Statins are considered the best treatment for high cholesterol levels in the body. They are prescribed to people with high cholesterol levels, and heart disease and as a form of prevention for healthy people. But do they really help? Find out how bad are statins for you and whether they are worth the risk.
The use of statins is so common that nearly one in four people over 45 in America takes them. Unfortunately, this number tends to increase because of the draft recommendation issued by the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF).
According to this particular federal advisory board, people between 40-75 years of age, who have at least 10% of heart problem risk even though they haven’t had previous strokes and attacks have to take statins.
So, if you live in the U.S. and you are around 40, there is a great possibility that your doctor prescribe you some statins. However, this may not mean that they are the right medicines for you.
5 Reasons Which Show How Bad are Statins for You?
1. Statins Don’t Work
As statins lower the high level of cholesterol, you may think that they make you feel healthier and reduce the risk of some heart disease but this is far from the truth. But how bad are statins for you? According to evidence, statins can actually worsen your heart health and they tend to be effective due to statistical deception. The Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology has published a study that showed that statins advocates used relative risk reduction (RRR), a statistical tool that increased the beneficial effects of statins. Generally, statins provide benefits to just 1% of the population. So, one person out of 100 using these drugs, will have a reduced risk of a heart attack. However, this is rather an unimpressive fact so the statin advocates started using a different statistic or relative risk. With this statistical deception, out of nowhere, statins become highly effective for 30-50% of the population. According to STATS at George Mason University, this relative risk does not tell you anything about the actual risk.2. Statins Deplete the Body of CoQ10
Statins reduce the level of CoQ10, which leads to most of their side effects. Despite the proposed black box warning to statins, the FDA rejected this claim in 2014. CoQ10 is an important coenzyme for the production of energy in cells. Also, it is vital for high energy levels, good health, and longevity. Also, Healthy is critical for cellular respiration and the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP is an important coenzyme that carries energy to every cell in the body. We all know that the heart is the organ that needs the most energy, so you can imagine how bad are statins for you and the body’s cellular energy. So, by lowering the cholesterol levels you actually increase your risk of many other heart diseases due to the depletion of CoQ10. So, if you take some statins, you must take a CoQ10 supplement. People over 40 should take ubiquinol instead of CoQ10 because of better body absorption. Most of the studies recently conducted affirm that ubiquinol is more bioavailable than the non-reduced form. The founder of the New England Heart Center and cardiologist, Dr. Steven Sinatra, recommends a dose of 100-200 mg of high-quality ubiquinol of CoQ10 daily. The European Journal of Pharmacology conducted a study that found that ubiquinol can effectively rescue cells from simvastatin damage and protect muscle cells from myopathies. Because of its potent antioxidant properties, ubiquinol keeps low levels of bad cholesterol in the blood. In fact, a low level of bad cholesterol is not bad for your health but it's the oxidized version that can cause a problem. So, if you reduce the production of CoQ10 in your body, you will remove the mechanisms that control the levels of bad cholesterol.3. Statins Reduce the Level of Vitamin K2
In March 2015, a new discovery was published but it is still unknown. Does it reveal how bad are statins for you? The Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology published research that negates the fact that statins can lower the risk of atherosclerosis. In fact, statins can actually promote heart failure and atherosclerosis. One reason for this is that statins obstruct the synthesis of vitamin K, an important vitamin that protects the arteries from calcification. The role of calcium is to bring calcium to the proper parts of the body, such as the teeth and bones. Also, it removes calcium from soft tissues and arteries. A Dutch study in 2009 shows that vitamin K2 can reduce vascular calcification even with small dietary intakes. So, the use of statins inhibits the vitamin K2, which can lead to a deficiency of this vitamin, a condition that can cause many chronic diseases, such as:Statins Reduce the Production of Ketones
Statins reduce the level of cholesterol by inhibiting the HMG coenzyme A reductase, the liver enzyme which produces cholesterol. In fact, it’s the same enzyme that produces both CoQ10 and ketones, the vital nutrients which feed mitochondria. Ketones are crucial biological signaling molecules that include three ketone bodies such as beta-hydroxybutyrate, acetoacetate, and acetone, all of them produced in the liver.5. Statins Increase the Risk of Serious Diseases
Since the statins drain the supply of CoQ10, reduce the production of ketones and inhibit the synthesis of vitamin K2 they also increase the risk of some serious diseases such as:Cancer
According to some researchers, long-term use of statins (for more than 10 years) doubles the women’s risk of the two types of breast cancer: invasive lobular carcinoma and invasive ductal carcinoma. Dr. Sinatra states that statin drugs block the squalene pathway, which is essential in the prevention of cancer. Additionally, statins can lead to a higher risk of prostate cancer due to the increased cumulative dose. The Journal of Clinical Oncology published a letter to the editor which points out that certain statin doses are carcinogenic in rodents and they cause blood concentrations of the drugs just as those in treating patients.Diabetes
Statins tend to increase the risk of diabetes with various mechanisms. All of them can cause insulin resistance and seriously harm your health. Second, statins raise the level of blood sugar thus increasing the risk of diabetes. They prevent the liver from producing cholesterol so it returns the sugar to the bloodstream and thus raising the level of blood sugar. Statins can impact blood sugar levels by robbing certain important nutrients, including CoQ10 and vitamin D. They are important for balanced blood glucose levels. According to a meta-analysis in 2011, the higher dose of statins you take, the greater the risk of diabetes. So, 1 out of 498 people who take high-dose statins will develop diabetes. These scientific reviews show that statin use leads to the onset of diabetes.- In 2010, a meta-analysis of 13 statins which consisted of 91,140 participants showed that statin therapy can cause a 9% increased risk of incident diabetes. This points out that one in 255 people using these drugs will develop diabetes;
- According to a 2009 study, statins can increase fasting plasma glucose in people with and without diabetes. This condition excludes the presence of other factors including age and usage of β-blockers, aspirin, or angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors.
Neurodegenerative Diseases
Cholesterol is vital for the overall health of the body, especially the brain because it contains 25% of the total cholesterol in the body. Also, cholesterol is important for synapse formation or the connection between the neurons which enables the process of thinking, learning new things, and forming memories. So, that’s why memory loss is often associated with the use of statins. Additionally, statins reduce the production of ketones. They are used as brain fuel and protect the brain from seizures, a neuronal disease, Mayo Clinic, Alzheimer’s, and Huntington’s disease.Musculoskeletal Disorders
Statin users are more prone to musculoskeletal disorders, pain, and injuries than non-users. So, muscle weakness, myalgia, rhabdomyolysis, muscle cramps, tendinous diseases, and autoimmune diseases are all associated with the use of statins. One possible reason may be the statins’ interference with the selenoproteins. These selenoproteins including glutathione peroxidase are highly important for the prevention of oxidative damage in the muscle tissues. According to Wellness Resources, blockage of the selenoprotein enzyme glutathione peroxidase is the same as pouring gas on a fire, which even more damages the muscle tissue. Also, the JAMA Internal Medicine published a study that shows that statin use is related to an increased rate of arthropathies, musculoskeletal conditions, and injuries. The musculoskeletal adverse events (AEs) of statin therapy can be explained by the inhibitory effect on Q10 synthesis, mitochondrial respiratory chain, and selenoprotein synthesis. Also, in vitro studies show that statins can affect apoptosis genes and misregulation of apoptosis is linked with myopathy.Cataracts
According to reviews by Cochrane, PubMed, and EMBASE 307 out of 10,000 patients who take statins have cataracts. The JAMA study provided additional support that there is a higher risk of cataracts in statin users than in non-users.Take Statins Together with CoQ10 and Vitamin K2
If you take statins, make sure you take vitamin K2 in the form of a supplement. So, choose MK-7, a type of supplement extracted from natto, a Japanese fermented soy product. According to the top vitamin K2 researcher, professor Cees Vermeer, about 45 mcg and 185 mcg doses of vitamin K2 is the most suitable dose for adults on a daily basis. If taking some anticoagulants, make sure you take 150 mcg per day. Additionally, take ubiquinol or CoQ10 with it. One particular study estimated the benefits of selenium and CoQ10 supplementation for patients with statin-associated myopathy. In comparison to those given a placebo, these patients experienced less pain and fatigue as well as reduced muscle cramps and weakness.Protect Your Heart!
If you want to improve your overall health without the use of drugs, make sure you practice the following recommendations:- Eliminate sugar and grains from your diet, especially gluten-containing ones and fructose;
- Enrich your diet with raw food;
- Take some high-quality omega-3 fats. For example, take about 500 mg of krill oil per day. This oil will significantly improve the total level of triglycerides and cholesterol;
- Avoid using synthetic trans fats and vegetable oils and replace them with butter, olive, and coconut oil;
- Enrich your diet with fermented foods because they will improve your intestinal microflora and improve your overall immunity;
- Make sure you increase your vitamin D levels, especially through sun exposure. This will also increase vitamin D sulfate, an important factor that can prevent the formation of arterial plaque;
- Try to exercise on a regular basis. Also, high-intensity exercises can increase your production of human growth hormone (HGH);
- Try to stop drinking alcohol and smoking;
- Get plenty of restorative and high-quality sleep;
- Make sure you practice stress-management techniques on regular basis.
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