Comments on: The lipid hypothesis

By: Michael McEvoy CNC CMTA

Michael McEvoy CNC CMTA — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 05:37:44 +0000

Viruses don’t cause disease, neither do germs, bacteria, parasites or fungus. They can only cause harm if the internal environment supports their existence and promulgation.
Pasteur got it dead wrong, and admitted it on his deathbed. Antoine Bechamp was the real genius, but he was not lauded by European aristocracy like Louis was.

So we live in the germ theory paradigm. Fiction.

By: Ricardo

Ricardo — Wed, 20 May 2009 21:02:49 +0000

Are we living the last days of the Lipid Hypothesis?

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19081406
http://download.journals.elsevierhealth.com/pdfs/journals/0002-8703/PIIS0002870308007175.pdf
http://astute.cardiosource.com/2007/vposters/pdf/275_Fonarow.pdf
http://www.cholesterol-and-health.org.uk/hdl-ldl-2.html

We can only hope. But as long as there are lipid-lowering drugs to sell, the lipid hypothesis will have legs.

By: Chris

Chris — Tue, 05 May 2009 21:35:28 +0000

Hey Dr. Mike,
Great article. I have been reading up on the lipid hypothesis ever since I was diagnosed with high cholesterol.
You see, I am a healthy 31 yr old man who maintains a reasonable diet (5′10″ 175lbs). I try to stay away from Trans and Sat Fats and I also try to stay active. However, my doctor wants to put me on statins because of my cholesterol. My HDL is 55, and my LDL was around 140 if I recall correctly. I can’t remember what my triglyceride levels were at.
The trouble is, my parents both have high cholesterol and warn me about statins because of the muscle soreness they encountered. Now, however, I’m EXTREMELY paranoid about my arteries slowly being clogged. Is there any advice you could give me? Any encouraging words? I’m not on any medication, and like I said (other than the high cholesterol) I’m strong and healthy.

Just do a search in the search function on ’statins’ and you’ll find plenty to keep you reading. The short answer is that if you are male and under 65 (which you are) and have never had a heart attack, there is no evidence that taking a statin will increase your longevity. If you haven’t tried a low-carb diet to deal with your cholesterol, that would be the first step I would recommend.

By: Diana

Diana — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 15:03:52 +0000

Dr, Mike-
Sorry, one more point. Why do you suppose they stopped the study early? Could it be because they would have been dying from something else if continued? Cancer perhaps? That would be my guess.

Diana

Or diabetes. The group taking Crestor developed diabetes at greater rates than did the group taking placebo.

By: Diana

Diana — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 14:57:35 +0000

Dr. Mike,
I am also anxious to hear your thoughts on JUPITER. I was reading an article on the AP about the study.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iQZYnx7w8_yt8cNemDDU71Et41yQD94BFG980

I found it very interesting that the person who led the study is a co-inventor of the blood test that tests CRP levels…

“One is high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, or CRP for short. It is a measure of inflammation, which can mean clogged arteries as well as less serious problems, such as an infection or injury. Doctors check CRP with a blood test that costs about $80 to have done.

A co-inventor on a patent of the test, Dr. Paul Ridker of Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, led the new study. It involved 17,802 people with high CRP and low LDL cholesterol (below 130) in the U.S. and 25 other countries.”

A little Conflict of interest?

When I heard this study on the National news last night, I could only cringe. Especially when they were talking about how many “new” patients could now be prescribed Crestor and/or other statins. Especially women. They are saying that now this proves there is a reason for women to take statins. Like they were telling women to stay away before this study!!!
I had to mute the volume when my husband came in the room because he still believes in the cholesterol hypothesis. His total chol is 156, with LDL at 71, at 50 y/0, without statins (too low for my liking). He is insisting that I get my numbers at my physical in Jan. (1st physical in 15 years, except for gyno, I only see Doctors when sick or emergency). I am going for the exam to keep him happy.
I am 39 y/o, eat low-carb (10%) protein 35%, fat 55% on average. I am curious to see my numbers, but afraid we will get into quite an argument if my numbers are “high”, since I eat differently than him, (butter, steak, eggs, liver etc.), and I am overweight, but steadliy dropping since going low carb.
Well, got a little off-subject here. Can’t wait to hear your take on the study.

Diana

My thoughts are up!

By: Gerard Sorme

Gerard Sorme — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 04:33:30 +0000

Anxious to hear your thoughts about JUPITER and the New Orleans PR offensive for statins.

I’ll get my thoughts up just as soon as I have some.

Cheers–

MRE

By: Joy

Joy — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 01:20:50 +0000

I was taking Krill Oil for a week and had horrible nightmares every night. So I stopped it and they went away. So I thought because I took it at night that I would start taking it in the morning that that might work….well it didn’t. I still had bad nightmares. I have read that Krill Oil breaks through the brain barrier so now I am wondering what exactly does that mean? This is very disturbing and causes me sleepless nights. I only took one Swanson’s Krill Oil 500 mgs. I don’t want to stop it because I need it to bring my HD cholesterol levels up and this seems the most natural way. What would you suggest?

Thank you so much,
Joy

The blood-brain barrier is the means that the brain has to keep substances in the blood that might be toxic to the brain from making it into the brain. Medicines that are designed to treat the brain are formulated in such a way as to be able to cross this barrier. Fatty substances, of which krill oil is one, make it across the barrier as well. Krill oil is a more potent form of omega-3 fats than fish oil, but both cross the barrier. The krill oil is just more potent. I suspect that the nightmares will subside with time. If not, or if you want to avoid them now, try switching to fish oil. Or reducing your dosage of krill oil (find softgels with a lower dose).

By: Fred Potter

Fred Potter — Mon, 26 May 2008 04:19:39 +0000

Thanks so is it possible that those who have statin-induced myopathy, would, if they had an MRI scan, find they had stenosis? In my case lumbar spinal stenosis. I suffer loss of balance. My GP says it’s due to stenosis, but the specialist says it’s probably diabetes. I don’t agree with the specialist
Fred

Hey Fred–

I don’t think statin-induced myopathy has anything to do with lumbar spinal stenosis. Usually lumbar spinal stenosis, if not congenital, is secondary to arthritis or some other inflammatory process. Hope you get it all sorted out.

Cheers–

MRE

By: Fred Potter

Fred Potter — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 05:03:25 +0000

Dear MRE 7 months on and CoQ10 didn’t help my myopathy. I’m worse than ever. I know this because I had an MRI scan. The results were in fluent Martian, each phrase starting with the word “severe”. Stenosis for example. So I have allowed myself to be misled by the anti-statin lobby and the well-meaning “health professionals” in the health store
Fred

Hi Fred–

Who said your myopathy was from statin drugs? One of the most common side effects from statin drugs is myopathy, but it’s not the only cause of myopathy.

I don’t know where you have stenosis, but I don’t know (and you don’t know) if it’s from your stopping a statin drug or not. The medical literature is pretty clear on the fact that the only group of people shown to receive any all-cause-mortality reduction from statin drugs is men under the age of 65 who have had a diagnosis of heart disease. That’s not high cholesterol – high cholesterol isn’t a disease; it’s a lab finding. Only those men who have had a heart attack or otherwise been diagnosed as suffering from heart disease were helped by statins. For the rest there was no benefit. I didn’t make this up – this is what the medical literature shows.

By: Jay Goodof

Jay Goodof — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 13:59:58 +0000

Am 83…male… after taking zocor for 8 years I suddenly have rather severe leg and thigh and buttock muscles.. also upper arms, both, near shoulders.. am quitting zocor cold..TODAY.. how long will it take to see if muscle problems due to zocor actually are fact… or is it something else?

Dovecut

You need to talk to your doctor about this and at least get a lab test to see what’s going on to make sure the pain you’re describing is due to the Zocor.