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Heart Disease and Drugs

For esample in the US, statin drugs are a 20 billion dollar annual market.
Pfizer just spent 800 million dollars on a “miracle drug” to raise HDL, good cholesterol. Their miracle drug raised the death rate so high that the trial was canceled.

Investigating Cholesterol Lowering Drugs

Before we start you need to know that none of the “Miracle Drugs” of the past have ever reduced the risk of death or heart disease by lowering Cholesterol level.
Most of these “miracle drugs” have already become obsolete to be replaces by newer “Miraculous “ones.
“Now, none of the new drugs prescribed today reduced the risk of death or heart disease either.

See the following two Meta-Analysis combining more than 110,000 people.” _{(1) (2)}

_{(1) Muldoon MF, Manuck SB, Matthews KA. Lowering cholesterol concentrations and mortality: a quantitiative review of primary prevention trials. British Medical Journal 1990;301:309-314.}

_{(2)79. Ravnskov U. Cholesterol lowering trials in coronary heart disease: frequency of citation and outcome. British Medical Journal 1992;305:15-19.}

Beta-Blocker Drugs : a curious fact

“It is somewhat ironic that after 3 decades of using beta-blockers for hypertension, no study has shown that their monotherapeutic use has reduced morbidity or mortality in elderly hypertensive patients compared with placebo.”
_{Franz H. Messerli, MD Antihypertensive therapy: beta-blockers and diuretics—why do physicians not always follow guidelines? © 2000, Baylor}_{University Medical Center.}

“In fact, no trial has shown that lowering blood pressure with a beta-blocker reduces the risk of a heart attack or cardiovascular event in patients with essential hypertension compared with placebo.”

(In other words, if someone told you to take a beta-blocker pill for your heart, and gave you a skittle instead, it would pretty much be the same.)

“Perhaps the most interesting finding from the beta-blocker component of the meta-analysis is the fact that … beta-blockers do not appear to prevent coronary events in the primary prevention trials in patients with high blood pressure.”

_{Psaty BM, Smith NL, Koepsell TD, Furberg CD. In reply [letter]. JAMA. 1997;277:1759–1760.}

“For any given fall in arterial pressure, patients on diuretics fared better than those on beta-blockers.”

_{Lever AF, Brennan PJ. MRC trial of treatment in elderly hypertensives. High Blood Press. 1992;1:132–137.}

Beta-blocker based therapy is distinctly inferior to diuretic based therapy and is not different from placebo.

_{Medical Research Council trial of treatment of hypertension in older adults: principal results; MRC Working Party. BMJ. 1992;304:405–412.}

Diuretic Use For High Blood Pressure: What They Don’t Tell You

“Numerous prospective randomized trials have documented that diuretic-based therapy is effective in reducing morbidity and mortality in hypertensive patients.”

_{Messerli FH, Grossman E, Goldbourt U. Are beta-blockers efficacious as first-line therapy for hypertension in the elderly? A systematic review. JAMA. 1998;279:1903–1907.}

“Unfortunately, recent meta-analysis showed that the long-term use of diuretics increases the risk of kidney cancer.”

_{Grossman E, Messerli FH, Goldbourt U. Does diuretic therapy increase the risk of renal cell carcinoma? Am J Cardiol. 1999;83:1090–1093}

“In three big studies, in excess of 1 million patients who were taking diuretics had about a 2-fold higher risk of Kidney Cancer than patients who were not on diuretic therapy.”

_{Grossman E, Messerli FH, Goldbourt U. Does diuretic therapy increase the risk of renal cell carcinoma? Am J Cardiol. 1999;83:1090–1093}

What is more troubling is when they falsely report results that don’t follow
from data, and keep the data secret so nobody can check. This is what
happened with the Framingham blood pressure studies and after some legitimate
scientists (as opposed to MD’s) got the data under the Freedom of Information
Act they published it (Lancet, jan 15 of this year) and it is clear that
most treatment for hypertension over the last 20 or 30 years has been
unnecessary.

See Lancet : Systolic blood pressure and mortality

Andy Cutler :Ph. D., Chemistry, Princeton University, B. S., Physics, University of California,
Registered professional chemical engineer in California and Colorado,Registered patent agent, author of many technical papers in chemistry, materials science and space engineering. Author of the book Amalgam

Illness: Diagnosis and Treatment

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Statins : the newest Cholesterol-Lowering Miracle Drugs

private First, that they work about 30% less in real life than what was found in trials. Statins do not meet expectations for lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels when used in clinical practice.

_{Department of Preventive Cardiology, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio}

One of the side effects of statin could be myositis, a chronic or persistent muscle inflammation (including your heart, of course). Statin and statin-fibrate use was significantly associated with increased myositis risk in a managed care population.

What they should have told you:

“In a direct comparison between diet with cholesterol lowering food versus statin, it was found that the results in lowering bad cholesterol was similar in the diet group and in the statin group and this after only four weeks, the Food rich in plant sterols used in this study were 1.0 g/1000 kcal, soy-protein foods (including soy milks and soy burgers, 21.4 g/1000 kcal, almonds 14 g/1000 kcal, and viscous fibers from oats, barley, psyllium, and the vegetables okra and eggplant.”

_{Direct comparison of a dietary portfolio of cholesterol-lowering foods with a statin in hypercholesterolemic participants.}_{Clinical Nutrition and Risk Factor Modification Center, St Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, Canada.}

Statins do not provide benefit for people with diabetes either. _{(1) (2) (3)}For comparison, an observational study reported that if 250 sedentary diabetic patients were to become physically active, four times as many lives will be saved. ₍₄₎

_{(1) Sever PS, op. cit.. (2)12 Shepherd J, op.cit.}

_{(3)The ALLHAT Officerrs and Coordinators for the ALLHAT Collaborative Research Group. Major}

_{Outcomes in Moderately Hypercholesterolemic, Hypertensive Patients Randomized to Pravastatin vs UsualCare}

_{.Journal of the American Medical Association. 2002;288:2998-3007.}

_{(4) Gregg EW, Gerzoff RB, Caspersen CJ, et al. Relationship of Walking to Mortality Among US Adults}

_{with Diabetes. Archives of Internal Medicine. 2003;163:1440-1447.}

heart_notell

Statins & Nerve Damage

Statins can create a peripheral nerve disorder with the following symptoms:

Numbness
Pain
Burning or tingling
Muscle weakness
Sensitivity to touch

_{Statin induced neuropathy: myth or reality? Formaglio M, Vial C.}

_{Service ENMG et Pathologies Neuromusculaires, Hôpital Neurologique}

“It is thought that as many as 25% of statin users who exercise, may experience muscle fatigue, weakness, aches, and cramping due to statin.”

_{Statin-induced apoptosis and skeletal myopathy. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 2006 Dec;291(6):C1208-12. Epub 2006 Aug 2.}

“Statins are immune system suppressors and kill Helper T-cells.”

Statin is an Immune system suppressor: “This unexpected effect provides a scientific rationale for using statins as immunosuppressors, not only in organ transplantation, but in numerous other conditions as well,” according to lead author Dr. Brenda Kwak, of the Foundation for Medical Research in Geneva, Switzerland, and colleagues. The concentrations of the drugs were very similar to doses used in patients.

_{Nature Medicine 2000;6:1311-1312, 1399-1402.}

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Lipid-Lowering Drugs and Cancer

In a review of the scientific research on the carcinogenicity of the members of the two most popular classes of lipid-lowering drugs (the fibrates and the statins) it was Found That All Cause Cancer In Rodents.Conclusion of the study: “The results of experiments in animals and humans suggest that lipid-lowering drug treatment, especially with the fibrates and statins, should be avoided except in patients at high short-term risk of coronary heart disease.”

_{Newman TB, Hulley SB.Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco}

“How did it happen that cholesterol-lowering agents were approved by the FDA for long-term use in spite of their animal carcinogenicity?”

_{Thomas B. Newman, MD, MPH, Stephan B. Hulley, MD, MPH in their research on Carcinogenicity of Lipid-Lowering Drugs went to dig in the minutes of the Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee meetings (under the Freedom of Information Act) during the discussion for the approbation of the drug gemfibrozil (October 17, 1988)}

What they found is beyond imagination and left me speechless. “Dr. Gloria Troendle (deputy director, Division of Metabolism and Endocrine Drug Products for the FDA) noted that gemfibrozil belongs to a class of drugs that has been shown to increase total mortality. It has been shown to have animal carcinogenicity and she does not believe the FDA has ever approved a drug for long-term prophylactic use that was carcinogenic at such low multiples of the human dose as gemfibrozil?”To make a long story short, only three of the nine members of the advisory committee believed that the benefit of gemfibrozil outweighs the risk. The FDA ignored the committee’s recommendation and granted approval to the drug gemfibrozil. Under the Health Sentinel you will find a section on the FDA that will give you a better idea of what they’re all bout.

You can find all the information at: http://www.captainclark.com/Pages/jamareport.html

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An Astronaut’s Personal Story on statins and memory

Florida physician and a former NASA scientist-astronaut, Dr. Duane Gravelinewas is not at all crazy. Even if at one point he could not remember his entire adult life. This was only a temporary side effect that he attributed to the drug Lipitor. “With the use of the stronger statin drugs such as Lipitor, Zocor and Mevacor, TGA is but the tip of the iceberg of the many other forms of statin-associated memory lapses reported from distraught patients. Far more common are symptoms of disorientation, confusion, increase of any pre-existing senility and unusual forgetfulness.”

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What They Should Tell You Urgently about statins and coenzymeQ10

CQ10 is an antioxidant which protects the energy-producing parts of a cell (mitochondria) from toxic substances.Statins deplete coenzyme Q10 from your muscles and from your blood.Even worse, it blocks the biosynthesis of coenzyme CoQ10.You can actually lose up to 50% of your CoQ10. Your heart is the muscle that consumes and needs Q10 the most in order to function.
_{Coenzyme Q (10) and statins: Biochemical and clinical implications. Littarru GP, Langsjoen P. Institute of Biochemistry, Polytechnic University of the Marche, Via Ranieri, 60131 Ancona, Italy}

In patients with pre-existing congestive heart failure, the addition of statin therapy causes a decrease in blood CoQ10 levels and a decline in myocardial function.

_{Folkers K., Langsjoen P., Willis R., Richardson P., Xia L., et al. Lovastatin decreases coenzyme Q levels in humans. Proc. Nat Acad. Sci. USA. 87: 8931-8934, 1990}

CoQ10 is essential for the health of your heart. This is an antioxidant used by Alternative Medicine practitioners to fight CHD on a daily basis. In a healthy heart there is more CoQ10 than in any other muscle of the body.

_{Folkers K, Littarru GP, Ho L, Runge TM, Havanonda S, Cooley D. Evidence for a deficiency of coenzyme Q10 in human heart disease. Int Z vitaminforsch 1970; 4(3):380-390.}

heart_notell

A Silent Killer?

The researchers at Ghirlanda reported in a double-bind, placebo-controlled study a decrease of 50-54% of CoQ10 levels in the statin treatment groups, ₍₁₎ and similar results were reproduced by Watts. ₍₂₎

_{(1) Ghirlanda G, Oradei A, Manto A, Lippa S, Uccioli L, Caputo S, Greco AV, Littarru GP.

Evidence of plasma CoQ10-lowering effect by HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors: a double-blind,

placebo-controlled study. J Clin Pharmacol. 1993.Mar;33(3):226-229}

_{(2) Watts GF, Castelluccio C, Rice-Evans C, Taub NA, Baum H, Quinn PJ. Plasma coenzyme Q (ubiquinone)

concentrations in patients treated with simvastatin. J Clin Pathol. Nov 1993;46(11):1055-1057.

Could It Be Dangerous?}

Canada insisted on warning labels for the need for supplemental CoQ10 to be placed on every statin prescription.

Before taking a statin, patients should tell their doctor or pharmacist if they:

• Are pregnant, intend to become pregnant, are breast-feeding or intend to breast-feed.
• Have thyroid problems.
• Regularly drink three or more alcoholic drinks daily.
• Are taking other cholesterol lowering medication such as fibrates (gemfibrozil, fenofibrate) or niacin.
• Are taking other medications, including prescription, non-prescription and natural health products, as drug interactions are possible.
• Have a family history of muscular disorders.
• Had any past problems with their muscles (pain, tenderness), after using a statin.
• Have kidney or liver problems.
• Have diabetes.
• Have undergone surgery or other tissue injury.
• Do excessive physical exercise.
_{Health Canada advises consumers about important safety information on statins}

My Question:

Is it possible that nobody knew about statins’ effect on the depletion of CoQ10, which is an important antioxidant, before putting statin drugs on the market?

Yes, somebody knew. Guess Who?

The Big Pharma Company Merck & Co. Inc. knew about it, in fact a long time ago they registered a couple of patents for combining CoQ10 with statin in the same capsule.
_{US Patent 4929437, issued May 29, 1990 and

US Patent 4933165, issued June 12, 1990, both titled “Coenzyme Q10 with HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitors”}
Unfortunately, they decided that it was not worth it to sell this product, business wise. They choose to continue to sell their statins without Coenzyme Q10.

One statin drug was already pulled off the market, Baycol, because of numerous deaths associated with its use. The drug was provoking muscle breakdown.

A Baycol victim testimonial “If I had a choice between having another heart attack and going through what I just went through, I’d take the heart attack any day,” said Miller, 61, whose shirt hangs off a frame ravaged of 60 pounds of muscle after his cholesterol medication triggered a rare condition and turned his body against itself.

However, the FDA is currently not considering any regulatory action in regards of others statins which are lovastatin (Mevacor), pravastatin (Pravachol), Zocor (simvastatin), fluvastatin (Lescol) and atorvastatin (Lipitor).

Statin drugs are here to stay. Don’t get too hopeful, the FDA only recalls less than 3% drugs which it has already approved.

Last Statement on Statins:

I should add that if you need a strong immune system avoid taking statins. Now, I am not a Doctor, so you can discuss this issue with your Doctor. With Alternative Medicine you have many ways to reduce your cholesterol level as you will see in the next section. Statins is the fastest way to reduce your cholesterol in case of medical emergency, but it should be used wisely, on a short term basis, and with CoQ10 supplements.

Conclusion

You now know the dangers of cholesterol-lowering drugs and you’re lucky because only one out of every 1,000 patients is aware of the danger of these medications. This is just what I want to deliver, true information that will give you a real choice , an educated choice on the way you want to proceed to fight for your wellness.

THE TRUTH

More than 30 years ago Dr. Dean Ornish demonstrated that heart diseases and high cholesterol could actually be reversed without dangerous drugs.

_{(Ornish D, Brown SE, Scherwitz LW, et al. Can lifestyle changes reverse coronary heart disease? Lancet. 1990;336:129-33}

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Statins Cause Heart Attacks in Some Users

Over 38 million people in the U.S. are currently taking statin drugs to lower high cholesterol levels. However, German scientists at the Martin Luther-University in Halle-Wittenberg have just published research in the Journal of Lipid Research that shows, for some people, taking statins actually increases the risk of having heart attacks.

The researchers studied over 1,000 patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), and found that a subset of those had high levels of an enzyme called phospholipid transferprotein, or PLTP for short. PTLP is known to influence the metabolism of cholesterol-containing molecules like low density lipoprotein (LDL, or the “bad” cholesterol) and high density lipoprotein (the “good” cholesterol known as HDL) . While the exact role PLTP plays in cardiovascular health remains unknown, the enzyme is associated with atherosclerosis (the accumulation of plaque in arteries) and heart disease. So a team of scientists led by Axel Schlitt decided to measure the amount of PLTP in 1,085 patients with CAD and then track these PLTP levels to see what the relationship of the enzyme might be to future cardiovascular events.

A little over five years later, 156 of the study participants had suffered from fatal or non-fatal heart attacks, including 47 of the 395 people in the group who were taking statin drugs. Surprisingly, the researchers found that people with high PLTP levels didn’t have more heart attacks, unless they were taking statins — taking the drugs gave them a significant increase in their heart attack risk.

In a statement to the media, the researchers noted that while follow-up studies are needed to tease out the exact connection between PLTP and statins, their study does suggest levels of PLTP in the blood should be looked at before people are put on statin medications.

Although statin drugs have been shown to lower cholesterol levels dramatically, there are a host of natural and side-effect free ways to accomplish this, including increasing fiber in the diet, increasing exercise levels, and losing weight. On the other hand, popping a statin pill each day may seem like an easy short-cut to reducing cholesterol, but it can come with a significant price, and not only to the pocketbook. A host of side effects, from liver and kidney damage to memory problems and muscle damage have been reported.

In fact, approximately 200,000 Americans who take statins to treat high cholesterol may develop a life-threatening muscle disease called “statin myopathy”, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Currently there is no comprehensive way to identify those who may be at risk for this debilitating condition, but new NIH-funded research is currently underway by scientists at the University at Buffalo to hopefully find out.

By: Sherry Baker, Health Sciences Editor. Natural News