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Nice to see a doctor telling people to take a second look at simple ideas that may help without the drugs. Good for him. ----- Original Message ----- From: "mschild" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Monday, March 23, 2009 12:45 AM Subject: Should You Take Statins? > publication date: Mar 21, 2009 > | > author/source: Dr. Forrest Smith > Download Print Send a summary of this page to someone via email. > Previous | > > Dr. Forrest Smith > Crabapple Internal > Medicine > If your doctor has prescribed for you a statin drug such as Lipitor, Zocor, > and others, you should know a few facts before filling that prescription. For > many years we have had mounting studies which seemingly prove the use of > statins in the prevention and treatment of coronary artery disease. Most of > these studies are funded by the manufacturers of the very drugs they study. > Also important to know is that the studies are time limited. We do not have > the data for long-term use of these drugs. Would I prescribe statins to a 60- > year-old man who has elevated LDL and coronary disease? Yes, absolutely, but > there is less evidence for statins as prevention. > > In the next two weeks I would like to share some information and concerns > about the frequent use of this class of drugs for many Americans with > elevated, and more and more commonly, normal levels of cholesterols. These > concerns are well researched by the forward thinking cardiologist Stephen > Sinatra, MD in his book The Sinatra Solution. > > The notion that high cholesterol causes heart disease has allowed the > pharmaceutical industry to saturate us with millions of prescriptions for > cholesterol-lowering drugs. The truth is that half of the people who have a > heart attack don't have high cholesterol. Cholesterol has been perceived as > the bad guy. The truth is that LDL cholesterol is needed by every cell in the > body to grow and repair itself, and the body uses it to produce hormones - > including sexual hormones. Scientists do not currently understand what impact > lowering cholesterol levels may have long term. Researchers have already > linked low LDL cholesterol to Parkinson's disease and possibly to Lou Gehrig's > Disease. It is known that statins inhibit the synthesis of cholesterol in the > brain, specifically by blocking the growth of new synapses between nerve > cells. This may account for the amnesia, confusion, disorientation and > dementia reported by some statin takers. Also, by blocking this biochemical > pathway, statins inhibit the production of other vital biochemicals, notably > heart-friendly Co-Q10. > > Before trying a statin drug, consider other interventions for your heart > health. Exercise! Endurance exercise, such as jogging or cycling, is one of > the best ways to lower inflammation and increases beneficial HDL levels. Aim > for 30 to 45 minutes of aerobic exercise 5 times a week. Lose that belly fat! > Women with waists that measure more than 35 inches (more than 40 for men) > likely have high inflammation in the body. This greatly increases risk for > heart disease and diabetes. And quit smoking! > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn