with heart disease and statins. The Statin trials removed people with side effects and only looked at people who had previous heart attacks. They had a 1 in 83 chance of it saving their life, and 1 in 39 of preventing another heart attack. So if you had a heart attack, and started statins consistently, over a 5-year period, on average, you’d extend your life by 4 days. European studies found similar results… almost no benefits. Keep in mind, 50% of people stop taking Statins within a few years because of side effects.
So, in my opinion, if you’re over 50 and your cholesterol is under 300, the most important thing for you to do is work on increasing your HDL good cholesterol and metabolic health (insulin resistance). If you don’t have any side effects from statins, then you will get a very small benefit, but it sounds like they’re over-prescribed. Statins don’t just reduce cholesterol; they reduce CoQ10, which is vital for muscles and the heart. This is why so many people get muscle aches. But if your doctor doesn’t follow the guidelines by prescribing Statins, then you have an unrelated heart problem, the doctor could be sued.
Even LDL has gotten a bad rap. Its job is to carry cholesterol to other parts of the body where cholesterol is needed as a vital building block for cells and hormones. That’s why the liver makes cholesterol. You need it. People who can’t make enough cholesterol have horrible health problems and infections. Conversely, people with higher LDL have fewer infections and hospitalizations. In the elderly (+75 years old), those with higher LDL have greater longevity. Some people do get plaques in the arterial wall from higher LDL, but high LDL is seen in people with insulin insensitivity, diabetes, and metabolic disease. All of those conditions have increased heart disease risk. So it’s more complicated than “cholesterol clogs your arteries.” Doctors should see your high LDL, then immediately determine if that’s dangerous by looking at your metabolic health and fasting insulin levels. It sounds like diabetics make too much of an enzyme that repairs veins and arteries. THEN the LDL becomes a problem. He also mentions that oxidized LDL is more harmful, that’s why we need a constant stream of ANTI-oxidants (Wolfberry juice, dark berries and citrus essential oils are potent sources)
So eat lots of fish, take your omegas, and do everything you can to lose the excess weight that is often the cause of insulin problems.
Heart healthy supplements that I recommend…
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Text me for a big discount. Wendy (850) 312-3465
