Dr. John Briffa quite a few shocking truths about the dangerous side effects of statins in The Cholesterol Truth … along with debunking many of the cholesterol myths we’ve been led to believe over the past 30 years.
Whilst it’s refreshing to see at least one doctor swimming against the mainstream, our battle is far from over…
Killing me softly
CoQ10 is an essential heart nutrient. Ironically, one of the most concerning side-effects linked to statins is that they lower your body’s levels of CoQ10… and low levels of CoQ10 increase the risk of heart disease (the very condition statins are supposedly designed to prevent!), in addition to congestive heart failure, chronic fatigue, hepatitis, myopathy, rhabdomyolysis and neuropathy (loss of cell wall integrity).
There is very powerful evidence which suggests that statin- induced injury to the function of the body’s energy- producing cells, called mitochondria, underlies many of the adverse effects that occur to patients taking statin drugs.
To be frank, if you are a doctor and you’re prescribing statins to your patients, you should know this AND warn your patients about these risks!
Take caution and care
A staggering seven million people currently take statins in England alone, or one in three of the population over 40… This is in spite of recent research urging doctors to prescribe statins with care, since reseachers found little evidence that they were cost effective or improved quality of life in those without a history of heart disease.
To be honest if you are over 40 and you are looking for quality of life, one of the best things you can do is avoid statins.
A recent review of several clinical trials has shown that taking statins can increase the risk of diabetes by 13 per cent on average. Another study, published in April, suggests that statins may increase the risk of prostate cancer.
Adding to that, there’s a pile of evidence that strongly suggests that cholesterol is critical for the brain to function properly, indicating that in the long-term cholesterol reduction may be linked to neurological disorders like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Now I don’t know about you, but I hope my brain is one of the last things to give in when I am much older… which brings me to my next point:
Give me your sick, poor and old
As a population we’re living longer. According to the Office of National Statistics, the fastest population increase has been in the number of those aged 85 and over, the ‘oldest old’.
In 1984, there were around 660,000 people in the UK aged 85 and over. Since then the numbers have more than doubled reaching 1.4 million in 2009. By 2034 the number of people aged 85 and over is projected to be 2.5 times larger than in 2009, reaching 3.5 million and accounting for 5 per cent of the total population.
Generally speaking, older individuals are more prone to chronic conditions such as heart disease. Guess what… the 85 and over population group is a massive market for Big Pharma and their great statin push!
Judging by the long list of potentially life-threatening side effects I mentioned above, one cannot help but wonder if there is any benefit in the elderly taking these drugs at all?… let alone, whether it is ethical for doctors to prescribe this poison to people who really just want to enjoy the last years of their lives!
The real shocker is that the results of a 2002 study, the PROSPER study, questioned the use of statin drugs in the elderly because results showed cancer rates were 25 per cent higher in the group of elderly patients that took statins…
So, there you have it, add cancer to the long list of side effects associated with statins!
To read the full facts about the PROSPOER study, as well as what Dr. Briffa has to say about the findings of this study, click here:
…and another thing
If you are looking for a delicious way to add fibre and antioxidants to your diet, look no further than berries. Raspberries, blueberries, strawberries and blackberries are sweet, easy to pop into your mouth as a snack and a much healthier choice than a chocolate bar. All are anti- inflammatory, rich in flavonoids and carotenoids, offer immune-boosting antioxidant activity and:
* Are an excellent source of phytonutrients, and a good source of vitamin C and fibre.
* Provide folate, vitamins B2 and B3, magnesium and other essential nutrients.
* Contain ellagitannins, natural health-protective compounds that appear to have potent anti-cancer activity.
* Have a lower glycaemic load than tropical fruits.