by Dr. Jack Wolfson
Health Impact News
Shocking news! Two studies were recently published that endorse 2013 guidelines for a wider use of statin drugs. As reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), out of over 2400 people, 39% were statin eligible, compared with 14% by the old 2004 guidelines.
In one fell swoop, the amount of people recommended for statin use was tripled! This is not surprising given the amount of revenue from statin drug sales. Who makes the guidelines? Doctors on Big Pharma payroll, that’s who.
If your blood pressure is high, you likely qualify for statins.
If you are diabetic, you definitely qualify for statins.
If you smoke, you likely qualify for statins.
If your LDL is above 190, start statins.
If you have coronary artery disease, start statins.
In all, 49% of Americans aged 40-75 are recommended to take statins. This equates to 56 million people swallowing billions of statin tablets while putting billions of dollars into the pockets of statin manufacturers.
The second study recently published found that statins are cost effective when given to millions of new customers. Nothing surprising here. Pay a fortune for health insurance, cough up your prescription co-pay, and take your drugs. Again, very cost effective (sarcasm attached), because money is saved through less heart attacks.
But there is a downside. Many patients complain of muscle aches, memory loss, fatigue, and low libido/erectile dysfunction on statins. This is in addition to the more sinister liver damage and muscle damage. My practice is full of people with complaints from statin use.
The statin data is pretty weak when it comes to primary prevention of heart disease in those who have never had an event. AFCAPS was the first statin trial published. A small reduction in heart attacks was seen but overall, no lives were saved. Most studies also demonstrate trivial mortality benefit despite tens of thousands of pills swallowed to prevent one death.
Heart attacks do not come from a statin deficiency. The path to heart health is through low carb nutrition and lots of healthy fats like coconut, avocado, nuts, seeds, eggs, and of course free range, grass-fed meats and seafood. Cook with healthy oils like animal fat and coconut oil. Grass fed butter is okay for many people. Pack in green leafy veggies with every meal.
Avoid chemical toxins such as pollution, pesticides, plastics, and heavy metals. Get the stress out, stay active, and between 8 and 9 hours of sleep.
The goal is not a 6% versus 8% chance of a heart attack. The goal is zero percent. You can do it naturally.
About the Author
Dr. Jack Wolfson is the director of Wolfson Integrative Cardiology in Arizona. He is board certified in cardiology and a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology (FACC). He is author of the book:
THE PALEO CARDIOLOGIST: THE NATURAL WAY TO HEART HEALTH
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References
1. Guideline-Based Statin Eligibility, Coronary Artery Calcification, and Cardiovascular Events – Amit Pursnani, MD; Joseph M. Massaro, PhD; Ralph B. D’Agostino Sr, PhD; Christopher J. O’Donnell, MD, MPH; Udo Hoffmann, MD, MPH – JAMA – July 14, 2015, Vol 314, No. 2
2. Cost-effectiveness of 10-Year Risk Thresholds for Initiation of Statin Therapy for Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease – Ankur Pandya, PhD; Stephen Sy, MS; Sylvia Cho, MHS; Milton C. Weinstein, PhD; Thomas A. Gaziano, MD, MSc – JAMA – July 14, 2015, Vol 314, No. 2
3. Application of New Cholesterol Guidelines to a Population-Based Sample – Michael J. Pencina, Ph.D., Ann Marie Navar-Boggan, M.D., Ph.D., Ralph B. D’Agostino, Sr., Ph.D., Ken Williams, M.S., Benjamin Neely, M.S., Allan D. Sniderman, M.D., and Eric D. Peterson, M.D., M.P.H. – New England Journal of Medicine – April 10, 2014
See Also:
One of the best documentaries exposing the statin scam and interviewing doctors in the industry who have exposed it, was published in 2013 on ABC in Australia. The medical authorities were not successful in preventing it from being aired on TV, but they forced ABC to remove them from their website.
We currently are using copies available on YouTube. Take some time to watch these important documentaries produced by medical doctors on the statin drug scam, and be informed!
HEART OF THE MATTER Part 1: The Cholesterol Myth: Dietary Villains
HEART OF THE MATTER Part 2: The Cholesterol Drug War
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